Ukraine today inaugurated its first railway line built on the European Union’s standard track gauge, marking a major step toward closer transport integration with the EU.

The 22-kilometre route connects Uzhhorod and Chop, two border cities in western Ukraine, and was financed through a €28.6 million package combining an EU Connecting Europe Facility grant and an EIB loan under the Ukraine Facility.

The new track, built to the European gauge of 1,435 mm instead of Ukraine’s traditional 1,520 mm, will streamline passenger and freight traffic. Travelers heading to Košice in Slovakia, Budapest in Hungary, or Vienna in Austria will no longer face lengthy delays at the border caused by gauge changes.

Officials say the line will also boost trade, allowing more goods to be moved directly between Ukraine and EU countries. The project forms part of the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes initiative, designed to strengthen cross-border transport routes in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Alongside the new track, upgrades were made to signaling, communication systems, and station platforms, creating a modernized link that strengthens Ukraine’s integration with Europe’s transport network.