The EU has prepared a strategy for Ukraine’s transition to the European track standard.

The European Commission concluded that the country needs to build a new railroad network with 1,435 mm track, which will work in parallel with the current 1,520 mm network. The 1,435 mm euro track will be intended for high-speed transport, while the 1,520 mm track will provide slower transport. Also, the 1,435 mm trunk network development will be carried out in stages – from west to east. The total cost of the transition will be about €11.5B.

The strategy defines three stages:

1. construction of a 1,435 mm Euro track from the border with Poland to Lviv;
2. construction of a 1,435 mm Euro track between Lviv and Kyiv, creation of a second corridor in the north of Ukraine – from Poland to Kyiv and connecting Lviv with Chop;
3. continuation of the Eurotrack from Kyiv to the east – to Kharkiv and Dnipro, and expansion of the network in the west and south of Ukraine.