Directions of integration of railway transport of Ukraine into the European railway network

Abstract

The authors emphasized that railway transport plays a major role in the life support of Ukraine, especially during the war (because passengers are transported by railway transport not only in the normal mode, but also by evacuation trains; not only scheduled cargo is transported, but also those reoriented from water transport due to the seizure of Ukrainian ports by the russian aggressors; enterprises are transported from the areas under fire to a safer place), so efforts must be made to ensure the smooth functioning of this type of transport both within the country and in interstate communication. In this context, it is highlighted that, in addition to significant technical barriers to crossing borders, Ukraine has non-compliance of the legislation in the field of railway transport with the legislation of the European Union. At the same time, it is noted that with the signing of the Association Agreement with the European Union, the issue of integration into the single European transport space has become acute for Ukraine. This involves the transition to common principles of the operation of the rail transport market, including the presence of independent: railway infrastructure operator, who will be responsible for its quality and capacity (i.e. the number of trains that will be able to move on the tracks); the regulator of railway transport, which will approve the tariff for access to the infrastructure, will ensure equal access to it for all operators of railway transport; the railway safety authority, which will determine the requirements for carriers, check their compliance and issue licenses for transportation. A necessary condition for adaptation to EU legislation on railway transport is the harmonization of Ukrainian legislation with the European one, elimination of differences in the legal framework regulation of railway transport. Harmonization regulatory and legal field of operation of railway transport to the European one, appropriate reforms are needed. The main European Directives and Regulations in the field of railway transport are outlined, according to which it is necessary to amend the Law of Ukraine “On Railway Transport”.