The price of railway tickets has been increased to improve the quality of passenger transportation, Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Kozak has said.

"The decision was made to properly service passengers, [and] improve the repair of wagons… But the increase in the prices, if we take absolute figures, is not very large," he told reporters last week in Kyiv.

"The decision was not easy, but we have to do this to increase the quality of passenger transportation, which today is not at a high level, so that the public can receive better [services]," he added.

The minister said that the money would be spent on the purchase of spare parts, repairing wagons and improving the quality of repairs.

"Today there is a lack of proper technical servicing of passenger wagons," Kozak said.

As reported, the Infrastructure Ministry at the initiative of Ukrzaliznytsia has decided to increase the price of third and second class train tickets in Ukraine by 10% in July and by another 10% in October, which will raise UAH 270 million in 2013, partially reducing losses in passenger transportation and raising funds for the overhaul of wagons.

The new tariffs will take effect from the day of the official publication of the orders.

The ministry said that the tariffs for Intercity+ trains, as well as the first class wagons of passenger trains and suburban trains, would remain unchanged.