Ukrzaliznytsia in 2020 saw a shortage of 84.2% of compensation from the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine for the transportation of students, according to the company's website.

During the past year, Ukrzaliznytsia transported more than 3.7 million students in long-distance traffic for more than UAH 114 million. At the same time, compensation of the Ministry of Education amounted to only UAH 18 million (15.8% of the required).

The company noted that last year Ukrzaliznytsia saw a shortage of over UAH 96 million from the Ministry of Education for the transportation of students, in 2019 some UAH 239 million (services were provided for UAH 257 million, and only UAH 18 million was compensated).

Ukrzaliznytsia also stressed that the budget of the Ministry of Education for 2021 also includes only UAH 18 million for travel compensation.

"The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine owes more than UAH 1 billion to Ukrzaliznytsia for the transportation of students over the past few years. This situation has arisen due to the fact that annually the budget of the ministry includes expenses at the level of UAH 18 million, but not real amounts that are spent by the carrier," the member of the board of Ukrzaliznytsia, director of the Passenger Company branch Oleksandr Pertsovsky said.

According to him, the lost compensation for preferential transportation is funds that the company has not invested in the development of passenger traffic, the acquisition of new rolling stock or in improving service.

As reported, Ukrzaliznytsia in 2020 received only 28% of compensation from local authorities for preferential transportation of passengers in suburban traffic.