Eib Provides Eur 50 Million For Ukraine’S Rail Border Upgrades

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is allocating EUR 50 million to upgrade Ukraine’s rail border crossings with Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania. The investment, part of the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes initiative, aims to enhance trade and connectivity between Ukraine and the European Union.

The funding will support infrastructure modernisation, including track repairs, relocation of wagon inspections, reconstruction of an intermodal terminal, and installation of new gantry cranes. These upgrades will improve freight transport efficiency and benefit passenger travel by enhancing cross-border rail services.

Co-financed by the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and backed by an EU guarantee under the Ukraine Facility, the initiative also benefits from advisory support under JASPERS, a joint initiative of the European Commission and the EIB.

This investment is part of the EIB’s broader EUR 150 million support for Ukraine’s rail network. In 2022, EIB provided an initial EUR 100 million for Ukraine, used for emergency rail repairs, supplemented by a EUR 6.7 million EU grant to address urgent wartime needs.

EIB Vice-President Teresa Czerwińska emphasised the strategic importance of the investment. “The EIB has been a long-standing partner of Ukrzaliznytsia – from well before the very first days of the war. With this new support, we are continuing to strengthen Ukraine’s railway infrastructure at a critical time. Upgrading border crossing points and key rail links will help remove bottlenecks, accelerate the flow of goods and support Ukraine’s deeper integration with the European Union,” Czerwińska said.

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos highlighted the broader significance of the project: “This EUR50 million investment in the modernisation of key rail border crossing points will strengthen Ukraine’s infrastructure and its connections to the European Union. This is not just an economic measure – it is a political commitment to bring Ukraine even closer to the EU by improving trade, people mobility and transport links. Our message to Ukrainian people is clear: Europe stands with you, today and in the future.”

“Railway infrastructure has become one of Ukraine’s key lifelines – keeping goods moving, delivering essential services and ensuring strategic links with the European Union. We welcome this EUR 50 million in EIB support, now directed towards upgrading our rail border crossing points. This is a vital step in rebuilding and expanding our border infrastructure. It will unlock new potential for freight flows and bring us even closer to full integration with the European Union,” Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba added.