PKP Polish Railway Lines (Polskie Linie Kolejowe) and Ukrainian Railways (Ukrzaliznytsia) signed a framework agreement to ensure the continuity and safety of rail traffic across the Poland–Ukraine rail border, along with joint efforts in infrastructure maintenance and development.
The agreement was signed at the TRAKO trade fair in Gdańsk by Piotr Wyborski, CEO of PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe and Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, CEO of Ukrainian Railways, in the presence of board members from both companies.
This is the first framework agreement of its kind and opens the way for subsequent, more detailed arrangements for strengthening the partnership between the railway infrastructure managers of both countries.
“Cooperation with our Ukrainian partners is now not only a business matter but a strategic one. Our shared goal is the efficient, safe and predictable operation of train traffic across the border, which supports economic growth and regional integration,” the CEO of PKP PLK said. He added that “the foundation for developing rail links between Ukraine and Poland is the modernisation of rail infrastructure, which must also meet the needs of military mobility.”
The framework agreement covers, among other things, the organisation of train traffic, the maintenance and operation of railway infrastructure on both sides of the border, and agreements on technical parameters. Procedures have also been established for concluding so-called Local Railway Border Agreements (MKPG) for specific sections. These documents will regulate detailed matters, from timetables and the operation of equipment to staff requirements and the potential placement of one partner’s infrastructure on the territory of the other country.
The signed agreement is a result of over a year of intensive to exchange operational experiences relating to the functioning of the railways during wartime and to develop Poland–Ukraine rail border. During a visit made by PLK representatives in Kyiv and Lviv in July 2024, key development goals for rail transport in the coming years were outlined, including improvements to the organisation of border crossings, the modernisation of sections such as Lublin – Dorohusk – Yahodyn – Kovel and Rzeszów – Medyka – Mostyska – Lviv, as well as plans to develop the network in line with EU standards.
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