Cabinet of Ministers allows Ukrzaliznytsia to buy used locomotives without tenders

The Cabinet of Ministers has temporarily allowed Ukrzaliznytsia to purchase and lease traction rolling stock, including used locomotives, without following regular public and simplified procurement procedures. The decision was made amid a sharp increase in locomotive fleet losses due to Russian attacks.

The relevant changes are contained in Cabinet Resolution No. 1181 dated September 28, 2026, published on the Government portal. The exception for Ukrzaliznytsia will be valid until March 24, 2027.

The resolution allows purchasing railway traction rolling stock, including used ones, as well as sets of spare parts for them, without applying procurement procedures and simplified procurement. This exception is directly enshrined in the amendments to the procurement rules.

The simplification also extends to the lease of traction rolling stock and services related to its acquisition, maintenance, transportation, delivery and customs clearance.

Russia puts up to 40 locomotives out of service per month

The decision was made amid systematic Russian attacks on the Ukrainian railway. According to data previously cited by Ukrzaliznytsia, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, 533 company locomotives and 75 locomotives of private industrial enterprises have been damaged.

As Politico reported, the strikes have become particularly intense in recent months. According to the publication, Ukrzaliznytsia is currently losing approximately 37–40 locomotives per month due to damage and destruction, and more than 60% of the losses since the beginning of the invasion have occurred in the last eight months.

It is difficult to quickly compensate for such losses. The Ukrainian railway mainly uses 1520 mm gauge track, whereas in most European countries the standard is 1435 mm. Because of this, the number of locomotives that partners can promptly transfer to Ukraine without complex adaptation is limited.

International coalition being formed for Ukrzaliznytsia

Against this background, Ukraine has begun to form an international coalition to restore the locomotive fleet. The creation of such a format was announced during the Carpathian Eight summit.

According to Minister of Restoration, Infrastructure and Transport Mykola Kalashnyk, one of the first areas of work will be providing Ukrzaliznytsia with locomotives. As part of the agreements, $100 million in grant funding from the URTF trust fund under the RELINC project is already planned to be directed to the purchase of used locomotives on foreign markets.

Slovakia has also agreed to transfer three electric locomotives to Ukraine. Separately, an agreement in principle was reached with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on €130 million to strengthen the energy resilience of the railway.

Thus, the Cabinet resolution removes one of the procedural obstacles to the rapid replenishment of the traction fleet: until spring 2027, Ukrzaliznytsia will be able to more quickly purchase affordable used locomotives on foreign markets and lease them.

Based on materials from: Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, Politico, Mykola Kalashnyk