On Railway Workers' Day, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky extended his congratulations to the employees of Ukrzaliznytsia, honoring them with the «For Merits» III degree awards and the title of «Honored Transport Worker of Ukraine».
«The Ukrainian railway is recovering from severe blows, maintaining key routes for transporting people and goods. Since the beginning of this year, Ukrzaliznytsia has transported over 135 million tons of cargo, and more than 90 % of Ukrainian passenger trains arrive on time, even under the extraordinary conditions of enemy shelling», – emphasized the President.
Volodymyr Zelensky also highlighted the humanitarian role of Ukrzaliznytsia: over 3650 medical train trips have been made to rescue injured Ukrainian defenders and evacuate people from conflict zones. Moreover, Ukrzaliznytsia employees have played a diplomatic role by organizing over 1100 trips for foreign leaders to Ukraine.
The President assured that the state will increase salaries and support programs for Ukrzaliznytsia.
«In essence, the railway is a line of defense for our state, our people, and our lives. A line that is under Russian attacks daily. Unfortunately, we have losses among our railway workers – 948 people, of whom 753 gave their lives for all of us, for Ukraine as part of the Defense Forces», – noted Volodymyr Zelensky.
A moment of silence was observed in memory of all fallen railway workers.
The Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction of Ukraine, Minister for Communities and Territories Development Oleksii Kuleba, Supervisory Board member of Ukrzaliznytsia Oleksandr Kamyshin, and the Chairman of the Board of Ukrzaliznytsia Oleksandr Pertsovskii presented the President with a new sleeper car and the first barrier-free carriage fully equipped for people with disabilities. Currently, there are 52 carriages in the Ukrzaliznytsia fleet adapted for passengers in wheelchairs.
Additionally, President Zelensky was shown an artistic train carriage featuring photographs depicting the courage and resilience of the Ukrainian people.
The President also interacted with the staff of the Food Train, which provides meals to residents of cities affected by Russian shelling in the absence of electricity.
