The State Rail Transport Administration (Ukrzaliznytsia) forecasts losses from the transportation of passengers by suburban light railways in 2012 at UAH 3.4 billion, according to Olekasndr Hudkov, the first deputy head of the administration's suburban light railway department.
He said the government only partly refunds the railways’ costs of servicing passengers that are entitled to benefits.As reported, Ukraine’s railways in 2011 provided services to passengers to benefits to the tune of UAH 580.99 million, of which refunds paid totaled UAH 193 million, accounting for a mere 33.2% Of the needed sum.
Passengers with benefits account for about 70% of all the passengers traveling by suburban light railways. The railways’ losses from reduced fares are subject to compensation from either a national budget or a local budget depending what agency (national or local) introduced the benefits.
The wear and tear of the trains that service suburban light railways is 80.3% for electric trains and 93.1% for diesel trains. An AC electric locomotive assembled in Ukraine cost UAH 75.4 million and a DC electric locomotive UAH 41.853 million as of January 1, 2012.
