Memo To Ukrainian Railways: Change Train Schedules To Permit More Time Between Arrivals And Curfews. Scheduled Arrival 26 Minutes Before Curfew Stressful For Travelers

Curfews In Place As Of 21 August 2022
Chernivisi: 11:00 pm to 5:00 am
Ivano: 11:00 pm to 5:00 am
Kharkiv: 11:00 pm to 5:00 am
Kyiv: 11:00 pm to 5:00 am
Lviv: 11:00 pm to 5:00 am

Cities in Ukraine, including Kharkiv, the second-largest after the capital, Kyiv, will have in place revised curfews corresponding to 24 February 2022, which is the 31st Anniversary of Ukraine Independence (from the amongst the twelve republics of the then-U.S.S.R.) and six months since the armed forces of the Russian Federation invaded territory of Ukraine and invaded further territory of Ukraine occupied since 24 February 2014.  The first shelling in 2022 was directed early in the morning at Kharkiv, then to Kyiv. 

Kharkiv
22 February 2022: 7:00 pm to 7:00 am
23 February 2022 to 25 February 2022: 7:00 pm to 7:00 am

Despite the changes to the curfew schedule in Kharkiv, and the current curfews in other cities, Kyiv, Ukraine-based Ukrainian Railways has not materially-altered its schedules.  As of today, these schedules were in effect: 

A recent Ukrainian Railways train carrying nearing five-hundred passengers (in two classes of service) to Kyiv scheduled to depart at 10:15 am, departed at 11:30 am (the inbound train from Odessa arrived late) for a twelve-hour journey scheduled to arrive to Kyiv at 10:36 pm.  Kyiv has an 11:00 pm curfew.  

As passengers waited to board the train and then once aboard the train were already concerned about arriving to Kyiv after curfew- meaning they would likely need to remain at the train station until 5:00 am the following morning.  Particularly concerned were families, and mothers traveling with infants, parents with children, and older adults.   

The train crew through nearing the last two hours of the journey re-confirmed that the train would arrive approximately 11:15 pm to 11:30 pm.  Not until the last forty-five minutes did the crew confirm that the train had travelled at a higher speed and would arrive to Kyiv at 11:45 pm, fifteen minutes before curfew.  With representatives of the armed forces of Ukraine inspecting the passports of arriving passengers, all passengers were unable to exit the train station by curfew. 

What does curfew mean?  Only vehicles with drivers issued special passes by the armed forces of Ukraine are permitted to operate after curfew.  No taxis, Ubers, Bolts, Uclon, Lyft, etc.  There are roadblocks throughout Kyiv and the operation of vehicles is strictly enforced. 

Baring access to a vehicle with a driver in procession of a special pass, passengers have limited options:  1) remain at the train station until 5:00 am with limited services 2) walk to their destination (still subject to certain restrictions) or 3) spend the night at a nearby hotel, with at approximately US$33.00 per night, the Paris, France-based Accor-managed Ibis Kyiv Railway Station Hotel is a choice for non-Ukrainian travelers. 

Ukrainian Railways is to be congratulated for continuing to operate, and do so mostly on time, a robust professionally-managed multi-class schedule of services traversing Ukraine- including into and out of conflict areas. 

The Ukrainian Railways Internet site (in Ukrainian and English) is easy to navigate, easy to make purchases (and obtain seat assignments which not even some airlines charging premiums for their tickets offer consistently), and of immense importance an easy means to chance and cancel tickets and receive refunds. 

Given the uncertainties of route infrastructure and the unknown impediments impacting passenger railway services and freight railway services, both sometimes interrupted by military transport necessities and travel by senior-level government officials (Ukrainian and non-Ukrainian), Ukrainian Railways may find value in not having arrivals within ninety minutes to two hours of the onset of a curfew, based upon the strategic importance of the route and analysis of delays upon the route. And, consider not having any trains scheduled to arrive during a curfew.