In 2025, the government is set to allocate 13 billion hryvnias to support «Ukrzaliznytsia». Additionally, in 2026, the company will receive another 16 billion, as announced by Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko during a press conference.
According to her, this 16 billion hryvnias represents the difference between the ticket price and its actual costs.
This year, for the first time, a significant financial imbalance has arisen: previously, revenues from freight transport covered the losses of passenger services, which have become significantly more expensive.
For instance, a ticket to Kherson costs approximately 200 hryvnias, while its actual cost is four times higher.
Alexander Pertzovsky, chairman of the board of «Ukrzaliznytsia», noted that the company suffered the greatest losses in transporting metallurgy and coal, which previously accounted for 60% of the total freight volume.
«We lost more than half of our freight volumes due to the proximity of the front line», he stated.
Currently, according to him, long-distance services of «Ukrzaliznytsia» generate 7 billion hryvnias in revenue, while the expenses amount to 20 billion hryvnias, including salaries and electricity costs. The government compensates the 13 billion hryvnias deficit.
These funds come from taxpayers, which is why «Ukrzaliznytsia» proposed the «UZ-3000» support program, offering each Ukrainian 3000 free kilometers for domestic travel.
«This initiative will be launched alongside the systematic compensation for the real costs of passenger transportation, improving the situation for the railway and ensuring travel accessibility for all Ukrainians», emphasized Alexander Pertzovsky.
On November 1, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the development of a transport support program that will allow Ukrainians to travel 3000 kilometers for free by train within Ukraine.