By 2022, Ukraine impressively boasted Europe’s fourth-largest network of railways. Ukrainian Railways (UZ), aligning with the national government, contributed a staggering 2.34% of the national GDP and employed around 270,000 citizens who worked along its expansive and well-connected routes. The socioeconomic success of UZ showcased by these figures, highlights the importance of infrastructure to a territorially large nation in need of interconnectedness.

When Russian forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the progress of UZ came to an abrupt halt. Russian attacks destroyed border railway crossings, forced thousands of staff to mobilize for war and damaged train tracks caught in the crossfire. International eyes were on Ukraine, with the United Kingdom (U.K.) playing a role in the humanitarian effort to rescue Ukraine’s railways.

U.K. Rail for Ukraine

Rebuilding infrastructure in times of military crisis became an essential way for humanitarian aid to enter Ukraine. With Ukrainian airspace closed to non-combatant aircraft, moving aid, resources and people relied on train networks throughout Europe. Established in 2023, U.K. Network Rail and partners created U.K. Rail for Ukraine, a cohesive partnership that supplied repair parts for UZ networks.

U.K. Rail for Ukraine supplied the Ukrainian front line with eight railway bridges and 30 bridge support towers later that year. The response was quick, direct and efficient in the wake of the devastating violence that intensified in 2022.

Covering the Distance: European Partnerships

For U.K. Rail for Ukraine to transport large infrastructural supports into Eastern Europe, the wider network of European railway systems played a major role in covering the distance. Deutsche Bahn (DB), the German national rail operator, transported the goods to Poland. The train carried the livery #WeStandWithUkraine, highlighting a collective European sense of solidarity with the Ukrainians suffering.

Poland also made a significant contribution to supporting its neighboring Ukraine. Polish (PKP) cargo trains carried humanitarian aid from across Europe, making up a large share of the 1,600 aid vehicles reported by Ukrainian Railways. U.K. donors sent 7,500 food parcels, which were packaged and later distributed among Ukrainian rail workers. The main partners behind this donation were the U.K.-based companies Arriva Trains and First Rail. Both recognized the importance of Ukrainian railroads in transporting lifesaving packages to those most in need. In addition, U.K. rail businesses raised £65,000 to fund protective armor for frontline drivers.

Driving Away from Danger and Toward Safety

Beginning in Poland, many Ukrainian refugees took the long journey into mainland Europe by train. By March 2022, more than 1,000 Polish State Railway services operated to transport refugees. Having already undergone an arduous journey, displaced migrants arriving in the U.K. received special privileges for rail travel across the country. The Rail Delivery Group introduced a scheme in 2022 that granted Ukrainian refugees free travel on British transport services, including National Rail and the London Underground.

Outlook for 2025

Transportation during the Russo-Ukrainian War has remained vital. U.K. Rail for Ukraine continues to provide infrastructural support from a humanitarian standpoint, with railways serving as the primary channel for aid packages reaching soldiers and civilians on the front line. Looking forward, the extensive repair work needed on UZ railways in a post-conflict world will require the same level of foreign support and commitment to rebuild a once very successful rail system.

By 2025, 223,000 Ukrainian people had arrived in the U.K. The well-connected structure of European railroads allowed the safe transfer of refugees across borders. Those who completed their journey to the U.K. continue to benefit from measures that preserve their right to free travel.

Looking Ahead

The partnerships forged between the U.K., Europe and Ukraine show that railways can do more than move people and goods; they can carry hope and resilience through the hardest of times.

– Ash Fowkes-Gajan

Ash is based in London, UK and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr