New Ticket Purchase System for Trains in Ukraine
Ukrzaliznytsia has announced changes to the ticket purchasing system for several popular routes, including Odesa – Lviv and Kyiv. Starting August 1, mandatory verification through the ‘Diia.Sign’ service will be implemented in a test mode.
Purchasing tickets at ticket offices will be unavailable
From August 1, 2025, to buy or return tickets for certain domestic trains, passengers must verify their identity through Diia.Sign, the press service of Ukrzaliznytsia reports.
The company noted that these new rules are introduced to reduce potential abuses during railway ticket purchases.
Initially, verification will apply to five popular routes:
- No. 105/106 Odesa – Kyiv;
- No. 12 Lviv – Odesa;
- No. 91/92 Lviv – Kyiv;
- No. 29/30 Kyiv – Uzhhorod;
- No. 27/28 Kyiv – Chop.
Purchasing tickets for these routes at ticket offices will be unavailable, emphasized Ukrzaliznytsia.
The new rules do not apply to tickets for military personnel – they remain available through specialized services and the ‘Army+’ app.
Ukrainians face difficulties in purchasing tickets – reasons
Every summer, Ukrainians encounter challenges when buying tickets for popular routes. This year, demand for trains in July and August has increased significantly, and Ukrzaliznytsia explained why this is happening:
This summer, there is an abnormal load on popular routes. For instance, the load on trains heading to Yaremche and Bukovel reached 460%.
In addition to tourists, many organized groups travel – from frontline areas, families of internally displaced persons, and children of military personnel and heroes.
To ensure everyone can travel, the company is increasing the number of trains: eight new routes have already been added to popular destinations, and ‘Intercity’ trains have begun operating at night. Moreover, an additional 100 carriages have been ordered.
However, the situation is complicated by resellers. A total of 2800 accounts violating the rules have already been blocked. Validation for international routes is enforced through ‘Diia’, and it may soon be implemented for domestic routes during peak season.
Ukrainians are encouraged to buy tickets online
“This is how 90% of sales are realized,” railway workers explain.
The company also urged users to take advantage of the ‘Auto Purchase’ service, which automatically buys tickets from returns. It is noted that out of 403,000 applications, 229,000 were successful.
