Ukrzaliznytsia, and companies part of PKP Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the development of Eurasian intermodal connections through Ukraine and ensuring the maximum efficiency of rail freight transport at Polish-Ukrainian border crossings.
On Polish side, the signatories of the agreement are PKP S.A., PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe (PKP PLK), PKP Intercity, PKP Cargo and PKP LHS.
The key elements of the agreement include, among others, collaboration on border crossings’ issues, which require improved capacity, to create increased capacity and efficiency in freight traffic. The two sides will also work on expanding the border railway infrastructure.
Despite the war Ukraine is a promising country for the development of transport connections between Asia and EU countries, in particular on the China – Azerbaijan – Georgia – Ukraine – Poland route through the Polish-Ukrainian railway border crossings.
“The European integration of our railway is one of the key tasks, thanks to which we will open up new sales markets and opportunities of the European Union for the economy of Ukraine. Ukraine and Poland are strategic partners in this project; therefore, it is important for our countries to coordinate work together and work on the development of Ukrainian-Polish railway border crossings and TEN-T corridors of 1435 mm gauge on the territory of Ukraine,” Yevhen Lyashchenko, the Chairman of the Board of Ukrzaliznytsia said.
Poland and Ukraine will focus on restoring the transit potential of Ukraine as well as on the development of transit corridors with increased potential such as the Middle Corridor (TMTM or TITR) which connects Asia and Europe, the Southern, Central and Northern routes of the New Silk Road and the South-Western Corridor. “Both countries are interested in the development of intermodal logistics between Ukraine and the EU countries, the creation of container terminals and the launch of new routes and services,” Lyashchenko added.
“I am convinced that this cooperation will contribute to the increase of railway freight flows between Poland and Ukraine and the development of a trade corridor from China through Central and East Asia. The geographical position of Poland is of strategic importance for the implementation of Eurasian railway transport,” Alan Beroud, the CEO of Polish State Railways, said.
The two sides are committed to restore and develop Eurasian intermodal connections through Ukraine and ensuring the maximum efficiency of rail freight transport at their border-crossings.
In July 2024, specialists of Ukrzaliznytsia and a delegation of companies from the PKP Group and PKP PLK discussed and visited the Ukrainian-Polish border crossings in Werchrat, Hrebenne, Hrubieszów and Dorohusk as well as Rawa Ruska station (border crossing) on Ukrainian side. These visits were primarily aimed at assessing the technical and technological condition of the crossings and discussing the possibilities of improving the capacity and increasing the efficiency of border crossings in freight and passenger traffic, as well as expanding the border rail infrastructure. Talks are also underway to launch a PKP Intercity passenger connection on the Warsaw – Rawa Ruska route.
The Eurasian intermodal connections through Ukraine need improvement as shipments from China through Central and East Asia have been halted since the full-scale invasion began.
In 2022, after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, the most transport services were carried out on the above-mentioned routes were either suspended due to their unavailability or limited due to the imposed sanctions. According to PKP Group, before the war in Ukraine, the operator PKP LHS, which operates Poland’s longest broad-gauge line, from Sławków Południowy, near Katowice, to the Ukrainian border at Izow-Hrubieszów, successfully carried out transports as an operator, responsible for shipments from the Chinese – Kazakh border to Sławków. In 2020, 35 container trains from China, loaded with 1,612 containers (3,224 TEU), arrived at the Sławków LHS station and in 2021, the traffic increased to 110 trains loaded with 5,664 containers (11,328 TEU). At the same time, from May 2021, services from Sławków to the Chinese city of Xi’an were launched. By the end of 2021, 19 trains were shipped from Sławków to China, loaded with 837 40-foot containers (1,674 TEU).
“We strive to constantly increase the available capacity of border crossings with Ukraine, through renovation works or process optimisation that are feasible in the current situation, as well as ambitious modernisation plans in the strategic horizon. Our countries are preparing to redefine transit routes from the Far East and after the success of routes to ports in Poland, and we will work on new routes that will ensure stability,” Marcin Mochocki, Member of the Management Board of PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe.
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