Train times between Kyiv and three major Ukrainian cities could be dramatically reduced next year when new high-speed trains are introduced ahead of the Euro 2012 soccer tournament.
Six of 10 trains ordered from South Korean manufacturer Hyundai are scheduled to be delivered ahead of the championship, which kicks off on June 8 in Ukraine and Poland.
The new passenger trains will be a big step up in quality as well as speed compared to Ukraine’s rolling stock of Soviet-built trains, many of which have been refurbished but still lag far behind European standards.
Their top speed of 180 kilometers per hour will make travel time from Kyiv to Kharkiv, Lviv and Donetsk 3.5 hours, 4.5 hours and 5.5 hours, respectively – shaving one-third to one-half off current times.
Tickets will cost from $6.70 to $13.40 per 100 kilometers, according to the infrastructure ministry, a hefty increase from ticket prices on existing trains, but still cheaper than air travel, Ukraine’s Euro 2012 agency announced last week.
At between $35 and $100, ticket prices on the high-speed trains from Kyiv to any of Ukraine’s three other Euro 2012 host cities will be affordable for most locals and tourists. By comparison, a roundtrip flight to Lviv or Donetsk costs some $300.
Each high-speed train will consist of nine carriages with a total capacity of 579 passengers. The first three carriages are first class while the remaining six are second class. Some will be wheelchair accessible.
The Hyundai trains that will soon be rolling on Ukraine’s railway tracks are a big step above in comfort and quality compared to the nation’s existing stock of Soviet-designed and built passenger carriages. (Courtesy)
First-class travelers will be able to stretch their legs horizontally and have individual electric sockets for cell phone and laptop use. Wi-Fi internet will be provided free of charge, and there will be four to six TV monitors in each carriage broadcasting movies and passenger information.
A Ukrainian delegation is set to inspect the first of 10 high-speed electric-powered trains it ordered from for some $300 million during a visit scheduled to South Korea on Dec. 20.
Christened the Ukrainian Express, the trains are slated for delivery in late February and Ukrainian state railway workers will be trained in South Korea to operate and maintain the rolling stock starting in late December.
“It’s an enormous leap for our transport system,” said Deputy Prime Minister Borys Kolesnikov on Nov. 23.
The Export-Import Bank of Korea funded 85 percent of the purchase price, or $261 million, of the trains in a 10-year loan to Ukraine.
The deal stems from a memorandum of understanding signed between ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and her South Korean counterpart Han Seung-Soo in July 2009, as part of several bi-lateral agreements.
Kyiv Post staff writer Mark Rachkevych can be reached at [email protected].
