Klaipėda – Kyiv Rail Freight Plan

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.

These two paragraphs give more details.

Lithuania’s national train operator LTG Group and Ukrainian Railways have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop an intermodal freight service from the Baltic port of Klaipėda to Kyiv via Poland.

Test runs are planned for this year, ahead of regular services.

I have some thoughts.

The Route

This Google Map shows the route.

 

Note.

1. Russia is in the North-East corner of the map, with Moscow clearly marked.
2. Lithuania is in the North-West corner of the map.
3. Klaipėda is on the Lithuanian coast.
4. South-West of Lithuania is the Kaliningrad enclave, which is part of Russia.
5. South of the Kaliningrad enclave is Poland, where Gdansk, Warsaw and Krakow are clearly marked.
6. Belarus is in the middle of the map, with Minsk clearly marked.
7. Ukraine is South of Russia and Belarus and East of Poland.
8. Dnipro, Kharkiv, Kyiv and Lyiv in Ukraine are clearly marked.

It looks to me, that a possible route would be along the Eastern Polish Border avoiding both Belarus and the Kaliningrad enclave.

The Gauges

This Google Map shows the gauges between Klaipėda and Kyiv.

Note.

1. Black tracks are Standard gauge of 1435 mm.
2. Red tracks are Russian gauge of 1520 mm.
3. Klaipėda is on the Lithuanian coast in the North-West corner of the map.
4. Kviv is in the South-East corner of the map.

It looks to me, that although Lithuania and Ukraine are Russian gauge, the routes through Poland could be standard gauge.

So there may be a need for some rolling stock, that can run on both Russian and Polish gauges.

This article on Railway Gazette is entitled Ukrainian Railways Produces Cross-Border Grain Wagon.

These two paragraphs describe the wagons.

National railway Ukrzaliznytsia has used mostly domestic components to produce a grain hopper wagon which can operate on both the former USSR’s 1 520 mm broad gauge and the 1 435 mm standard gauge of neighbouring EU countries.

The Type 19-8005-U wagon has a capacity of 70 tonnes and 104 m3, with five loading and six unloading hatches. It is designed for operation at up to 120 km/h.

The wagon certainly looks professional in the pictures.

I don’t think that dual-gauge wagons for containers will be a serious engineering problem for the Ukrainians.

Rail Baltica

The Wikipedia entry for Rail Baltica has this introduction.

Rail Baltica is an under-construction rail infrastructure project that is intended to integrate the Baltic states in the European rail network. Its purpose is to provide passenger and freight service between participating countries and improve rail connections between Central and Northern Europe, specifically the area southeast of the Baltic Sea.

Note.

1. As it is an EU-funded project, it is being built as standard gauge.
2. It is being built with operating speeds of 145 mph for passengers and 75 mph for freight trains.
3. There will be comprehensive connections to airports, freight terminals and major conurbations.

This page on the Rail Baltica web site has an interactive map of Rail Baltica.

It is thought that Putin is not pleased about Rail Baltica, as his extensive fleet of rail transporters for tanks and other military vehicles, are now built for the wrong gauge to invade the Baltic States.

Putin And Dual-Gauge Tracks And Wagons

As they could be used to bring war-related imports to Kyiv, I suspect Vlad the Genocider is against them.

How Will Ukraine Protect The Trains?

Consider.

• Being West of Kyiv will help.
• I suspect the UK have a few ideas for camouflage.
• Will a few brave Ukrainians ride the trains, with a sophisticated train protection missile?
• Drones probably won’t be as effective as ground attack aircraft at attacking trains.

I do suspect though that the Ukrainians have a plan.

Conclusion

This is going to be an interesting development.

 

 

 

May 9, 2024 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Belarus, Freight, Kaliningrad, Kyiv, Lithuania, Poland, Rail Baltica, Russia, Russian Attack On Ukraine, Russian Gauge, Standard Gauge, Ukraine, Vladimir Putin, War