The Bucharest-Kyiv rail link, back in operation
The Bucharest – Kiev rail connection has been restored.
Ştefan Stoica, 07.10.2025, 13:50
A direct train on the Kyiv – Ungheni – Bucharest route will be put into circulation starting October 10, 2025, the national rail company (CFR Călători) announced at the start of the week. A similar announcement was also made by the Ukrainian side. Thus, the counterpart company in Ukraine will introduce a daily railway route between Kyiv and Bucharest, the Ministry of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine announced. The new link will connect Ukraine to Romania through a route that passes through Kyiv, Vinnitsa, Zhmerynka, Mohyliv-Podilskyi, Velcineț, Ungheni and Iași, with the final destination at North Station in Bucharest. The duration of a Bucharest – Kyiv trip will be approximately 24 hours, the same as for the return one. The international train IR 99/401 departing from Kyiv at 06:30 A.M. and arriving in Bucharest at 06:47 A.M. runs starting October 10, while the international train IR 402/100 departing from Bucharest at 07:10 P.M. and arriving in Kyiv at 07.34 P.M. runs starting October 11. The price of a ticket on the Bucharest – Kyiv route, for a sleeping car (with four beds), is €73.4.
“The launch of this route is another step towards Ukraine’s integration into Europe’s transport grid” said representatives of the Ukrzaliznytsia railway company. Ionel Scrioșteanu, Secretary of State in the Romanian Transport Ministry, announced back in August that the Ukrainian cars would be attached to the so-called Friendship train via Chișinău. Since summer, discussions have been held to reintroduce a direct train between the two capitals, and tests have also been carried out. It has been several years since a direct train has run between Bucharest and Kyiv, and a big difference is that now, the train will exit the country via Ungheni and cross the Republic of Moldova, whereas a few years ago the train did not transit Moldova, but left Romania through the Vicșani – Vadu Siret (Ukraine) border point.
Restoring the railway connection between the capitals of the two neighboring states is a normal gesture in a geopolitical climate deeply tainted by the war waged by Russia against its former vassal from the Soviet era, which has lasted for over three and a half years. Since the start of this illegal and unjustified war of aggression, Bucharest has correctly positioned itself, like its NATO allies and partners in the European Union, on Kyiv’s side. Bucharest offered humanitarian aid to Ukrainian refugees who came to Romania after the conflict broke out, provided aid consisting of military equipment, and allowed the transit of Ukrainian grain to its export destinations. All this, despite the hostile, falsely pacifist rhetoric of self-proclaimed local sovereignists, in fact ultranationalist populists whom most commentators claim are playing into Moscow’s hands. (VP)
