Ukrainian Railways (UZ) said it will launch rail freight transportation tests between Kyiv and Kaunas, in Lithuania. The initiative will start next week and is part of the framework of cooperation between UZ and the Lithuanian national railway company LTG.

The information was shared by the Ukrainian company in a press release celebrating the first test train connecting Kyiv and Rail Cargo Group’s (RCG) BILK terminal in Budapest. Despite the lack of available information concerning the Kyiv-Kaunas test, both UZ and LTG have shown keenness to expand their international services. It is not clear whether these tests will involve the transportation of non-cranable semi-trailers, as the Kyiv-Budapest one did. Information concerning the route of these tests is also scarce, but it will probably involve Poland, due to the difficulties of transiting through Belarus.

Lithuania and Ukraine’s expansion plans

For example, UZ is cooperating with RCG also for a new service between Kyiv and Vienna, which should be operative by the end of this year. In addition, in July, the company set up a new subsidiary to enter the European market: UZ Cargo Poland. The first service operated by the new company between Ukraine and Poland is connecting Gdansk with Kyiv, Odessa, Dnipro, and Vinnytsia. LTG and its subsidiary LTG Cargo are also working towards increasing its international presence. The company’s Ukrainian branch, LTG Cargo Ukraine, is slowly picking up pace again after significant slowdowns caused by the Russian invasion of Kyiv.

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