Within three weeks of launching the «3000 km across Ukraine» program, thousands of Ukrainians have already taken advantage of free travel, purchasing 40,000 train tickets. This is equivalent to transporting approximately 740 sleeper cars or 1,111 compartment cars.
Out of more than 20 available routes, the most popular include:
- Fastiv — Konotop
- Odesa — Zaporizhzhia
- Kyiv / Zhmerynka — Shostka
- Zaporizhzhia — Lviv
- Sumy — Rakhiv
The «3000 km across Ukraine» initiative is part of the state program «Winter Support». Initial flights commenced on December 5, focusing primarily on routes to and from frontline communities.
As noted by Oleksii Kuleba, Deputy Prime Minister for the Restoration of Ukraine, there are plans to expand support nationwide in the future.
“Outside of peak seasons, Ukrzaliznytsia can offer around 250,000 seats per month. This creates travel opportunities where affordable pricing is crucial and alleviates pressure during peak transportation periods” - noted the Minister.
Free trips within the 3,000 km initiative are available during off-peak times and are mainly focused on routes leading to frontline communities. Tickets can be purchased through the Ukrzaliznytsia app.
The program aims to support residents of communities located near the frontline and also allows for a more even distribution of passenger flows, optimizing the use of available railway resources. The routes for the pilot launch were selected based on an analysis of train occupancy, particularly focused on the needs of frontline regions. The implementation of the program occurs without involving additional budget funds.
