The Verkhovna Rada passed a law on railway eurointegration: what will change

According to Міністерство інфраструктури: The Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada adopted the draft law 'On the safety and interoperability of railway transport in Ukraine' in its first reading. This law is aimed at harmonizing the Ukrainian railway with European standards to enhance safety and integrate into the European transport space.

The draft law envisages the creation of a modern safety management system, risk assessment, a new rolling stock maintenance system, and the implementation of European standards in railway transport in Ukraine.

“We have taken another step towards integrating the Ukrainian railway into the European transport space. This draft law means a higher level of safety on the railway and implements common rules with the EU. I thank the deputies of the Verkhovna Rada for their support in the first reading, we are ready to process amendments, and we expect support for the project as a whole”

The law is to come into force three years after final adoption to allow the industry a transitional period for adaptation to new standards. This is an important step in fulfilling commitments to the EU and Ukraine Facility to obtain funding from the European Union and the World Bank.

Authors: Oleksiy Balesta, Ukrzaliznytsia, Oleksandr Pertsovsky