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. (....)