Ukraine and Moldova discussed the restoration of railway passenger services between Odessa and Chișinău, as well as the transit of Moldovan freight wagons through Ukrainian territory. This information was provided by the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine.
Andriy Kashuba, Deputy Minister of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine, held an online meeting with Vladimir Bolea, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development of Moldova. The event also included Oleksandr Pertsovsky, Chairman of the Board of JSC Ukrzaliznytsia, Oleksandr Fedorenko, Head of the Railway Transport Department, Mircea Pescăluță, State Secretary of the Ministry of Infrastructure of Moldova, and Serhiy Kotelnick, Acting General Director of Moldova Railways.
The parties discussed the restoration of passenger rail services between Odessa and Chișinău and the transit of Moldovan freight wagons through Ukraine. The Ukrainian side expressed interest in developing international railway transport with Moldova, emphasizing the need to take security and economic factors into account.
"We are confident that the restoration of the Odessa-Chișinău train will improve transport accessibility and economic ties between our countries. At the same time, we must consider all security risks," noted Andriy Kashuba.
The Ukrainian side also stressed the need for a detailed analysis of the economic feasibility of restoring the service. This includes assessing passenger flow, infrastructure usage costs, and potential transportation tariffs, which will allow for a well-grounded decision regarding the launch of the route.
The second topic was the restoration of Moldovan freight wagon transit through Ukraine. The Ukrainian side confirmed that there were no restrictions on their movement. Temporary difficulties in exchanging technical information arose due to a cyberattack on the information systems of JSC Ukrzaliznytsia on March 23.
"Work is currently underway to restore stable system operations. The Ukrainian side is ready to ensure full data exchange regarding Moldovan wagons immediately after the completion of technical recovery measures," the ministry assured.
