Changing the railway gauge width from the Russian standard to the European one will be a challenge for Ukraine and will require tens of billions of euros.
Estonian Minister of Infrastructure Vladimir Svet stated this in an interview with Ukrinform.
“This is also a challenge for Ukraine because changing the gauge width would require tens of billions of euros. It is unrealistic. I think we will have to figure out together how to make this process effective, maintain the machinery, and secure the railway from being used by a potential enemy,” he said.
Svet added that Estonia also faces issues with different railway gauges, as it currently uses the Russian standard of 1520 mm while simultaneously building the modern Rail Baltica line from Tallinn to Poland.
The Minister of Infrastructure explained that, in reality, the Baltic countries and Finland are not changing their existing railway gauge width but are instead constructing new tracks according to European standards while considering ways to prevent the railway from being used by an enemy.
The Estonian official positively noted Ukraine’s accession to the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) and pointed out that, with its help, the Baltic countries will establish railway connections between Ukraine and the Baltic region.
As reported by Ukrinform, in December 2024, Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers adopted a resolution on the updated National Transport Strategy for the period up to 2030. One of its key objectives is the integration of Ukraine’s national transport network into TEN-T.
The most common railway gauge worldwide is 1435 mm (4 feet 8.5 inches). This gauge is used in North America, China, and most of Europe, except for the CIS countries, the Baltic states, Finland, Ireland, Spain, and Portugal.
Ukraine currently operates a railway gauge of 1520 mm. Since the mid-19th century, the standard gauge in the Russian Empire (later the Soviet Union), Finland, and Mongolia was 1524 mm. From May 1970 until the early 1990s, Soviet railways were converted to a 1520 mm gauge.
