Lviv is preparing for a new rail line to Warsaw

The Lviv region is ready to sign an agreement to develop a feasibility study for a new railway line connecting Warsaw, Rava-Ruska, Bryukhovychi, and Lviv. This will be a standard-gauge line designed to directly connect Lviv with the Polish railway network. Funding for the feasibility study is planned to come from the regional and local budgets.

 

Lviv Oblast is preparing for a new large-scale railway project that could directly connect Lviv with Warsaw. This involves the construction of a narrow-gauge railway line along the Warsaw–Rava-Ruska–Bryukhovychi–Lviv route. This was announced by Maksym Kozytskyi, head of the Lviv Regional Military Administration, during the forum “Regional Dialogues with Business on European Integration” in Lviv.

According to him, an agreement to develop a feasibility study for the project is expected to be signed in the near future. The feasibility study will be prepared in accordance with the railway’s technical specifications, after which the document will be submitted for further work. “The Warsaw–Rava–Bryukhovychi–Lviv railway line. With a terminus either at the Lviv railway station or at the Sknyliv railway station. An agreement for the development of the feasibility study is currently set to be signed. This feasibility study will be submitted to the railway authority, prepared in accordance with their technical specifications, and will involve a narrow-gauge connection between Lviv and Warsaw,” said Kozytskyi.

He called this project important for the region and expressed hope that it would be successfully implemented. The preparation of the feasibility study is planned to be funded from the regional and local budgets. At this stage, the focus is specifically on preparing the project justification, not on the start of construction work. Separately, Kozytskyi highlighted the possibility of extending the existing narrow-gauge line to Uzhhorod. According to him, this could help relieve congestion at other border crossing points on the Ukrainian-European border.

In addition, the new rail connection could provide an additional boost to the development of the Carpathian region. The head of the Lviv Regional State Administration also mentioned the launch of the Nyzhankovychi–Khyriv–Smilnytsia line as another project in the field of rail transport. The rail branch itself has already been built, but to launch service, the necessary work on the Polish side must be completed. “This is a railway branch line that has already been built, and the ball is now in Poland’s court. We’ve done everything on our end. It will likely be possible to amend the agreement regarding the launch of this line, if feasible,” Kozytskyi noted.

According to him, this route could also become part of the development of Lviv Oblast’s transport links with EU countries. In addition to the railroad, the region plans to develop its road infrastructure. Among such projects, Kozytskyi mentioned the expansion of several sections of the Kyiv–Chop highway.

The goal is to increase the capacity of key transportation routes. According to the head of the Regional State Administration, this should help Lviv Oblast develop as a major logistics hub. “This is also an opportunity to expand the transportation infrastructure and to take a completely different look at the potential of Lviv Oblast as a logistics hub for all of Ukraine,” Kozytsky emphasized.

All of these projects were discussed during the forum “Regional Dialogues with Business on European Integration.” This is a joint initiative of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and the Ukraine2EU program, which supports Ukraine’s accession to the EU. The goal of such meetings is to discuss with the business community, the government, and European partners the specific opportunities that European integration opens up for Ukrainian regions and companies.

If the Warsaw–Rava-Ruska–Bryukhovychi–Lviv project moves from the feasibility study phase to implementation, Lviv will gain another rail route connecting it to Poland. However, no date has yet been announced for the start of construction or the launch of this rail service.