Ukraine and Bulgaria intend to launch a passenger rail service through Romania this summer, announced Oleksii Kuleba, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction.
According to the Ukrainian official, the new rail link would meet existing demand for passenger transport between the two countries and, at the same time, contribute to Ukraine’s better integration into the European transport network.
“The launch of the rail service between Ukraine and Bulgaria is not only for the convenience of the people, but also to strengthen our integration into the European transport space,” stated Oleksii Kuleba after a meeting with the Bulgarian Minister of Transport and Communications, Korman Ismailov, according to Agerpres.
According to statements made by the Ukrainian official, all three parties involved are working on launching this route, which would pass through Romania.
The project could bring a new international rail connection along the Ukraine–Romania–Bulgaria axis, at a time when the region is seeking better solutions for connectivity and the integration of transport networks.
The new route announced now comes after Ukrzaliznytsia has already introduced a daily train between Kyiv and Bucharest.
The rail link between the two capitals passes through Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Zhymerynka, Mohyliv-Podilskyi, Velykyi Byshchyk, Ungheni, and Iași, with its final destination being Bucharest North Station.
The journey takes approximately 24 hours. Departure from Kyiv is scheduled for 06:30, and arrival in Bucharest at 06:47 the following day. In the opposite direction, the train departs from Bucharest at 19:10 and arrives in Kyiv at 19:41 the next day.
A connection from the past
The rail connection between Ukraine, Romania, and Bulgaria is not entirely new. In the past, the connection was provided by the international train “Bulgaria Express” (59/60), which directly linked Moscow, Kyiv, Bucharest, and Sofia. This train ran daily until December 2014, and passengers from Kyiv could travel directly to Bucharest and Sofia without changing cars.
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