Ukraine's State Rail Transport Administration, Ukrzaliznytsia, has said mass media reports about the cancellation of night trains on the routes serviced by new high-speed express Hyundai trains are untrue, the administration's press service reported.
Ukrzaliznytsia says there is no truth in the information that with the introduction of a new, 2012-2013 passenger train schedule for routes between Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv and Donetsk, night trains will be cancelled in order to transport passengers by daily high-speed express trains alone.
"On the contrary, the introduction of the new timetable allows passengers to enjoy a wide range of options for travel by rail both during the daytime and at night," the report says.
Thus, 11 night trains, whose travel time is over nine hours, will service the Kyiv-Lviv route.
In addition, Ukrzaliznytsia told Interfax-Ukraine on May 14, that the schedule of the No. 91 Kyiv-Lviv train, which generated a number of questions from the public for Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, is now being adjusted.
While answering questions from the public via Facebook last Friday, Azarov said he disagreed with the cancellation of the No. 91/92 Kyiv-Lviv train (departure from Kyiv at 2215 and arrival in Lviv at 0632) in the 2012-2013 schedule, which is become effective from May 27, 2012.
It was reported earlier that the No. 91/92 was to be cancelled, and its number was to be assigned to the No. 359/360 Kyiv-Lviv train (departure from Kyiv at 1542 and arrival in Lviv at 0643). What is more, the latter will become a fast train due to an increase in its speed to 50 km per hour, and its arrival in Lviv is scheduled at 0437.
Ukrzaliznytsia also reported the Kyiv-Lviv route will be serviced by the following night trains: No. 81 Kyiv-Uzhgorod (departure at 1836, arrival at 0348); No. 13 Kyiv-Uzhgorod (departure at 2006 and arrival at 0500); No. 49 Kyiv-Truskavets (departure at 2018 and arrival at 0527); No. 143 Kyiv-Ivano-Frankivsk (departure at 2100 and arrival at 0642); No. 43 Kyiv-Ivano-Frankivsk (departure at 1830 and arrival at 0252); No. 7 Kyiv-Chop (departure at 2313 and arrival at 0828); No. 59 Moscow-Sofia (departure at 1920 and arrival at 0516).
The Kyiv-Kharkiv route will be serviced by direct night train No. 64 Kyiv-Kharkiv (departure from Kyiv at 2225 and arrival in Kharkiv at 0747).
Kyiv and Donetsk will be linked by the following night trains: No. 84 Kyiv-Odesa (departure from Kyiv at 1715, arrival in Donetsk at 0604), No. 38 Kyiv-Donetsk (departure from Kyiv at 1949, arrival in Donetsk at 0801) and No. 120 Kyiv-Donetsk (departure from Kyiv at 1736, arrival in Donetsk at 0858).
The new train schedule for 2012-2013 foresees the assignment of 186 trains operated by Ukrzaliznytsia, of which 133 are night ones.
Ukrzaliznytsia said the high-speed passenger trains are being introduced in keeping with a cabinet resolution on the approval of the concept of a state target program for the introduction of high-speed passenger trains at railways for 2005-2015.
After the launch of Hyundai high-speed express trains, passengers will be able to choose not only whether to travel at night or during the day, but also to choose a trip depending on its price and comfort. The time for travelling on Hyundai high-speed day trains between Kyiv and Lviv will be reduced by three hours 20 minutes compared to the travel time of night trains, between Kyiv and Kharkiv by three hours and 30 minutes, and between Kyiv and Donetsk by five hours compared to traditional night trains.
Ukrzaliznytsia also noted that the new train schedule for 2012-2013 introduced some changes in the numbering of trains. Routes and numbers of wagons of some trains were also changed on the basis of an analysis of passenger traffic.
