Ukrainians Are Set to Enjoy Stable Internet Access on Trains Thanks to New Rules
Ukraine plans to change the rules governing the use of railway land so that mobile operators can install the necessary equipment along the tracks more quickly. This should help address the problem of poor mobile coverage and unstable internet connections that passengers often encounter while traveling by train.
The proposed changes will simplify the procedure for installing base stations and other telecommunications infrastructure on land owned by Ukrzaliznytsia. This is expected to help expand coverage and improve the quality of mobile service on railways.
Why “Ukrzaliznytsia” Passengers Lose Signal
The design features of railroad cars significantly block the signal, so to ensure high-quality coverage, mobile operators’ equipment must be placed directly along the tracks.
However, current legislation lacks an effective mechanism for using railway land for such purposes. The lack of clear rules means that the approval process for documents between JSC “Ukrzaliznytsia” and telecom operators can drag on for years, complicating the implementation of investment projects.
What the New Regulation Will Change
It is expected that establishing a legal framework for a simplified procedure for placing electronic communications facilities on railway land will allow for:
establish transparent and clear rules for cooperation between “Ukrzaliznytsia” and mobile operators;
significantly reduce the time required to obtain permits;
remove bureaucratic and administrative barriers to infrastructure construction.
“We are working together on regulations that will allow operators to roll out networks more quickly and enable millions of passengers to enjoy stable mobile connectivity while traveling by rail. In the context of the war, this issue concerns not only comfort but also safety, timely access to information, and the ability to stay connected,” the MP emphasized.
Rolling out full coverage along railway routes will allow operators to accelerate investments in telecom infrastructure and enable passengers to have uninterrupted access to digital services during their trips.
This was announced by Oleksandr Haidu, chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Agrarian and Land Policy.
Ukrzaliznytsia has suspended monthly payments to mobilized employees.
As a reminder, Ukrzaliznytsia has updated the procedure for booking trips for organized groups of passengers. From now on, requests to book group tickets can be submitted via an online service, but the processing and purchase of tickets will continue to take place at specialized railway ticket offices.
Ukrzaliznytsia has changed train schedules following the Russian Federation’s nighttime attack on the Kyiv region.
