New EU-funded railway line brings Ukraine even closer to EU

Ukraine today opened its first railway line based on the European Union standard for track width, marking a significant step in deepening the country's transport integration with the EU. The 22-kilometre line, funded by an EU grant from the Connecting Europe Facility and an EIB loan backed by the Ukraine Facility, connects the Ukrainian cities of Uzhhorod (on the border with Slovakia) and Chop (near Ukraine's border with Hungary).

As a result, rail travel between Uzhhorod and Chop and onward to EU cities such as Košice in Slovakia, Budapest in Hungary, and Vienna in Austria will be smoother. The new railway line will prevent delays caused by the previous need to change trains at the borders due to the different rail gauges.

The new railway line will also allow to increase the volume of goods transported by rail, boosting trade between Ukraine and the EU, which benefits both economies. It is part of the efforts under the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes, an initiative to establish and improve transport routes in response to Russia's illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The new connection uses the European standard gauge of 1 435 mm and will strengthen the link between the EU and Ukraine's railway network, which traditionally runs on tracks with a width of 1 520 mm.

The project cost €28.6 million, which covered construction of the 1,435 mm-gauge track and other works along the line. These included upgrades to signalling and communication systems, as well as repairs to station platforms and buildings.

https://www.eib.org/en/press/all/2025-322-ukraine-opens-its-first-railway-line-with-european-track-width-standard-boosting-the-country-s-integration-with-the-european-union