Reviving Railway Connections between Ukraine and Moldova
On March 31, Andriy Kashuba, the Deputy Minister for Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine, held an online meeting with Moldova's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development, Vladimir Bolea. The agenda included the revival of passenger railway services between Odesa and Chișinău, as well as the transit of Moldovan freight wagons through Ukraine. This was reported by the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine, according to the publication «South Today».
Joining the conversation were Oleksandr Persovskyi, head of the board of Ukrzaliznytsia, Oleksandr Fedorenko, head of the railway transport department, Mircea Pescaluț, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Infrastructure of Moldova, and Serhiy Kotelinik, acting general director of the «Railways of Moldova».
The Ukrainian side expressed interest in developing international rail transport with Moldova, emphasizing the need to consider safety and economic factors.
«Ukraine and Moldova are not only neighbors but also reliable partners united by common European aspirations. We are confident that restoring the Odesa – Chișinău train service will enhance transport accessibility and economic ties between our countries. At the same time, we must consider all security risks», – noted Deputy Minister Andriy Kashuba.
The Ukrainian side also stressed the necessity of a detailed analysis of the economic feasibility of restoring the connection, specifically regarding passenger flow, infrastructure usage costs, and potential transport tariffs.
Another topic discussed was the revival of the transit of Moldovan freight wagons through Ukraine. The Ukrainian side confirmed that there are no restrictions on their movement. Temporary difficulties in exchanging technical information arose due to a massive cyber attack on Ukrzaliznytsia's information systems on March 23 of this year.
«We are actively working to restore stable system operations. The Ukrainian side is ready to ensure a full exchange of data on Moldovan wagons immediately after completing technical recovery measures», – the ministry stated.
In conclusion, it was noted that the parties agreed to continue working on all issues and maintain close communication for further development of railway connections between Ukraine and Moldova.
