Ukrainian railway company Ukrzaliznytsia wishes to get 40 GE locomotives under lend-lease program

MOSCOW. June 14 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian national railway company Ukrzaliznytsia expects to receive 40 General Electric locomotives, locomotive engines, and other railway equipment under the lend-lease program, Ukrzaliznytsia CEO Oleksandr Kamyshyn said.

Ukrainian media have reported with reference to Kamyshyn's interview with Forbes Ukraine that the company has managed to retain almost all of its rolling stock after February 24. In particular, 29 of the 30 GE locomotives operated by the company have been taken to Kyiv-controlled territory, and only one was left at the Melitopol depot while undergoing maintenance, he said.

Ukrzaliznytsia expects stronger support from the government and counts on the lend-lease program, Kamyshyn said. "We have drawn up a long list [of equipment requested on the lend-lease terms]. Among the most important items, there is a need for 40 GE locomotives worth $250 million, engines for modernizing other locomotives we have, special machinery for rebuilding the infrastructure, and so on. Then a working group should endorse this list. Let's see what we can receive," Kamyshyn said.

Ukrzaliznytsia is currently having an operational gap of 2 billion to 3 billion hryvni a month, and unless the seaports are opened, it would be unable to close it on its own, he said.

"We have received a government support package of 10 billion hryvni, and it was fully utilized in May. Now we're talking about the second round of state funding for the rest of the year. It's going to be larger," Kamyshyn said.