Ukrzaliznytsia changes ticket refund rules

The rules for refunding train tickets are changing in Ukraine, and passengers may lose a significant portion of the cost. Find out how Ukrzaliznytsia's new system will work, how much money will be refunded depending on the date, and who will be exempt

Book bus, train, plane tickets to/from Ukraine and between cities around the world

BUY

Ukrzaliznytsia is preparing to introduce new rules for refunding train tickets. According to the updated approach, the amount of the refund will directly depend on how many days before departure the passenger returns the ticket. The closer the date of travel, the less money can be refunded. This was reported by UNIAN with reference to statements by the company's management.

Why Ukrzaliznytsia decided to change the rules

The chairman of the board of JSC Ukrzaliznytsia, Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, spoke about the upcoming changes during an online press conference. According to him, the current ticket refund system creates conditions for abuse and actually reduces the availability of seats for passengers who are actually planning to travel.

According to the company's statistics, about 13% of all returns occur on the day of the train's departure. Because of this, the system often simultaneously records “no tickets available” and the availability of free seats, which appear too late for other passengers to purchase.

UZ management emphasizes that the new rules should encourage people to return tickets in advance or plan their trips more responsibly.

How the new ticket refund system will work

The changes are expected to be introduced in March. The new rules will apply to all train tickets, regardless of the type of train or route. Exceptions are only provided for certain categories of passengers and destinations.

The amount of the refund will depend on the time remaining before the train's departure:

● 20–15 days — 100% of the ticket price will be refunded;

● 14–10 days — 90%;

● 9–5 days — 75%;

● 4–1 days — 50%;

● less than 1 day — only 30% of the cost.

Thus, a passenger can lose up to 70% of the ticket price if they decide to cancel their trip at the last minute.

Don't want to miss important updates and useful articles? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter!

What will remain unchanged

An important detail: the official commission fee of UAH 30 and the insurance payment will still not be refunded, regardless of when the ticket is returned. In this respect, the rules remain unchanged.

Ukrzaliznytsia also emphasizes that in cases where the trip is canceled due to the fault of the carrier, passengers will retain the right to return the ticket online and receive a full refund.

Exceptions: who will be subject to special conditions

UZ plans to apply a flexible approach for certain categories of passengers:

● military personnel — for them, integration with the Army+ service is provided, which will allow them to receive a 100% refund without going to the ticket office;

● people with disabilities;

● passengers on trains to frontline regions.

How the changes will affect passengers and travel planning

Ukrzaliznytsia expects that the new system will:

● reduce the artificial shortage of tickets;

● make travel planning more predictable;

● allow seats to be “returned” to sale more quickly if someone cancels their trip.

For passengers, this means one thing: it will be more profitable to return tickets in advance, and spontaneous cancellations on the eve of the trip will become financially significant.

By the way, if your trip involves transfers or a combination of several modes of transport, it is convenient to check and book tickets in advance not only for trains, but also for buses or other modes of transport through Visit Ukraine — this helps you find an option faster in case of changes in plans.

How ticket refunds used to work

Before the new rules were introduced, Ukrzaliznytsia used a different refund model, which depended on the type of ticket and the time before the train's departure:

1. Refunds at least 24 hours before departure. If the passenger returned the ticket no later than 24 hours before departure, they could receive a full refund for both regular and reserved seats (excluding commission fees and insurance).

c. Between 24 and 6 hours before departure. In this case, the passenger was refunded: 100% of the cost of a regular ticket, 50% of the cost of a reserved seat ticket.

3. Less than 6 hours before departure. Under these conditions: a regular ticket could still be returned for a full refund, but a reserved seat ticket was no longer refundable. Similar rules applied for one hour after the train's departure.

4. After one hour from the moment of departure. Tickets were no longer refundable, regardless of their type.

We remind you! Ukrzaliznytsia launched a new daily train between Kharkiv and Sumy on February 7. Read about the route, planned stops and carriages, as well as transfers available for further travel in Ukraine and abroad.

Photo: Suspilne/Vlada Kolodiy

Want to know more? Read the latest news and useful materials about Ukraine and the world in the News section.

We recommend purchasing it for a safe and comfortable trip to Ukraine: 

Visit Ukraine Insurance – insurance covering military risks for entry and travel in Ukraine;

Visit Ukraine Car Insurance – car insurance with extended coverage in Ukraine;

Visit Ukraine Legal Advice – comprehensive legal support on entry to Ukraine;

Visit Ukraine Tickets – bus and train tickets to/from Ukraine;

Visit Ukraine Tours – the largest online database of tours to Ukraine for every taste;

Visit Ukraine Hotels – hotels for a comfortable stay in Ukraine;

Visit Ukraine Merch – patriotic clothing and accessories with worldwide delivery.

© 2018-2026, Visit Ukraine. Use, copying or reprinting of materials on this site is permitted only with a link (hyperlink for online publications) to Visit Ukraine.

All rights reserved.