To start with, at the beginning of the year Ukrzailznytsia announced a new financial plan, which includes rising tariffs for tickets. In 2018, train tickets prices will raise twice, in April and October, by 25% in total.
Another change in financial plan is Wi-Fi on the train – up to date, the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine considers either making it paid with an access via password or QR-code, or leaving it free with implementing advertisements.
Read: New Flights from/to Ukraine: March 2018 News
Starting March 2018, passengers can buy tickets for two international directions online. Those are № 36/35 Odesa – Przemyśl and № 753/754 Kovel — Chełm. According to the Ukrzailznytsia Acting Chairman of Management Board Yevgen Kravtsov, the company plans to implement online sale for all international train directions.
Another option offered on Ukrzailznytsia web site, that many people have missed, is booking tickets with transfers. It is especially convenient for those who want to travel to a popular tourist destination, or a station that doesn’t have non-stop connection yet.
Privat24, a popular bank service, added a ticket return option for those who buy tickets via Privat24, Privatbank ATMs or bilet.pb.ua. The new service can be purchased along with buying a ticket, for about 11% of the ticket price. The money is to be returned on the card during 3 days.
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As for the new train directions, Ukrzailznytsia added all the year round train to Azov Sea region № 226/226-246/245 Kyiv – Berdiansk – Pokrosvk. It will be launched on March 25. Finally, two additional trains are launched from Kherson to Vadym station, located in 10 kilometers from checkpoint Kalanchak on Crimea border. The trains will depart at 9:13 A.M. and 2.14 P.M, and go back at 11.44 A.M. and 4.45 P.M.
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Railway News Digest: March 2018
In Ukraine, trains are an incredibly popular means of transport — sometimes so popular, you blink once and tickets are sold out in an hour, especially during holidays. Luckily, Ukrzailznytsia regularly upgrades their services and adds more train destinations. Destinations gathered a digest of railway news as of March 2018.