Ukrainian High-Speed Normal Gauge Railway: Factors of War and Peace

Abstract

The expediency and problems of gradual transition of Ukrainian railways to the 1435 mm standard of normal track gauge are discussed, due to the experience of Russian aggression and war against Ukraine, the need to strengthen its defence capabilities in the future, closer integration of its transport system with TEN-T and the need to attract additional volumes of transit of goods by rail of partner countries on the Caspian-Black Sea intermodal route between China and the EU.

The first stage of the transition to the normal track width is the implementation of the Ukrainian high-speed railway project from the Black Sea ports to the western border of Ukraine with Poland and the connection of this HSR with the TEN-T network, including the Rail Baltica project.

The options of interaction between railway systems of 1435 mm and 1520 mm in Ukraine are discussed. A basic mathematical model is proposed for comparison of the options for technological solutions.