Ukrzaliznytsia to resume train service with Slovakia, not going to cancel trains because of possible blackout

MOSCOW. Nov 30 (Interfax) - JSC Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways) is due to restore the Mukachevo-Chop-Cierna nad Tisou-Kosice international train service from December 11, Ukrainian media said, citing the Ukrainian company's social media post.

According to Ukrzaliznytsia, two trains will run along this route per day: the Kosice-Mukachevo train will depart Kosice at 8:46 a.m. and will arrive in Mukachevo at 2:00 p.m., while the train from Mukachevo will depart at 2:48 p.m. and will arrive in Kosice at 6:17 p.m.

The second Kosice-Mukachevo train will depart Kosice at 11:46 a.m. and will arrive in Mukachevo at 4:53 p.m., and it will depart Mukachevo at 6:16 p.m. and will arrive in Kosice at 9:33 p.m.

The Mukachevo-bound trains will transit the Chop railway station at midday and at 2:51 p.m., and the Kosice-bound trains will run through it at 4:13 p.m. and 7:26 p.m., allowing passengers from different parts of the country to conveniently use the trains heading to or from Kosice.

Tickets are already available at the ticket counters of railway stations and directly on board the trains, the company said. It will be the 13th international train route for Ukrainians.

In the event of new blackouts in Ukraine, Ukrzaliznytsia will not cancel passenger trains, as it did not cancel them during and immediately after the November 23 blackout, the company's CEO Alexander Kamyshin said.

"We have not cancelled a single train. Our railway stations are lit. All of our railway stations are being provided with heat, communication and electricity. This is how we will continue working," Kamyshin told reporters on the sidelines of the Infrastructure Day event, organized by the European Business Association in Kiev on Tuesday.

Train delays are an unavoidable consequence of any blackout, he said.

"But we keep going. We have not cancelled a single train. We keep going," Kamyshin said.

Kamyshin said earlier that the November 23 blackout in Ukraine caused the schedule compliance index to drop to 37% the following day, but all passengers safely reached their destination stations.

Out of 101 trains, the departure of 46 was delayed (the departure of 25 trains was delayed by more than an hour, the average delay was 4 hours and 40 minutes), and the arrival of 64 trains was delayed (the arrival of 56 trains was delayed by more than an hour, the average delay was 4 hours and 26 minutes), he said.