Blackout in Kyiv Will Not Stop Metro: Kyiv City State Administration Prepared a Transport Plan

In the event of prolonged power outages, Kyiv plans to replace halted trams and trolleybuses with buses. For this, 'Kyivpastrans' has a reserve of vehicles and fuel, and some drivers of electric transport may be involved in bus routes. The city has already tested such transport operation plan during a blackout earlier. This was reported to Suspilne by the Kyiv City State Administration's Department of Transport Infrastructure.

Buses Will Replace Electric Transport in Kyiv During Outages

If electricity supply is limited in certain areas, the city promises to launch additional buses or modify existing routes. They will duplicate the directions of trams and trolleybuses that cannot operate due to the de-energization of the contact network.

In case of a large-scale issue in the energy system, temporary bus routes will be organized along the main directions of surface electric transport. If necessary, some bus routes will also be changed if the limitations affect the metro.

The Kyiv City State Administration reminded that 'Kyivpastrans' had already operated under a similar scheme during the winter of 2022-2023 and in January-March 2026. The new backup plan relies on this experience. The city has already implemented such transport substitution with buses, particularly on the Left Bank of Kyiv.

Fuel Reserves and Drivers for Kyiv Buses

The enterprise has a reserve of buses and a constant supply of fuel. When trolleybuses and trams stop, some employees of electric transport with the appropriate driver's license can be transferred to buses.

«Drivers of trolleybuses and trams of Kyivpastrans, who have licenses allowing them to drive buses, will also be involved in bus operations,» the department reported.

This should help maintain transportation, although the number of available buses and drivers was not specified in the Kyiv City State Administration's response. During previous disruptions, the city has already modified public transport routes so that passengers could reach the necessary areas.

Will Kyiv Metro Operate During a Blackout

According to the Kyiv City State Administration, the metro is expected to continue operations as its power supply system has backup schemes for substations. The energy dispatching unit monitors the metro and its facilities around the clock.

The issue of transport readiness intensified after the attack by the Russian Federation on September 30: emergency shutdowns were implemented in Kyiv, and due to the lack of voltage, electric transport was temporarily halted in Shevchenkivskyi and Holosiivskyi districts. On the same day, the Tripoli TPP's generating equipment was damaged.

For passengers, this means that during local de-energization, the route may be quickly changed, and buses may be launched on certain directions. If the outage is large-scale, the city is relying on reserves of buses, fuel, and alternative metro power supply.