Solutions to win: USAID to help build eurotrack to Lviv

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will help the joint-stock Ukrainian railway company Ukrzaliznytsia to modernize the section from Mostyska station on the border with Poland to Lviv.

The press service of Ukrzaliznytsia reported this, Rubryka writes.

What is the problem?

There have long been plans in Ukraine to switch to the European track and integrate Ukrainian railways with the European Union. With the beginning of a full-scale war, this issue began to be discussed much more actively.

After all, the lack of a European-standard railway in Ukraine slows down many processes that are not only related to the transportation of goods. This slows down the growth of the country's economy.

This is especially acutely felt now when the railway has become the only way to deliver goods to Ukraine. Different track standards in Ukraine and the EU are also the reason for the low carrying capacity of passengers in international traffic.

What is the solution?

USAID undertook to help modernize the section from Mostyska station on the border with Poland to Lviv.

"The parties signed the relevant memorandum on November 24, 2023. On behalf of Ukrzaliznytsia, the document of intentions was signed by Yevhen Lyashchenko, the board chairman, and Vyacheslav Yeromin, the board member of the company. On the part of USAID, the document was signed by Ann Hopper, the acting director of the Mission in Ukraine," the message emphasized.

According to this plan, Lviv should become the central hub where the railways of two different standards will be connected. The presence of the eurotrack directly in Lviv provides wider logistical opportunities, both for delivering goods to the EU and establishing passenger transportation.

How does it work?

It is noted that on the section from Mostyska to Lviv, they plan to build a eurotrack with a width of 1435 mm.

"On Ukraine's path to the EU, we are continuing to implement infrastructural European integration projects. Together with the construction of land crossings, we are working on extending the 1435 mm track deep into the country.

One of the most promising districts is Mostyska – Lviv. It can serve to develop freight and passenger transportation in the direction of EU countries," Lyashchenko said.

Also, according to the memorandum, USAID will promote the further integration of Ukrainian railways into the Trans-European Transport Network of the European Union (TEN-T) to create alternative ways of exporting Ukrainian food.

Reference

European or "standard" gauge is the common width of gauge globally. About 60% of all railways use it.

The width of the European (standard) track is 1435 millimeters. In Ukraine, the tracks are wider — 1520 millimeters.

Recently, the European Commission and the European Investment Bank published the results of a study on the construction of eurotrack in Ukraine and Moldova.

According to official information, experts investigated the creation of railway corridors with a gauge of 1435 mm from Krakow/Katowice (Poland) to Lviv (Ukraine), as well as from Iasi (Romania) to Chisinau (Moldova).

The office for international projects of Ukrzaliznytsia also noted that sections of the eurotrack are being planned on the territory of Ukraine, in particular:

• Kovel-Yagodin (with the support of EIB),
• Rava-Ruska-Bryukhovychy/Lviv (EU),
• Mostyska-Sknyliv (state budget),
• Chop-Uzhhorod (state budget, CEF).

We will remind that since the beginning of the large-scale invasion in 2022, USAID has provided Ukraine with aid worth more than $21.7 billion, making it one of Ukraine's largest bilateral donors.

As Rubryka wrote, Ukrzaliznytsia plans to build the first eurotrack to the border with Poland in Rava-Ruska by the end of 2023.

In addition, Ukrzaliznytsia successfully completed the train test trip on the 1435 mm Eurogauge.