Ukrainian railway operator to establish Locomotive Company to manage existing depots
Ukraine's national railway operator, Ukrzaliznytsia, will complete the creation of a Locomotive Company in 2025 to centralize the coordination of its existing locomotive depots, Ukrzaliznytsia Chairman Oleksandr Pertsovsky announced.
"This year, we are launching the full-scale operations of Ukrzaliznytsia's Locomotive Company. Our locomotive depots will be integrated into it, allowing for centralized coordination, process optimization, increased workload for strong depots, and better resource allocation," Pertsovsky stated in a Facebook post on Sunday.
As part of the company's formation, Pertsovsky visited key locomotive depots of the Odesa Railway, including those T. Shevchenko (Smila, Cherkasy region), Znamianka, and Podilsk.
"Honestly, I was impressed. All three depots are operational with motivated teams. T. Shevchenko serves as a diesel locomotive hub – many railway sections remain non-electrified, making diesel locomotives essential. Many spare parts were previously sourced from Russia, but the depot has adapted, developing its own production capabilities. Znamianka is a potential hub for our new dual-system locomotives, with prepared facilities and trained specialists. It has the capacity to develop a high-quality maintenance base for modern electric locomotives," he summarized.
He also highlighted Podilsk Depot, where a training center for replacing Russian-made parts will be established.
"Podilsk is a special place. Volodymyr Mykolaichuk, a local legend, reprogrammed Russian VL-series locomotive electronics with his own hands, ensuring our independence from Russian manufacturers. Our locomotives will keep running, while Russian manufacturers… well, they'll have to find other options," Pertsovsky wrote.
Ukrzaliznytsia operates around 50 locomotive depots, including repair depots (responsible for major overhauls and modernizations) and operational depots (handling maintenance between journeys).
Previously, it was reported that the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) provided Ukrzaliznytsia with two credit lines – EUR 180 million for gas piston unit procurement and EUR 300 million for electric locomotive purchases.
Additionally, the U.S. government is expected to support Ukrzaliznytsia's locomotive renewal project with a grant of up to $195 million, administered by the World Bank through the Ukraine Relief, Recovery, Reconstruction and Reform Trust Fund (URTF) as part of the Repairing Essential Logistics Infrastructure & Network Connectivity (RELINC) Project.
A significant number of Ukrzaliznytsia's electric locomotives have already exceeded their extended operational lifespan and will be decommissioned in the near future due to wear and corrosion, which reduces their operational capacity.