Ukrainian Railways (UZ) has inaugurated the 22 km Uzhhorod – Chop standard gauge line, the first railway line based on the EU standard for track width, deepening the country’s transport integration with the European Union.
The new railway line significantly reduces travel time between Uzhhorod and Chop, while also providing direct onward connections to key EU cities such as Košice (Slovakia), Budapest (Hungary), and Vienna (Austria). By eliminating the need to change trains at the border due to differing track gauges, it makes cross-border rail travel faster, easier, and more convenient for passengers. Additionally, the line is set to boost freight capacity, supporting more efficient and uninterrupted logistics between Ukraine and the European Union.
For the first time in Ukraine’s modern history, a European-gauge railway has been built from scratch – a 22-kilometre stretch between Chop and Uzhhorod. Thanks to this, Uzhhorod has become the first regional centre to gain a direct European-gauge connection with EU countries – including the capitals Bratislava, Budapest and Vienna,” the CEO of Ukrainian Railways Oleksandr Pertsovskyi said.
The Uzhhorod – Chop standard gauge line has been financed by a grant from the European Commission under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and a loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB), guaranteed by the EU’s Ukraine Facility programme. It marks the beginning of a broader plan to introduce European gauge railway lines in Ukrainian cities.
“The new Uzhhorod-Chop railway line is a tangible step towards integrating Ukraine’s rail network with that of the European Union. With support from the Connecting Europe Facility, we have removed a key break of gauge at the EU border, enabling direct connections with neighbouring Member States,” said Director-General for Mobility and Transport at the European Commission Magda Kopczyńska.
The Uzhhorod–Chop line is the first step in a broader plan to build 1,435 mm gauge tracks to other Ukrainian cities such as Chernivtsi, Lviv, and Kovel. These projects, expected to be implemented over the next four to five years, aim to strengthen rail links between Ukraine and the EU.
Share on:
