9 Nov 2022 16:10

Ukrzaliznytsia performs test train trip on new Ukraine-Romania route

MOSCOW. Nov 9 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian national railway company Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways) has conducted the first test train trip on the Rakhov - Delovoye - Valea-Visheului section as part of the resumption of the rail traffic between Ukraine and Romania, Ukrainian media reported on Wednesday, citing the Ukrainian Infrastructure Ministry.

"The opening of the rail passenger service at the border between Ukraine and Romania is expected in early December. A comfortable regional train GPKR-3, which is built in Ukraine, will run along the route," Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Alexander Kubrakov is quoted by the ministry's press service as saying.

The exact travel time from Rakhov to Romania's Valea-Visheului is about 40 minutes without taking into account customs procedures, which will be carried out when boarding the train, he said.

Ukrzaliznytsia plans to make two trips a day with the possibility of connecting passengers to the Romanian railway CFR trains, which run daily from Valea-Visheului to the stations of Sighet, Cluj and Bucharest.

Besides, Ukrainian Deputy Infrastructure Minister Mustafa Nayyem said that the Krasnoilsk - Vicovu de Sus international automobile checkpoint is also scheduled to open at the Ukrainian-Romanian border on Thursday.

"Currently, the infrastructure of the customs checkpoint and the access road are fully ready," Nayyem said.

Earlier, on August 27, Ukraine built two new sections of the railway on its border with Romania: Rakhov - Berlebash - state border and Teresva - state border.