Railway Workers Day and Achievements of Ukrainian Railways
On the occasion of Railway Workers Day, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated the employees of Ukrainian Railways, awarding them with the Order of «For Merit» of the III degree and granting the title of «Honored Worker of Transport of Ukraine».
«The Ukrainian railway is recovering after severe strikes, maintaining key routes, and ensuring the transportation of people and goods. Since the beginning of this year, Ukrainian Railways has transported over 135 million tons of cargo, and more than 90 % of Ukrainian passenger trains arrive on time, even under extraordinary circumstances due to enemy shelling», – noted the Head of State.
Volodymyr Zelensky also highlighted the humanitarian functions of Ukrainian Railways: over 3650 medical train trips have been conducted to rescue wounded Ukrainian defenders and evacuate people from combat zones. Additionally, employees of Ukrainian Railways have played a diplomatic role, facilitating over 1100 trips for foreign leaders to Ukraine.
The President assured that the state will increase salaries and support programs for Ukrainian Railways.
«Essentially, the railway is a line of defense for our state and our people. It faces daily assaults from Russian forces. Unfortunately, we have lost 948 railway workers, of whom 753 gave their lives for all of us, for Ukraine», – emphasized Volodymyr Zelensky.
The memory of all fallen railway workers was honored with a moment of silence.
Deputy Prime Minister for the Restoration of Ukraine Oleksii Kuleba, a member of the supervisory board of Ukrainian Railways Oleksandr Kamyshin, and the head of the board of Ukrainian Railways Oleksandr Pertsovsky presented the President with a new sleeper car and the first barrier-free car fully equipped for persons with disabilities. Currently, there are 52 such cars in the Ukrainian Railways fleet.
Moreover, Volodymyr Zelensky was shown an artistic car displaying photographs of the courage and resilience of the Ukrainian people.
The President also spoke with the staff of the Food Train, which provides food for residents of cities affected by Russian bombardments.
