After the pause in 2021 Ukrposhta is resuming the delivery of postal items by rail. Starting from April 9, postal rail cars will deliver mail from Lviv, Odesa, Kharkiv, and Dnipro to Kyiv and back. In total, it is planned to put into operation 14 post office rail cars.

Transportation by rail is one more way of postal items delivering, meant to optimize and strengthen the logistics network of Ukrposhta. About 40 containers can be loaded into one railway car makes approximately 2.4 thousand parcels. During a week, taking into account all routes, it will be possible to transport approximately 140,000 additional parcels by railway cars.

Notwithstanding that the shipment is made from only 5 cities, the parcel can be addressed to any settlement where there is a working branch of Ukrposhta. Ukrposhta will deliver shipments arriving by rail to the delivery point by highway vehicles.

"Despite the fact that Ukrposhta quickly established logistics even in the military environment, the delivery of shipments by road is delayed because of the large number of roadblocks, military operations, and their implications such as mined roads and damaged bridges. At the same time, we have an increasing number of tasks - additionally, to parcels, we deliver humanitarian aid and help with the enterprises relocation. To perform these tasks we are looking for options to strengthen our logistics network. Therefore, delivery by rail is currently a necessary and timely solution that gives us an additional way to deliver postal items, primarily humanitarian ones, which are of great need now. That's why we are returning to this type of delivery. I am very grateful to my colleagues from Ukrzaliznytsia, who managed to prepare rail cars and quickly organize the delivery of shipments," commented General Director of Ukrposhta, Igor Smelyanskyi.

"We all faced new challenges brought by the war. And we will be able to overcome them only together, in partnership. The partnership of two infrastructure companies is what we are doing now: Ukrzaliznytsia and Ukrposhta are the companies which continue to work in the most difficult regions. In peacetime, Ukrzaliznytsia and Ukrposhta ensured the development of the economy and in wartime we insure security. This is a joint task that the Ministry of Infrastructure sets us and other companies and therefore we have to solve it together," commented Oleksandr Kamyshyn, Chairman of the Board of Ukrzaliznytsia.

Humanitarian goods sent by volunteers will also be transported by postal rail cars. Humanitarian cargo is not accepted in all Ukrposhta branches, but only at those located next to central railway stations. Starting from April 9, humanitarian cargo can be processed for departure in Lviv city branch No. 79023, at Dvirtseva Square, 1. Starting next week it will be possible to send humanitarian cargo from Kyiv (branch 02505), Dnipro (branch 49501), Odesa (branch 65501), and Kharkiv (branch 61501). You can also create a shipment online, in your personal client’s account.

"Because of the attack of russia, many institutions of Ukraine made changes in their activities to provide civilians food, medicine, clothing, and housing and to supply our soldiers with everything they needed to arrange a fitting rebuff to the occupier. Lviv Regional Military Administration (RMA) created and organized the work of a humanitarian hub, where aid is sent from all over the world. We accumulate it, sort it and send it to those who have lost their homes or are forced to stay in the epicenters of hostilities. We also coordinate the transportation and resettlement of people who have been evacuated. We actively communicate with Zhytomyr, Chernihiv, Kyiv, Kherson and other RMAs. I am glad that "Ukrposhta" and "Ukrzaliznytsia", two large infrastructure companies, have combine their efforts in order to ensure that the economy of Ukraine works and that people receive on time their hoped-for shipments. Doing your job well is the best contribution to the victory of Ukraine", said Head of the Lviv Regional Military Administration, Maksym Kozytskyi.

There will be a special rate for volunteers. The price for transportation of one postal item weighing up to 30 kg and having the length of the longest side up to 70 cm is only 25 UAH. Payment to the recipient's cost is not possible. This is the minimum price that will be forwarded to the preparation and maintenance of the postal rail car. However, if volunteers are currently unable to pay for the transportation cost, the shipments will still be accepted. You need to inform the operator about “free shipping” and its transportation cost will be covered by charity funds.

The storage period of the parcel at the destination is up to 14 days. After that, if the recipient has not picked up the parcels, Ukrposhta will hand them over to volunteer organizations and foundations. Please note that Ukrposhta reserves the right to make the parcels examination and, in case the parcels contain not charitable but commercial cargo, such parcels will also be handed over to volunteer organizations, cooperating with Ukrposhta.

We would like to remind you that the test launch of mail delivery by railway took place on April 1. That day Ukrposhta together with Ukrzaliznytsia started the first mail rail car route from Lviv to Kyiv.