ZSSK: New Train Service between Bratislava and Kiev Launched on Sunday

Cierna nad Tisou, December 15 (TASR) - A rail connection between Slovakia and Ukraine is improving, with a new train service from Bratislava to Kiev being launched on Sunday, ZSSK passenger carrier spokesman Dominik Drevicky has informed TASR. The first direct train from Ukraine was welcomed in Cierna nad Tisou (Kosice region) on Sunday morning, said Drevicky. The new timetable, effective as of December 15, optimises train times and expands the offer to include new trains on the Kosice - Chop route, with the possibility to transfer to other trains in the Kiev direction. Drevicky specified that passengers will have a possibility to use new international direct trains from Bratislava to Kosice, from where they will continue via Cierna nad Tisou to the Ukrainian town of Chop, where they can transfer to a sleeper train to Kiev operated by the Ukrainian Railways. Customs checks will be carried out directly on the train in Cierna nad Tisou. According to Transport Ministry State Secretary Denisa Zilakova, the expansion of rail connection between Slovakia and Ukraine is an important step in support of cross-border mobility, which is the basic pillar of a modern European region. "This cooperation between ZSSK and the Ukrainian Railways shows how international partnerships can contribute to the development of passenger rail transport. I am pleased that such initiatives improve connection and strengthen relations between the two countries. We also view it as help to a neighbouring country, which is in a difficult war situation and its inhabitants have limited travel options," she said. ko