The train “Chop-Kyiv” was cancelled, and “Kyiv-Uzhgorod” will be running every other day

From May 25, the fast train number 7/8 "Chop-Kyiv", which departed at 18.10, will no longer run. This information was confirmed in the Call Centre of the Uzhgorod train station. There will also be different schedule for the train "Uzhgorod-Kyiv", which used to depart at 23.08. However, the new schedule of trains has not been posted on the official website of the "UZ". 

We asked the head of the "Uzhgorod rail traffic directorate" separate division of the "Lviv Railway" Vasyl Nod to comment on the situation. But Vasyl Nod only shrugged, saying that these questions should be asked to the "UZ".     "We did not make this decision and can not tell the exact reason," – the head of a separate division said.

In turn, the head of the Industry and Infrastructure Development Department of the Regional State Administration Victor Lukecha commented on this situation as follows: "We have prepared a letter signed by the Governor Oleksandr Ledyda to the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine asking to keep train runs in these directions unchanged. The Regional State Administration have not approved any changes to the schedule of trains. Moreover, we are developing a more favorable transportation between Transcarpathia and all other parts of the country. In particular, the direct train "Donetsk – Uzhgorod", – the official assured.

The newspaper "Novyny Zakarpattya" decided to send information request to "Lviv Railway". And these days, the answer from the head of the "Passenger Service" separate division B.Yavorsky came. Here is an excerpt from it: "Traditionally, every year on the last Sunday of May we introduce new train schedule. In 2013, it will take effect on May 26. The new schedule provides for the cancellation of the train number 7/8 "Kyiv-Chop" of the South Western Railway." The response letter also states that the route was unprofitable, therefore it has been cancelled, "… the cost of running of this train in 2012 amounted to 67,856,000 UAH, and losses – 38,381,000 UAH".

Further it is stated that "to ensure passenger transportation in the south direction, it was decided to change the frequency of running of the train number 13/14 "Uzhgorod-Kyiv" in the summer to every other day instead of daily, and in the autumn-winter period, it will be running daily as usually. Saying this, railway officials refer to the analysis of passenger flow in 2012, which showed that the load on the train number 13/14 "Uzhgorod-Kyiv" in the summer is 20% lower than in the autumn-winter period. Other trains going to Transcarpathia would remain in the new schedules, Lviv Railway Administration assured.

By the way, the rolling stock in Transcarpathia has not been updated at least 20 years. So we asked the "Lviv Railway", why out-dated trains are used in Transcarpathia, which borders to four EU countries. Mr. Yavorsky ignored the question and wrote some vague answer: "In the passenger sector the preparation of rolling stock for the summer traffic is being carried out. For this purpose, they plan to prepare 664 cars." 
The worst situation in the region is with diesel trains for the term of their service life is 45 years. All of them date back from 1970’s! Over the past two decades, not a single new train has been purchased …

Source: newspaper "Novyny Zakarpattya"