Ukrainian Railways
Ukrainian Railways or Ukrzaliznytsia (UZ) (Ukrainian: Укрзалізниця) is a state-owned joint-stock company administering railway infrastructure and rail transport in Ukraine; a monopoly that controls the vast majority of the railroad transportation in the country. Ukrainian Railways is the world's sixth largest rail passenger transporter and world's seventh largest freight transporter. As of 2020, the total length of the main broad-gauge (1,520 mm) railroad network was 19,787 kilometres (12,295 mi), making it the 13th largest in the world. Ukraine also has many stretches of standard-gauge railway (1,435 mm), and is currently working to expand these in order to improve its connections to the European Union.
Some of the key events about Ukrainian Railways
- 1861The first railway line in Ukraine was opened, connecting Lviv and Przemyśl
- 1870The first railway bridge across the Dnipro River was constructed in Kyiv
- 1917Extensive damage to railway infrastructure during the Russian Civil War
- 1932Railways used to transport grain away from famine-stricken areas, exacerbating the Holodomor
- 1941Significant destruction of rail networks during World War II
- 1951The Kyiv Metro system began operations, significantly improving urban transportation
- 1978The electrification of the Kyiv-Fastiv railway line was completed, enhancing efficiency
- 1986Trains used to transport liquidators to Chernobyl, exposing workers to radiation
- 1991Economic crisis following Soviet collapse led to severe underfunding and deterioration of rail services
- 1996Major corruption scandal involving misuse of funds intended for railway modernization
- 2002High-speed train service was introduced between Kyiv and Kharkiv
- 2007Series of accidents due to aging infrastructure and poor maintenance
- 2011The first Hyundai Rotem high-speed trains were put into service in Ukraine
- 2012Ukrainian Railways successfully managed increased passenger traffic during the UEFA Euro 2012 championship
- 2014The company launched its official website, improving customer service and information accessibility
- 2014Loss of control over Crimean railway network following Russian annexation
- 2015A major restructuring of Ukrainian Railways was initiated to improve efficiency and align with EU standards
- 2015Significant reduction in rail connections with Russia due to political tensions
- 2018Ukrainian Railways introduced new international routes, connecting Ukraine with several European countries
- 2022Extensive damage to railway infrastructure during Russian invasion of Ukraine
Disclaimer: This material is written based on information taken from open sources, including Wikipedia, news media, podcasts, and other public sources.
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