Ukrainians were warned about the cancellation of a number of trains to Europe on October 13

On Tuesday, October 13, 2026, passenger train services between Ukraine, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic via the “Chop (Strazh)” railway border crossing point will be temporarily suspended. The restrictions are due to repair works at the Chop station in Zakarpattia Oblast. The initially announced cancellation of trips on October 12 was later withdrawn.

The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (SBGS) reported the changes, citing information from Ukrzaliznytsia. Additional details about the affected routes were earlier published by the Slovak railway carrier ZSSK.

Which trains are canceled on October 13

According to Ukrainian border guards, on October 13, all passenger trains traveling through the “Chop (Strazh)” crossing point to Slovakia and the Czech Republic, as well as in the opposite direction, will not operate.

Thus, the restrictions will affect international railway routes connecting Zakarpattia with Slovak cities, which are also used for onward travel to the Czech Republic.

The Slovak railway company ZSSK had already warned on October 9 about changes to the operation of international Zakarpatia trains running between Košice, Chop, and Mukachevo.

The carrier's preliminary announcement for October 13 listed the following canceled services:

• R 960 Zakarpatia — from Košice towards Mukachevo;
• R 962 Zakarpatia — from Košice towards Mukachevo;
• R 963 Zakarpatia — from Mukachevo towards Košice;
• R 965 Zakarpatia — from Mukachevo towards Košice;
• R 961 Zakarpatia — from Chop towards Košice.

In addition, according to preliminary data from ZSSK, on October 13, direct carriages providing connections to Bratislava will not be included in the composition of train Ex 620. The train Ex 620 departs from Košice at 13:53 local time and arrives in the capital of Slovakia at 19:44.

The list of services was published by the Slovak carrier before subsequent clarification from the Ukrainian side. Therefore, passengers should additionally verify the status of a specific train immediately before departure.

What has changed in the schedule for October 12

Initially, the State Border Guard Service warned that restrictions would already take effect on Monday, October 12.

In particular, it was reported the cancellation of the train “Bratislava — Chop”, which was scheduled to arrive at the Ukrainian station at 21:41.

However, border guards later published a clarification citing updated information from Ukrzaliznytsia.

According to the latest SBGS statement, on October 12 trips will not be canceled — trains should run on schedule.

Therefore, when planning trips, one should rely on the carrier's updated announcements, not on the initial warning about cancellations over two days.

Why train services were changed

The reason for the temporary restrictions is repair works at the Chop railway station, which provides international connectivity across the Ukrainian-Slovak border.

The Slovak carrier ZSSK clarified that it is a continuation of the large-scale reconstruction of the station's railway infrastructure. In this regard, the changes affect both the section between Košice and Chop, and the connection between Chop and Mukachevo.

At the same time, the warning specifically concerns rail connections through the “Chop (Strazh)” crossing point. It does not mean the cessation of all passenger transport between Ukraine, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic via other routes.

The exact completion date of the repair works is not specified in the SBGS statement. Also, no separate list of trains that will resume operation after October 13 is provided.

What passengers need to know

Temporary cancellations are especially important for passengers planning transfers in Košice, Bratislava, or other European cities. The absence of one international service may require changing the entire travel route.

The State Border Guard Service and the Slovak carrier recommend checking schedules in advance, as information about train operations may be updated.

Before traveling, passengers should:

• verify whether the required international service will operate on October 13;
• check for changes in the route and departure time;
• make sure that the planned transfer to another train remains possible;
• if needed, consider an alternative route in advance;
• if a ticket has already been purchased for a canceled service, contact the carrier to clarify exchange or refund options.

You can check the current schedule of Ukrainian trains through the official Ukrzaliznytsia booking service, and Slovak trains on the ZSSK website.

Passengers heading to the Czech Republic via Slovakia should also take into account changes in train operations on the Ukrainian-Slovak section, even if the further part of the route is operated by another carrier.

Based on materials from: State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, SBGS clarification, SITA with reference to ZSSK.