How Public Transport Will Operate in Kyiv During Blackouts: New Plan for 2025-2026

Kyiv has prepared a new action plan in case of possible power outages during the autumn-winter period of 2025-2026. City services have updated the algorithm for public transport and metro operations to ensure minimal mobility even during prolonged blackouts. This is reported by ThePage, citing a response from the Kyiv City State Administration's Transport Infrastructure Department to its inquiry.

Public Transport in Kyiv During Blackouts: How Routes Will Operate

Kyivpastrans has developed a separate plan for situations when electric transport lines lose power. Firstly, it involves the possible partial replacement of trolleybuses and trams with buses on routes with the highest passenger flow.

The document outlines several key steps in case of electricity shortages:

• replacement of electric transport with buses on specific routes;

• prompt launch of additional trips;

• changing traffic schemes depending on which streets remain without power;

• additional dispatch of buses beyond the daily schedule.

At the same time, the Kyiv City State Administration emphasizes that the effectiveness of these measures depends not only on the availability of electricity but also on the road conditions—absence of fires, collapses, or damages on roadways. All drivers and staff have received instructions on actions in case of sudden power outages.

How the Metro Will Operate During Power Cuts

The functioning of the metro depends on the city's unified energy system, but the metro substations are interconnected. This allows for maneuvering with power, switching substations to backup schemes, and maintaining operation even when certain areas remain without electricity.

In the event of emergency outages, the metro switches to backup power sources—the operating procedures are defined by internal regulatory documents. The energy dispatching service monitors the system's status around the clock.

Regarding surface electric transport, the Kyiv City State Administration explained that powering the contact network with generators is impossible: trams and trolleybuses require up to 3 MW of power, which generators cannot provide. Instead, 12 Kyivpastrans facilities are already equipped with generators to support critically important functions.

Previously, we reported that Russian strikes threaten to halt metro services across Ukraine.