Charting New Tracks: The European Parliament's Vision for a Unified Rail Network with Ukraine
On 24th of April 2024 the European Parliament endorsed updated plans to extend trans-European transport corridors to Ukraine
One of the measures proposed by the European Commission in the framework for ongoing TEN-T revision guidelines, and endorsed by the Parliament, concerns extending the European Transport Corridors to Ukraine. The purpose of these extended corridors is that the TEN-T standards are applied also on the network of Ukraine so as to allow for seamless connections. This regards notably an extension of the North-Sea Baltic Corridor via Lviv and Kyiv to Mariupol, the extension of the Baltic-Black-Aegean Sea Corridor to Odesa via Lviv as well as an extension of the Baltic Sea-Adriatic Sea and the Rhine-Danube Corridors to Lviv.
The effectiveness of trans-European railway network extension to Ukraine depends on achieving technical and operational interoperability between railway infrastructures. The revised guidelines require that Ukrainian infrastructure composing the corridors, conforms to standards used in the EU. This includes adopting the European standard gauge, increasing the maximum length of freight trains to 740 m, implementing ERTMS, and raising the minimum speed of passenger trains to 160 km/h and freight trains to 100km/h.
Deploying unified standards on Ukrainian railway network will enable railway operators to provide competitive transport services between EU and Ukraine. But the development of extended TEN-T core network creates also new business opportunities for suppliers of railway equipment, rolling stock leasing companies, construction companies and others.
The currently operational network of railways in Ukraine is about 19,8 thousand km, 47,2% of which is electrified. In terms of cargo traffic, Ukraine's railway is the fourth on the Eurasian continent. The freight-traffic of Ukrainian Railways (annual volume of traffic per 1 km) is 3-5 times higher than in European countries. Ukrainian administration has already undertook initiative to better integrate its railway system with the EU, building cargo terminal in Sknyliv near Lviv and constructing a standard gauge line to the border with Poland.
The position of the European parliament has been transferred to the EU Council. Once the Council has approved them, they will enter into force 20 days after publication in the Official Journal.
TüV Rheinland has extensive expertise in providing services facilitating market entry and experience in assisting both European and Ukrainian companies. Contact us and find out how we can help you attain maximum benefits from trans-European railway network extension. ?
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