Dpty PM Kuleba announces record transportation of Ukrzaliznytsia in 2024

JSC Ukrzaliznytsia transported a record number of passengers in 2024, and also reached high figures in the volume of cargo transportation, said Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Reconstruction of Ukraine – Minister of Communities and Territories Development Oleksiy Kuleba.

"Today we can state that 2024 is becoming a record year for Ukrzaliznytsia both in terms of freight volumes, which is more than 148 million tonnes per year, and passenger traffic. Ukrzaliznytsia has been transporting more than 20 million people for the second year in a row using its own capacities," Kuleba said on Sunday at the ceremony of the first Kyiv-Budapest train departure.

The Deputy Prime Minister claims that the volume of Ukrzaliznytsia passenger traffic significantly exceeds the figures before the full-scale invasion, and passenger traffic in the direction of the EU countries is hundreds of times higher than before 2022.

According to Kuleba, there are large-scale plans for 2025 regarding the expansion of the railway network with European countries.

"We really have many plans for 2025 to expand the network with European countries, our neighbors. There are corresponding plans for Romania, an increase in transportation volumes in the direction of Poland," Kuleba said.

He noted that the demand for international rail transportation in Ukraine exceeds supply.

"Therefore, of course, we have a lot of work. We will do everything to reduce the load," the Deputy Prime Minister said.

The head of the Passenger Company branch, Oleh Holovaschenko, said that the Kyiv-Budapest train, which departed on its first trip on Sunday, would continue to run on a regular basis and may become a worthy alternative to the Kyiv-Warsaw train.

"This train will relieve the traffic with European countries and make it more convenient," he said.

He specified that in the two days since the opening of ticket sales for the Kyiv-Budapest train, more than 2,000 tickets were sold, the occupancy rate on the first route exceeded 60%. Ukrzaliznytsia expects that it will increase rapidly.

Earlier it was reported that Ukrzaliznytsia will launch Kyiv-Budapest, Rava-Ruska-Warsaw trains together with the Polish state operator PKP Intercity from December 15. Also, Ukrzaliznytsia together with ZSSK will launch a transfer route to Bratislava.