‘Get Them There Alive’: Ukraine’s Railways Under Russian Barrage

Ukraine’s railway system is under repeated Russian attack. The strikes target passenger services, stations, trains and supporting infrastructure. This matters because trains carry people across a country whose civilian airspace is closed. Damage therefore threatens both movement and safety.

Since the beginning of 2026, Ukrainian Railways has recorded damage to 4,856 railway facilities. The total includes 380 locomotives and 146 carriages. A Russian drone also struck a platform beside two waiting trains in Dnipro, killing at least 14 people. These attacks force crews to pause or evacuate trains when drones are nearby.

The result is a railway network that keeps operating but under constant pressure. Ukrainian Railways conducts between 100 and 200 evacuations daily, producing hours-long delays nationwide. Winter could make the situation harder, especially if attacks disrupt electricity, water and heating. The operator is preparing preventative stops, blankets and heating pads.

During an air raid threat, a train evacuation temporarily moves passengers out of the carriages and toward a shelter or safer distance. The purpose is to reduce their exposure while drones are nearby. It interrupts the journey, but crews use it to protect passengers before the train continues.

On the Kharkiv-Kyiv route, attendants woke sleeping passengers and shouted, “Evacuation, evacuation.” People left the train and moved farther from the carriages as a drone approached. An explosion lit the sky nearby. Kateryna Kumratova and her four-year-old daughter, Nina, headed toward a shelter while drones could still be heard.

Passengers return only after the danger has passed and the crew announces that travel can resume. The process can be frightening, especially for families and people far from shelter. It also causes delays. Ukraine now carries out 100 to 200 such evacuations each day, and winter cold may make them more difficult.

The scale of the damage is nationwide and substantial. Since the beginning of 2026, Russian attacks have damaged 4,856 railway facilities, according to Ukrainian Railways. This figure covers the broader system that allows trains to run, not just passenger carriages.

The reported damage includes 380 locomotives and 146 carriages. The article also describes attacks on trains, stations and railway infrastructure. In Dnipro, a Russian drone hit a platform next to two waiting trains and killed at least 14 people. These incidents show how infrastructure damage and direct threats to passengers overlap.

Despite the damage, the railway continues carrying people across Ukraine. Its operator pauses and evacuates trains when attacks threaten, creating widespread delays. The network’s future remains difficult as winter approaches and attacks on energy infrastructure intensify. Ukrainian Railways is preparing preventative stops, blankets and heating pads to manage colder evacuations.

Russian attacks turn everyday rail travel into an uncertain operation. Passengers may be woken, ordered off trains and sent toward shelters while drones approach. The journey then resumes only after crews decide the immediate danger has passed. This makes travel longer, more stressful and physically harder.

On one overnight trip from Kharkiv, attendants warned that sleep could be interrupted. Hours later, they knocked on compartment doors and announced an evacuation. Passengers moved away from the carriages as a nearby drone grew louder and an explosion flashed in the distance. Kateryna Kumratova described fear while taking her young daughter toward shelter.

The disruption affects the whole country. Daily evacuations number between 100 and 200, triggering widespread delays lasting hours. Winter adds another risk, since passengers may wait outside or walk to shelters in freezing conditions. Railways plan preventative stops, blankets and heating pads, but journeys remain dangerous and unpredictable.

Ukraine’s railway is a critical lifeline because civilian aircraft cannot use the country’s airspace. Travel within Ukraine, and travel to and from the country, therefore relies heavily on trains. The railway connects major cities and families despite the invasion and continuing attacks.

Daryna Styrchuk travelled from Kyiv to Poltava to reach her family, saying train travel was the only way to make the journey. The Kharkiv-Kyiv route links Ukraine’s two largest cities. Yet trains on that route stop frequently because Kharkiv’s terminus lies about 30 kilometres from the Russian border and faces a continuing threat of attack.

The railway’s importance comes with a heavy cost. It is now a target, and passengers face evacuations, delays and fear. Still, people continue using it, even with children. Styrchuk said relentless attacks had made Ukrainians more resilient, while Ukrainian Railways prepares for harder winter conditions and possible energy disruptions.

For ordinary passengers, the article presents trains as the main available option. Ukraine’s civilian airspace is closed, so aircraft cannot provide normal domestic or international travel. The article does not identify another nationwide passenger system that can replace the railway.

Daryna Styrchuk travelled from Kyiv to Poltava because train travel was the only way she could reach her family. The railway also connects Kharkiv and Kyiv, Ukraine’s two largest cities. Even this route, however, faces frequent stops because of nearby Russian drone threats. Passengers must accept evacuations and delays to keep moving.

This leaves Ukrainians with a difficult choice: continue using trains despite the danger or face limited travel options. The article does not detail road transport or other alternatives, so their availability cannot be assessed from the text. As attacks intensify, the railway remains essential but increasingly vulnerable, especially during winter and possible energy disruptions.

Railways are strategically important because they keep civilians moving during a war. Ukraine’s airspace is closed to civilian aircraft, so trains carry much of the country’s travel. They connect families and major cities, even when attacks threaten stations, tracks and passenger services.

The system’s survival depends on rapid safety decisions. Crews pause trains, evacuate passengers and move them toward shelters when drones approach. After the danger passes, trains continue. This pattern allows transport to continue without ignoring immediate threats. The railway therefore provides both a lifeline for passengers and a visible sign of national resilience.

The challenge is growing. Ukrainian Railways reports 4,856 damaged facilities since the beginning of 2026, while daily evacuations cause hours-long delays. Winter may bring freezing temperatures and disruptions to electricity, water and heating. Preventative stops, blankets and heating pads are planned, but continued rail service will remain essential under severe pressure.