In Ukraine, on December 1, 2025, the pilot version of the program 'UZ-3000' will launch, allowing Ukrainians to travel for free on trains for distances up to 3000 kilometers. This was stated by the head of the board of 'Ukrzaliznytsia', Oleksandr Pertsovskiy, during a conversation with the hromadske journalists.
Territorial communities near the front line will be the first to test the program, and a full launch is expected in January 2026. According to Pertsovskiy, the initiative is planned for four months — January, February, October, and November 2026, when the number of passengers is traditionally lower.
How the 'UZ-3000' program will work
'UZ-3000' will allow each user to get four free trips (or two round trips). Tickets can only be purchased for oneself or for a child to prevent speculation.
Key conditions:
- the program will only apply to non-peak trains and will not cover first-class trains, SV, or international routes;
- passenger identification will be done through 'Diiia' or online banking;
- free kilometers will be available in the 'Ukrzaliznytsia' application, where the system will show possible travel directions;
- the ticket will be completely free, the company plans to eliminate even the minimal insurance fees of 1-2 hryvnias.
Who benefits from this
According to Pertsovskiy, the program has a social and tourist effect — it will help vulnerable groups of the population and stimulate internal tourism during the winter season. According to UZ's estimates, over 6 million Ukrainians do not travel outside their region mainly due to ticket prices.
«We want people to travel. If you can't buy a ticket for Friday evening, the system will show options for travel kilometers on a more convenient day. This way, we distribute the load and allow for more travel,» explained Pertsovskiy.
Ukrzaliznytsia estimates the possible losses from the implementation of the program at up to 400 million hryvnias, but this money the company plans to recover by increasing the efficiency of passenger transport. The program is implemented within the presidential package of 'Winter Support'.
Earlier we wrote that the cost of train tickets in Ukraine will rise. Ukrzaliznytsia is preparing to increase prices for first-class passengers on 'Intercity' trains and SV cars to increase its revenue.