This summer in Ukraine, up to six passengers will compete for one seat on a train, because due to the war, Ukrzaliznytsia has lost dozens of cars, and hundreds more are under repair. Despite the record shortage of tickets and frantic demand on popular routes, a massive rise in fare prices is not expected - the carrier is relying on new cars and searching for rolling stock abroad.
This was reported by leading researcher at the Institute of Economic Research and Political Consulting Irina Kosse in a media commentary. The expert is convinced that the route reduction scenario is unlikely. On the contrary, the carrier will try to maintain the existing flight network even despite the difficult situation with cars and damage to infrastructure. Russian attacks have destroyed at least 46 passenger carriages since the invasion began, according to official figures.. About 200 more cars, as well as an entire Intercity+ train, are in line for repairs after being damaged due to shelling, drone attacks and accidents.
In addition, more than 1,050 cars are awaiting technical inspection and write-off due to critical wear and unusable condition. As a result, the fleet of passenger cars is rapidly declining, while the demand for travel is steadily growing.
On average today there are four potential passengers per available seat.. But in the summer, when the holiday season begins, the situation is even more complicated - up to six people can apply for one place. On some routes, demand is already exceeding all expectations.
Despite the difficult situation, there will probably not be a significant increase in ticket prices in the near future. Kosse notes that Ukrzaliznytsia is already adjusting tariffs very carefully. Some prices have already been revised earlier, and dynamic pricing has also been introduced for certain categories of tickets.. This means that the cost may vary depending on demand, timing of purchase and route popularity. However, according to the expert, increasing tariffs is not able to solve the key problem - the shortage of cars. If prices go up, it will be more likely to reduce the excitement among passengers, and not to really improve the situation with the availability of tickets.
One of the main areas of work is the renewal of rolling stock. Possible solutions also include purchasing or renting used railcars abroad..
In particular, attention may be paid to the Baltic countries, where similar gauges are used, which would greatly simplify the integration of such rolling stock into the Ukrainian system.
In addition, it is expected that control over the sale of tickets will be strengthened and the fight against speculators who buy up seats for further resale. Ukrzaliznytsia specialists advise Ukrainians to adhere to a few simple rules that significantly increase the chances of a successful purchase:.