As Ukraine is looking to strengthen its connectivity with the European Union, plans are being drawn up for standard gauge rail connections from Lviv to the EU borders. These routes could help make the so-called ‘Green Corridor’ a reality. Ukrainian expert and Lemberger Linien CEO Boris Ganaylyuk tells RailFreight.com about the lines’ potential and obstacles.
This article is the second out of a series of three about rail infrastructure in western Ukraine. The first article covered the envisioned new ‘Green Corridor’ for China – Europe traffic. The last article will cover sorting hubs, stations and transfer hubs between gauges.
– A proposed alternative to the Northern and Middle Corridor for China – Europe traffic
– The corridor would run via Russia into Ukraine, with Lviv as the envisioned central international hub for sorting and gauge switches
– The corridor is far from being a reality, but Lemberger Linien CEO and project promoter Boris Ganaylyuk has detailed plans for its development
Western Ukaine’s regional capital, Lviv, was historically a centre for rail freight traffic. Its role is now diminished compared to the old days, but the city is still the go-to hub for rail traffic between the EU and Ukraine.
Boris Ganaylyuk sees potential for a return to glory of Lviv’s rail infrastructure. “The military aggression of 2022 proved that all proposals for the reconstruction of the node are relevant: the node played a key role in the evacuation of civilians and ensuring cargo safety, especially during the blockade of ports.”
Maximum efforts ongoing, but much to be gained
“The importance of the node has become generally obvious”, the Ukrainian expert adds. “The authorities of the city of Lviv and Ukrainian Railways, the Ministry of Infrastructure and the authorised bodies of the EU and the USA are making maximum efforts to develop it. In particular, by implementing the Solidarity Corridors program.”
But, argues Ganaylyuk, there is still much to be gained as of 2025. If the region’s rail infrastructure gets properly developed and the right political decisions are made, many millions of tonnes of freight could undergo a modal shift from the road to rail between the EU and Ukraine.
Europe benefits
That would benefit not only Ukraine, but also the EU in attaining Green Deal sustainability and modal shift goals, as well as boosting competitiveness, the Lemberger Linien CEO says. “That is why participation in the preparation and implementation of the development of the Lviv railway node as a TEN-T node should not be viewed from the perspective of charity and assistance to the victim of aggression.”
The plans to connect Lviv to the TEN-T network exist, but nothing is being built yet, with the exception of a short railway between Uzhhorod and Chop: two Ukrainian cities close to the intersection point of the Ukrainian, Slovak and Hungarian borders.
Directional flexibility
It is an interesting place for the development of rail infrastructure. From Chop, trains can go towards both Slovakia and Hungary and continue into various European directions. It is one of the major benefits of developing Lviv and western Ukraine’s rail infrastructure: it offers much more directional flexibility for China – Europe traffic than Brest in Belarus, Ganaylyuk explains.
China – Europe traffic is thus a major freight flow that could benefit from the development of these western Ukrainian railways, as part of the Green Corridor. However, says Ganaylyuk, there is more to be gained than just that. Ukraine itself is a sizable freight base. No less than 90 per cent of that is being transported via sea, of which a third goes to Europe.
– Its location on the watershed of the Baltic and Black Seas equidistant from Odesa and Gdańsk
– The extensive historical network of tracks connecting Ukraine with 13 railway crossings on the borders of 4 EU countries, 5 of which are less than 100 kilometres from the border
– Direct access to three passes through the Carpathians
– The possibility of bypassing the Carpathians on the way between the ports of the Black Sea, Baltic Sea and North Sea
Attracting more traffic
“If the price of rail is adequate, we can take a lot of that freight onto rail. It could also be faster if there is proper cooperation between operators and coordination”, Ganaylyuk says. The total volume of freight could also grow: Ganaylyuk says that there is existing unsatisfied demand for transportation, and the flow of goods in domestic transportation would also get a boost.
Making rail more available and reliable could thus attract more traffic, according to Ganaylyuk. “The railway does not fight for a paying customer: it transports goods four times cheaper than goods carried by road transport”, a study by Lemberger Linien points out. Whereas the road sector transports 1,005 US dollars per tonne of freight, rail only manages to get up to 258 dollars. In exports, the road walks away with 37 per cent of freight’s worth, and maritime with 43 per cent. Rail gets stuck at a meagre 17 per cent, according to data from October 2022.
In conclusion, there is much to gain. Better-paying types of freight, more reliability and greater capacity. Those things could elevate Lviv to a major rail hub for the benefit of Ukraine, Europe and China, if the Green Corridor becomes a reality.
Double track lines
But what is needed to make that happen? It certainly requires more than the currently existing TEN-T plans, which are projected to cost 4,5 billion euros. Ganaylyuk, for example, argues for a double track standard gauge line alongside the existing broad gauge line from Lviv to Poland.
“This is explained by the fact that single-track lines are not very efficient – the LHS line, which has a 1520-millimetre gauge along its entire length to Sławków in Poland and does not have passenger traffic, cannot provide transportation of more than 9 to 10 pairs of trains per day”, the Ukrainian expert says.
Poland – Romania corridor
But there is more! Besides the rail infrastructure directly westward from Lviv, western Ukraine has the potential to function as a more efficient corridor between Poland and Romania than what currently exists. Ganaylyuk points out that a standard gauge railway between the countries through Lviv could greatly benefit that corridor.
“A connector bypassing the Carpathian mountains, connecting the network of standard gauge tracks of Poland and the Baltic countries with the network of the Black Sea countries, would save time, energy and CO2 emissions”, the Lemberger Linien study says. “It is important for the Rail Baltica and [the Polish] Central Port of Communication projects.” The feasibility of this corridor would greatly benefit from 1435 millimetre infrastructure – having to put together a new train for the relatively short distance through Ukraine makes it more complex and expensive.
Such a project could be implemented in stages, reducing the initial needed investment. “However, the best result is when the entire network works and when designing, the entire project should be taken into account”, says Ganaylyuk.
Reduction in travelling and waiting times
Ultimately, these projects are supposed to make rail freight through Ukraine more attractive, facilitate a modal shift, and attract more China – Europe traffic because Lviv offers a shorter and more versatile route. If Lemberger Linien’s proposals would be carried out, the company says, it could speed up Ukraine – EU rail traffic down to 60 hours and reduce the waiting time for the formation of trains to 24 hours.
Six billion euros
“In order to ensure the security of the state, the network of the Lviv node, as a result of the
reconstruction, must provide the possibility of transportation in peak loads (not less than 10 to 12 million tonnes per month), transport passengers in interstate and national connections, and also provide the possibility of fast urban and regional passenger transportation (not less than 2 pairs of trains per hour), and this is possible only with a double-track network.” That would also raise the costs, but “those are hard to estimate”, says Ganaylyuk. Price changes and the war make it difficult to come up with a clear picture.
“For example, creating a set of standard gauge tracks, including four lines from Lviv to the border, with a total length of approximately 500 kilometres, together with a traffic control centre and infrastructure for servicing rolling stock, was estimated to cost 1,5 to 2 billion euros as of 2021, but now it could cost 5 to 6 billion euros”, says Ganaylyuk. “But even if you charge a minimum fee, there would be a quick return on investment”, follows from Lemberger Linien studies.