How does public transport in Ukraine operate during air raids?

More than 6,000 foreigners cross the Ukrainian border every day. Many of them use public transport. Find out the details of the operation of trains, buses and other transport in Ukraine under martial law

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According to official statistics provided by the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine at the request of Visit Ukraine, more than 1.1 million foreigners (1,188,466) entered Ukraine in the first half of 2024 alone, meaning that more than 6,000 people enter Ukraine per day. In most cases, they use public transport. In Ukraine, this includes trams, trolleybuses, fixed-route taxis and the metro (Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro and Kryvyi Rih). We have collected all the necessary information on public transport during air raids in this article.

What is the train schedule in Ukraine during air alerts?

According to Ukrzaliznytsia, during air alerts, passenger, evacuation, medical and other trains of Ukrzaliznytsia, including Kyiv City Express and Dnipro City Express, run on schedule.

Passengers board and disembark through underground passages. However, it is necessary to wait for trains in shelters.

You canfind out how to buy Ukrzaliznytsia tickets for international flights here.

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What if a passenger missed the train due to an alarm?

Passengers can use their ticket during the day to choose a flight in the same direction. The same applies to international flights. If the train is full, you should do the following to solve the problem

- go to the train conductor (he will show you where there are free seats);

- if the train is intermediate and stands for only a few minutes, contact the station attendant (he will call the dispatcher to find out where there are free seats);

- if the passenger is scheduled to change trains, tell the conductor or train manager so that they can adjust the route.

Please note: If there are no seats available on the train, the ticket will be valid for more than 24 hours.

By the way, you can book train, bus, and plane tickets within Ukraine and between cities around the world through the convenient Visit Ukraine booking system.

Choose your route and buy tickets to Ukraine now!

How does public transport in Ukraine operate during air alerts?

Trams and trolleybuses

In most Ukrainian cities, trams and trolleybuses do not stop during air alerts. In Ivano-Frankivsk, they stop in some cases, while in Kyiv they always do. This decision was made by the capital's authorities in 2022, and it is currently causing significant discomfort to most residents. Kyiv residents and visitors are forced to use minibuses (which creates huge crowds) or taxis (which incurs significant financial costs).

During an air raid, people must go to a shelter for their own safety. You can find the nearest one using the interactive map of shelters in Diia. Details are available here.

Shuttle buses

Minibuses are running as usual, but the workload during air raids increases significantly.

Take out insurance covering military risks and don't worry about air raids!

Metro

The Kharkiv, Dnipro and Kryvyi Rih subways are operating as usual, with trains stopping only during serious shelling as people use the subway as a shelter.

The Kyiv metro is running on the red line only to the Arsenalna metro station during the alert, while the Dnipro, Hidropark, Livoberezhna, Darnytsia, Chernihivska and Lisova metro stations are temporarily closed.

Read more about how to call a taxi during air raid alert on Visit Ukraine.

How does public transport work during the curfew?

1. Public transport does not operate during the air raid alert.

2. Trains run on their own schedule.

3. Metro stations are open around the clock as shelters.

You canfind out when the curfew starts in different regions of Ukraine by following the link.

Please note! If the train arrives after the curfew, stay at the station. If you have a travel ticket, you will have access to the waiting room. If you have a ticket for a night train, come to the station before 00:00.

Just a reminder. Earlier, we told you how to tame anxiety and keep a cool head during air travel alarms.

Photo: Ukrainian Radio

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