Ukrzaliznytsia has presented a new schedule for 2025–2026, which will take effect on December 14. It includes the launch of 11 new trains — 8 international and 3 domestic — as well as significant improvements to existing routes.
The demand for train travel continues to grow. In the first 11 months of this year, Ukrzaliznytsia has already transported over 25 million passengers, which is almost half a million more than last year. In the summer, the company tested a model of additional transportation through daytime circulating trains. This allowed for over 7,000 additional seats daily on peak days, and this approach became the basis for planning the schedule for 2026.
Increasing seat availability and new routes
In total, next year, Ukrzaliznytsia will increase seat availability during peak periods by 20% and provide an additional 2 million seats per year. Oleksii Balesta, Deputy Minister for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine, noted that the schedule is updated based on the real needs of people. New international routes are being launched, and existing ones are being updated.
“Ukrzaliznytsia updates the schedule based on the real needs of people. This is a priority. It concerns both faster routes and new direct connections; we also need to ensure more seats for passengers during peak periods. We are launching new and updating existing international routes,” said Oleksii Balesta, Deputy Minister for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine.
In international communication, 8 new routes are planned. In particular, with Poland, 3 new trains to Przemyśl and 1 to Chełm have been added. Such updates became possible thanks to the purchase of new carriages under the state program for updating passenger rolling stock.
Key updates for domestic communication
Among the key updates in domestic communication, the following routes should be highlighted:
- New train No. 47/48 (Kramatorsk) Barvinkove — Chop.
- New train No. 33/34 Kryvyi Rih — Ivano-Frankivsk.
- Updated route for train No. 113/114 Kharkiv — Uzhhorod.
These updates are aimed at improving the accessibility of various regions of Ukraine and ensuring convenient transfers to other routes.
Ukrzaliznytsia is actively responding to the growing demand for rail transportation, improving the train schedule and launching new routes both domestic and international. Increasing the availability of seats during peak periods and improving accessibility to various regions of the country are important steps in enhancing Ukraine's rail transport.