Starting from February 2026, Ukrzaliznytsia is changing the rules for returning train tickets. The amount of compensation will depend on how many days before departure the passenger returns the ticket: the closer the departure date, the lower the amount refunded. This is reported by UNIAN.
During an online press conference, the head of the company, Oleksandr Pertsevsky, announced the new regulations. According to him, the new rules aim to reduce ticket speculation and make tickets more accessible for passengers who are genuinely planning a trip.
New ticket return rules of Ukrzaliznytsia
After the changes come into effect, the refund amount will depend on the time before the train's departure:
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for 20-15 days - 100% of the ticket price;
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for 14-10 days - 90%;
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for 9-5 days - 75%;
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for 4-1 days - 50%;
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less than a day - 30%.
A commission fee of 30 Hryvnias and insurance payment, as before, are non-refundable.
Why Ukrzaliznytsia is changing the return rules
According to Pertsevsky, currently about 13% of tickets are returned on the day of departure. This creates situations where seats are formally available, but other passengers do not have time to purchase them. The new rules are intended to limit the practice of buying tickets 'in advance'.
At the same time, exceptions are provided. Special conditions may apply for military personnel, passengers with disabilities, and routes to frontline regions. Also, if a trip is canceled due to the carrier's fault, passengers will retain the right to a full refund online.
It should be noted that Ukrzaliznytsia warned about train delays in Sumy and Kharkiv regions due to shelling by the Russian Federation.