September 15 2004, 09:30

Rail ferry link between Ukraine and Russia through Kerch Strait to be restored on these days

Towards the end of this week the regular rail ferry link, connecting the Crimean Peninsula of Ukraine and Krasnodar Krai of Russia, will be restored. Press-service of the Crimean government has informed that the official opening of the link is scheduled for September 18.

According to the Chief Engineer of Prydniprovska Railway Olexandr Zavgorodniy, the Ukrainian party is rounding off restoration works on the Kerch section of the rail link and is ready to re-start regular train operations.

Pryndiprovska Railway (the part of Ukrainian railway network, serving the south-eastern part of Ukraine, including the Crimea) solely by its own effort has completely restored the coastal berth structures, the complex of buildings for operating personnel and auxiliary services and the passenger station.

Zavgorodniy said, prior to official commissioning of the link, the berth structures were going to be tested and the specialists were going study a possibility of increasing train speeds on the adjacent section.

The project investor has said that total worth of the restoration works on both sides of the Strait is $30 million. At the stage of feasibility studies the investors took into account the fact that restoration of the freight train operations through the Kerch Strait ferry would cut the distance for Russian freights, traveling to Crimean ports, by more than 300 kilometers. With a view to current orders for freight services, it is supposed that the link will be mostly used for transportation of metals, fertilisers, fuels and other goods.

Operations of rail ferry link through the Kerch Strait were stopped in early 1990's, soon after disintegration of the Soviet Union, and the train service on this rout has not been in existence ever since.