Most popular train routes connected Kyiv with five cities - where tickets are most frequently purchased
Kyiv • UNN
Over 5.3 million passengers used affordable fares in the first quarter of 2026. The most popular routes included those from Kyiv to Lviv and Kharkiv.
The most popular railway routes in the first quarter of this year were connections between Kyiv and five cities, with "affordable" train trips through the new state order mechanism provided for 5.3 million passengers, the Ministry of Communities and Territories reported on Thursday, writes UNN.
Details
"In the first quarter of 2026, over 5.3 million railway tickets were purchased at affordable fares thanks to the state order mechanism," the Ministry of Development stated.
The most popular routes in the first quarter of 2026 were Kyiv - Lviv, Kyiv - Dnipro, Kyiv - Kharkiv, Kyiv - Vinnytsia, and Kyiv - Odesa
At the same time, as indicated, state support is of particular importance for connections with frontline regions.
"It is fundamentally important for us to ensure stable and affordable railway connections with frontline regions. In the first quarter of this year, almost half of all passengers - about 2.6 million people - traveled to frontline regions and back," said Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction - Minister of Communities and Territories Oleksiy Kuleba.
About the mechanism
The mechanism provides for compensation to Ukrzaliznytsia for the difference between the ticket price for the passenger and the actual cost of transportation.
"Given that the actual cost of one trip is, on average, more than three times the ticket price, state support for transportation is important. Thanks to the state order mechanism, tariffs for passengers remain as affordable as possible," the Ministry of Development noted.
The experimental mechanism, as reported, of state order is an important transitional step towards the PSO (Public Service Obligation) model, which is widely used in EU countries.
In 2026, the state plans to allocate about UAH 16 billion to support domestic long-distance passenger transportation