Ukrzaliznytsia has announced plans to lay a European-style railway track — the Eurotrack — to a number of cities in western Ukraine, including Lviv and Chernivtsi. This was announced by the company’s chairman of the board, Oleksandr Pertsovsky, Obozrevatel reports.

The main goal of building the Eurotrack is to improve connections with international routes. According to Pertsovsky, the new tracks will allow passengers to get to European cities faster and more comfortably. “It’s a long train ride from Kyiv to Vienna, but from Lviv by night train or Intercity to Vienna, Prague, Krakow, Warsaw — it will be much more convenient,” he explained.

The Ministry of Community and Territorial Development also confirmed plans for Lviv, calling the city a powerful transport hub at the junction of Ukraine and the EU. The agency notes that the Euro-gauge from the Polish border to Lviv already has preliminary agreements with international partners to start construction.

In addition to Lviv and Chernivtsi, Ukrzaliznytsia plans to lay new sections in Transcarpathia and Volyn, which will provide a direct connection with the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. This will not only improve passenger transportation, but also create effective freight corridors from Ukrainian industrial centers to European ports and markets.

In general, according to the ministry, 10 key areas have been identified for the implementation of the project, which will become the basis for the integration of Ukrainian railways with the European transport network.

Infrastructure innovations include not only the modernization of the tracks, but also the construction of modern transfer stations, which will allow passengers to change trains on international routes without hindrance, and will also provide convenient access to new freight corridors. The project expects support from international partners and could become an important step for Ukraine's integration into the European transport system.