Ukraine, Spain launch joint railway project
According to Ukrinform, Ukrzaliznytsia announced this on Facebook.
The documents were signed during the visit of Volodymyr Zelensky to Spain.
“Ukrzaliznytsia has become the first Ukrainian company to receive funding for the implementation of an infrastructure project under the agreements between the President of Ukraine and the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, totaling €200 million, reached during a previous visit to Madrid,” the post reads.
Under the project, Ukrzaliznytsia will cooperate with Spanish engineering company TRIA and national rail infrastructure operator Adif to design an innovative freight wagon bogie capable of automatically switching track gauge from 1520 mm to 1435 mm.
Currently, due to different rail standards between Ukraine and the European Union, trains must stop at the border to reload cargo or change bogies. The new technology is expected to allow seamless transitions between track gauges reducing border crossing times and lowering logistics costs.
According to Ukrzaliznytsia, a similar technology has been successfully used in Spain for a long time. Under this project, it will be adapted and tested for Ukrainian-European routes. In particular, in Ukraine, tracks of 1520 mm and 1435 mm are used, while in Spain, the standards are 1435 mm and 1668 mm.
The project is funded by a €5.48 million grant provided by the Spanish side. It will be administered by the Instituto de Crédito Oficial under the state fund FIEM, which supports international projects involving Spanish companies.
Ukrzaliznytsia emphasizes that the project’s implementation opens additional opportunities to involve Spanish businesses in modernizing Ukrainian infrastructure in cooperation with Ukrainian enterprises.
As reported by Ukrinform, the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine held a meeting with a delegation from the Republic of Korea to prepare a feasibility study for the construction of a high-speed railway between Kyiv and the Ukrainian border.
