UKRAINE: The government of South Korea has agreed to allocate US$8m for a feasibility study that would assess options for development of a high speed rail link between Kyiv and Ukraine’s border with the EU.
The funding was announced at a meeting between Ukraine’s Ministry of Community & Territorial Development and a delegation from South Korea on March 18. The meeting was attended by national railway Ukrzaliznytsia and South Korean engineering consultancies, including the Korea International Cooperation Agency office in Ukraine. The parties discussed the current status of the scheme, including steps to attract further consultants.
No exact alignment or technical details were disclosed, but the line would be integrated into the EU’s TEN-T network.
‘Railway transport today is a true example of the country’s resilience. However, even in wartime, it is important not only to maintain the system, but also to lay the foundation for its future development and restoration’, said Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Community & Territorial Development Oleksiy Balesta. ‘We consider the development of high speed railways not just as an infrastructure project, but as an important part of the reconstruction and long-term development of Ukrainian railways, the modernisation of the country and its integration into the European transport space.’
‘The Republic of Korea sees many opportunities to be involved in the reconstruction of Ukraine. For us, it is not only about restoring what was destroyed, but also about shaping the future of Ukraine. We understand well how difficult the path after the war is, because we ourselves went through restoration and transformation. That is why we are happy to be with Ukraine, help in reconstruction and work together to create a new, modern future’, added the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea Kichang Park.
