With the ongoing Russian attacks on Ukraine, the resilient Ukrainians came up once again with an innovative solution ahead of the upcoming 2023/2024 winter season. As the attacks often cause massive blackouts and the de-occupied territories lack any infrastructure, Ukrzaliznytsia has partnered with the foundation of the American philanthropist Howard Buffet and created the first Food Train.
The idea was to create a train that could autonomously feed Ukrainians in territories with serious damage to logistics networks, electricity networks, gas, and water supply. Following nine months of overhaul, the first 6-car trainset is ready for deployment nationwide.
Railways keep helping Ukrainians in many ways, and this is the new form of much-needed help in territories with severe damage to infrastructure and basic needs. The train, operation of which is covered by the Howard Buffet Foundation, can independently operate for up to one week, generating its electricity, having a refrigerator wagon for storing frozen products, two wagons with kitchens, a wagon for staff and cooks, as well as baggage wagon with storage of 27,000 litres of water, with filtration and pumping station. The Food Train can produce more than 10,000 meals a day. It requires 14 cooks and 7 railwaymen to run the train. The train's equipment allows for the preparation of full meals: soups, cereals, salads, meat, and special thermoboxes making it easy to transport ready-made lunchboxes with food from the train to the end consumer.
"The food train has already passed a test run, and in the near future the joint team of Ukrzaliznytsia and the foundation will be on permanent duty in the most difficult frontline areas of Ukraine, where heat and food are critical to life," said Yevhen Liashchenko, Chairman of the Board of Ukrzaliznytsia.
