Trains in Ukraine | PolishTrains

At a glance

• Ukraine's national rail operator Ukrzaliznytsia runs trains on an extensive network connecting most regions of the country
• InterCity+ high-speed Hyundai Rotem sets serve key routes including Kyiv-Lviv-Przemysl
• Direct trains from Warsaw to Kyiv and from Przemysl to Kyiv operate daily with varying journey times
• Tickets for Ukrainian trains can be purchased up to a maximum of 20 days before departure
• Polish passengers must carry a passport; children under 16 need a document confirming their age
• Travel in eastern Ukraine near the front line carries significant safety risks due to the ongoing armed conflict

When travelling by train in Ukraine, Polish passengers must carry a passport. Children under the age of 16 must present a document confirming their age - this can be a passport, birth certificate or a notarised copy of it. If the passenger wishes to take advantage of any discounts they are entitled to (e.g. for a child, student, person with a disability or carer), they must have a document confirming their entitlement to the discount, otherwise the discounted ticket may be considered invalid during the check.

Tickets for Ukrainian trains can be purchased in several ways: via a test version of the new online booking system, at ticket offices at railway stations, and at Ukrposhta post offices (with subsequent collection of the ticket at the ticket office). Telephone booking with subsequent purchase of a ticket at the ticket office and telephone purchase with ticket delivery within Kyiv at +38 (044) 503 60 50 are also available.

The national carrier (Ukrzaliznytsia) offers additional services to passengers:

• the possibility to order a saloon-wagon (saloon-waggon) - passengers can rent a special, comfortable wagon designed exclusively for them, which is attached to a regular train and travels in the chosen direction.

• transport of cars in special auto-transport wagons.

In the case of railways, Ukraine boasts an extensive range of services provided by the state-owned railway operator. Ukrzaliznytsia handles a significant share of passenger and freight traffic throughout the country. Ukrzaliznytsia's activities run in parallel on two levels: on the one hand, operational day-to-day business (keeping trains running in Ukraine and transporting passengers despite numerous impediments), and on the other, ambitious infrastructure reform and integration into European railway standards.

What discounts apply on Ukrzaliznytsia trains?

• Within Ukraine, children up to the age of 5, without their own seat, travel for free

• Children aged 6-13 with their own seat purchased - 25% discount off the base fare

• Students in Ukraine have a 50% discount in seated carriages, couchettes, 2nd and 3rd class carriages.

• A 50% discount is available for people with Group I, II and III disabilities (including war veterans) and children with disabilities up to 17 years of age. The discount is valid from 1 October to 15 May each year.

• 50% discount for a carer of a person with a Group I disability, a child with a disability up to 17 years of age, a child with a disability up to 5 years of age travelling free of charge without their own seat. The ticket for the carer can only be purchased together with the ticket of the entitled person.

Rail carriers in Ukraine - LeoExpress, RegioJet

Trains in Ukraine are not only Ukrainian Railways depots. Private operators from the Czech Republic are also playing an increasingly important role, launching commercial and bus-rail connections between Ukraine and the European Union. Leo Express and RegioJet do not replace the national carrier, of course, but they expand the cross-border offer, providing additional travel options from the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the western part of Ukraine, especially to Lviv, Uzhhorod and Mukachevo. Check out what you need to know about the services of these companies providing on Ukrainian territory.

Leo Express

Leo Express is a Czech rail carrier operating primarily modern connections on the Prague-Ostrava-Košice route, which many passengers use as a leg of their journey to Ukraine. Further afield, the carrier offers train-connected buses Košice → Uzhhorod → Mukachevo, a natural extension of the railway line on a section with a different track gauge. As part of its eastern expansion, Leo Express is also developing night bus services from Poland to Lviv.

Concessions on Leo Express

There is no concessionary ticketing scheme on Leo Express Ukrainian routes. Only cashback in leo-credits for Smile Club members is available.

RegioJet

RegioJet is another Czech private carrier that has stepped up its activities related to Ukraine in recent years - both as a humanitarian service in 2022 and later as a commercial service provider. In March 2024, RegioJet launched the Prague - Košice - Čop (Ukraine) commercial night train route in cooperation with Ukrzaliznytsia. The operator reported that more than 550,000 passengers used the service - an indication of the clear demand for trains in Ukraine despite the difficult conditions. RegioJet also plans to develop further routes and expand international cooperation.

RegioJet concessions

On RegioJet routes that run in Ukraine, tariff concessions do not apply. Passengers pay the full price at the standard RegioJet fare, regardless of age category or ID card held.

Despite the ongoing war with Russia, Ukraine maintains and develops rail links, with the state-owned Ukrzaliznytsia remaining the main operator, managing a network of some 21,700 km. Most of the lines operate on a wide 1520mm gauge, which makes it difficult to fully integrate with European infrastructure, but selected routes in the west of the country are gradually being upgraded to bring them up to EU standard and facilitate international traffic.

Rail plays an important role in both passenger and freight transport, and the logistical importance has only increased in recent times. At the same time, the infrastructure is constantly under attack generating high repair costs.