Andrii Miroshnikov began by explaining that the blockade of the Black Sea and Sea of Azov seaports had led to the diversion of export cargo flows to the western railway border crossings. At present, JSC "Ukrainian Railways" operates 13 railway border crossings with EU countries and Moldova:
- with the Republic of Poland - 4 border crossings (Yahodyn - Dorohusk; Izov - Hrubieszow; Rawa Ruska - Werchrata; Mostyska-2 - Medyka)
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with Romania - 3 border crossings (Vadul-Siret - Dornesti; Diakove - Halmeu; Reni - Giurgiulesti)
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with the Slovak Republic - 2 border crossings (Chop - Cierna nad Tisou; Uzhgorod - Matevci)
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with Hungary - 2 border crossings (Chop - Zahony; Batiove - Eperjeske)
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with Moldova - 2 border crossings (Sokyriany - Ocnita; Mohyliv-Podilskyi - Valcinet)
The total capacity of the railway border crossings is 220,000 tonnes of cargo per day, or 6.6 million tonnes per month. However, the actual turnover of cargo at the border crossings is about 1,800 wagons or 110 thousand tonnes per day. This means that only 54.1% of the available capacity of railway border crossings is used.
He sees the main reasons for this as a general shortage of wagons or a lack of capacity in EU seaports for handling Ukrainian export goods.
In order to increase the transport and transshipment capacity, the following infrastructure projects will be implemented at the border railway stations, he explained:
- reconstruction of the railway connection on the section Rakhiv - Berlibash - State border - Romania - State border - Teresva (two sections were opened on 26 August 2022: Rakhiv - Berlibash and Teresva - State border)
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reconstruction of railway facilities on the section Berezyne - Basarabyaska of the regional branch "Odesa Railway" (on 22 August 2022 the first train ran on the reconstructed line)
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completion of works on the project "Reconstruction of railway infrastructure with electrification of the Kovel - Izov - State border section"
- overhaul of the 1435 mm track on the Kovel - Yahodyn - state border section (stage I, Matseiv - Yahodyn - state border - Poland)
Finally, he presented target projects of JSC “Ukrainian railways” regarding the development of the necessary infrastructure.
As part of the joint project with the World Bank, Ukrainian Railways plans to carry out the construction, modernization or restoration of border railway sections and key stations which connect the main transshipment centers and terminals with border crossing points and European countries:
- reconstruction of the railway track on the Mostyska II - State Border (Lviv Railway) section
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reconstruction of railway connections on the section Berezyne (Ukraine) - Basarabeasca (Moldova) (Odesa Railway)
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major repairs to tracks No 17 and No 19 at Vadul-Siret station
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major repairs of 1435 mm track and engineering structures on the section Rawa Ruska - State border (Hrebenne) 1 km from the kilometre marker No. 10 - 8 km from the kilometre marker No. 5, Rava-Ruska station of tracks No. ІІІІ, 14, 14a, 16, 48 in the Lviv region
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reconstruction of infrastructure on the following sections: Sambir - Khyriv and State border - Starzhava - Khyriv - Nyzhankovychi - State border
- construction of a 1435 mm track on the Lviv (Sknyliv) - Mostyska II section.
The IBS Expert Talks took place on 23 March in Bonn.
