New 2026 Rail Routes Will Let Ukrainians Reach Germany With a Single Transfer

Ukraine’s national railway operator, Ukrzaliznytsia, unveiled new international connections for 2025–2026, announcing a major synchronization of schedules with Poland and Germany that will allow passengers to reach Germany with just one transfer.

With Ukrainian airspace closed since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, rail and road routes remain the only safe and available ways for Ukrainians to travel abroad or return home.

Ukrzaliznytsia has therefore become the backbone of Ukraine’s international mobility, carrying millions of passengers to EU countries and serving as the primary connector between Ukraine and the wider European transport system.

The company said the shift was driven in part by migration trends: according to early-2025 statistics, Germany has surpassed Poland as the leading host country for Ukrainians, with more than 1.14 million Ukrainian citizens under temporary protection as of late 2024.

Beginning in December 2025, cross-border traffic between Poland and Germany will increase by 54%, from 11 direct trains to 17 daily services, allowing Ukrainian travellers arriving in Przemyśl or Chełm to connect onward to Berlin, Leipzig, Munich and other major hubs with minimal waiting time.

How to get to Germany from Ukraine by train?

Streamlined Transfers in Przemyśl

▪ Train No. 51K Kyiv–Przemyśl Arrives at 05:00, connecting to the EC134 Via Regia Przemyśl–Leipzig at 07:12. Leipzig, a major Saxony rail hub, offers high-speed services across Europe.

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▪ Train No. 63/64 Kharkiv–Przemyśl Arrives at 16:59 with a 52-minute transfer to EN417 Carpatia Przemyśl–Prague–Munich (departs 17:51), providing a direct link to Bavaria via Prague.

▪ Train No. 31/32 Zaporizhzhia–Przemyśl Arrives at 08:18, connecting to EC58 Galicja Przemyśl–Berlin at 09:09, one of the most in-demand routes to the German capital.

All transfers are synchronized in both directions, ensuring smooth return travel to Ukraine.

Options via Chełm

▪ Train No. 119/120 Dnipro–Chełm Arrives at 18:08, with connections to: – Train No. 440 to Ustka at 18:18 – A further transfer in Warsaw Central at 21:31 to the Warsaw–Berlin–Świnoujście service, arriving in Berlin at 06:00.

Night trains EC430 and EC440 from Przemyśl and Chełm also offer overnight travel to Germany.

Ukrzaliznytsia added that it is continuing to grow international connections and closely align schedules with European rail operators as part of a broader strategy to improve mobility for millions of Ukrainians working, studying, or temporarily residing abroad.