Trains to become more comfortable

Domestic rail transport needs a renewal of its rolling stock. One must keep up with the times and be competitive in terms of pricing but also in the level of services. This means that railways have to introduce a revolutionary development system of passenger traffic. It is especially important as the existing plan for night trains was developed back in the 19th century. This matter is all the more urgent in light of the upcoming Euro-2012.

A revolution of railway services started back in 2002 when the first Kyiv-Kharkiv day express train was launched. This did not only increase the average speed of domestic trains but also gave the passengers a service of a completely new quality – a comfortable trip during The Day.

As of now Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways) is preparing for the next step that will considerably increase quality of its services. Day expresses that will run 160 kilometers per hour speed will be launched. It will connect major cities, hosts of the Euro-2012.

Russia already has some experience in launching high-speed train projects. A train service exceeding 200 km per hour has been in use for over a year now. The Russian experience indicates that not every Russian can afford such a trip. The St. Petersburg-Moscow ticket costs about 250 dollars. It is almost a double price of a plane ticket. Together with operating issues this has already caused a fundamental revision of the entire Russian program of high-speed trains.

But Ukraine will draw on the positive part of the Russian experience. According to Dmytro Pidturkin, head of expert group of Management Consulting Group Consortium, the domestic program strategy for high-speed trains is changed to provide Ukrainians with a new quality of rail travel without burdening the Ukrzaliznytsia budget or the passengers’ pockets by keeping the tickets at reasonable prices. It means that the new trains, which are to be purchased as part of the Euro-2012 preparations, are not going to set some abstract speed records. Their appearance is to provide the passengers with comfortable rail conveyance at acceptable prices.

According to Dmytro Pidturkin, it is necessary to provide an operating speed of 160 kilometers per hour. But one must also operate in both directions. And this is no electric locomotive with wagons but a modern electric train with distributed traction where the wagons will have traction trolleys. It is necessary to purchase modern trains. “Unfortunately, such trains are not produced in Ukraine,” the expert notes. “That is why last year Ukrzaliznytsia announced an open competition on such rolling stock development by sending the offerings to all leading world producers. Only two companies replied: Poland’s Pesa and the Korean Hyundai. And now, having analyzed the technical and economic aspects of these proposals, Ukrzaliznytsia is to make a choice. The choice is difficult as both companies are well-known in the world and have in their portfolios many similar projects in different countries.” According to Pidturkin, it would be difficult to call this equipment imported, as both companies are planning to organize the production of the trains together with the Ukrainian partners.

Let us remind that on July 17 the State Administration of the Railroad Transport of Ukraine announced its intention of ordering 10 interregional electric trains from Hyundai Corporation (South Korea), according to the press service of the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Ukraine. According to the note, made by Minister Kostiantyn Yefymenko, at the meeting with the Hyundai Corporation the parties agreed on the activation and acceleration of the preparation of corresponding documents regarding the conditions and terms of crediting by the Export-Import bank of South Korea.

However, no matter what the final choice of Ukrzaliznytsia will be, we can confidently say that the passengers will receive a new quality service for Euro-2012, and will discover new horizons of the railroad transport in Ukraine.