OREANDA-NEWS. July 15, 2011. Railway passenger transportation in Ukraine should be radically improved, President Viktor Yanukovych said at a meeting with Vice-Prime Minister, Minister for Infrastructure of Ukraine Borys Kolesnikov.

The President has demanded to accelerate the reform of the Ukrainian railway "to carry it out in 5-7 years and ensure high quality passenger transportation," Borys Kolesnikov said after the meeting with the President.

"We continued to discuss the concept of global changes in the passenger transportation. In 6 years Ukraine must completely upgrade the rolling stock, provide maximum comfort to passengers and, most importantly, at an affordable price," he said.

The Vice-Prime Minister stressed that the national railway is already beginning to implement high-speed movement. According to Borys Kolesnikov, next year Ukraine will receive the first ten high-speed trains, and will be receiving another 15 further each year. “Our services will be no different from those in Western Europe," Borys Kolesnikov said.

He also said the Ukrainian side would discuss with its Russian counterparts the idea of creating rail hubs such as those in aviation. "This concept is discussed, and it will be realized," Borys Kolesnikov said.