08/09/2025 (Agence Europe) – On Friday 5 September, Ukraine opened its first railway line complying with European track gauge standards. The 22-kilometre line links the Ukrainian towns of Uzhgorod, on the border with Slovakia, and Chop, near Ukraine’s border with Hungary. The project was financed by an EU grant under the ‘Connecting Europe Facility’ (CEF) and a €28.6 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB). This marks an important step in deepening the country’s integration into the EU transit network (see EUROPE 13673/19). The line will increase the volume of goods transported by rail, boosting trade between Ukraine and the EU, and is part of the efforts being made under the EU-Ukraine ‘solidarity lanes’ (see EUROPE 13695/29). (AD)