On March 31, Deputy Minister of Community and Territory Development of Ukraine Andriy Kashuba held an online meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development of Moldova, Vladimir Bole. They discussed the restoration of passenger railway service between Odesa and Chișinău, as well as the transit of Moldovan freight wagons through Ukrainian territory. This was reported by the Ministry of Community and Territory Development of Ukraine, as stated by the publication 'South Today'.
Joining the conversation were the head of the board of Ukrzaliznytsia Oleksandr Pertzovskyi, the head of the railway transport department Oleksandr Fedorenko, the state secretary of the Ministry of Infrastructure of Moldova Peskăluță Mircea, and the acting general director of 'Moldova Railways' Serhiy Kotelinik.
The Ukrainian side expressed interest in developing international railway transport with Moldova, emphasizing the need to consider security and economic factors.
'Ukraine and Moldova are not just neighbors but reliable partners united by common European aspirations and a strategic vision for infrastructure development. We are confident that restoring the Odesa - Chișinău train service will enhance transport accessibility and economic ties between our countries. At the same time, we must account for all security risks,' emphasized Deputy Minister Andriy Kashuba.
The Ukrainian side also stressed the need for a detailed analysis of the economic feasibility of restoring the service, particularly regarding passenger flow estimates, infrastructure usage costs, and potential transportation tariffs, which will facilitate a well-grounded decision regarding the launch of the route.
The second topic discussed during the meeting was the restoration of the transit of Moldovan freight wagons through Ukrainian territory. The Ukrainian side confirmed the absence of any restrictions on their movement. Temporary difficulties in exchanging technical information arose due to a large-scale cyberattack on the information systems of JSC 'Ukrzaliznytsia' on March 23 of this year.
'Active work is currently underway to restore stable system operations. The Ukrainian side is ready to ensure full data exchange regarding Moldovan wagons immediately after the technical recovery measures are completed,' the ministry stated.
In conclusion, it was noted that the parties agreed to continue working on all issues and maintain close communication for the further development of railway connections between Ukraine and Moldova.
