Second annual meeting of the UE-UA Solidarity Lanes railway project consortium

What are “Solidarity Lanes”?

Solidarity Lanes is a programme initiated by the European Commission (European Executive Agency for Climate, Infrastructure and Environment – CINEA) in May 2022. It aims to optimise and modernise traffic flows in terms of infrastructure, capacity, interoperability and service efficiency at the main border crossing points between the European Union (EU) and Ukraine. It was created in response to the growing transport and logistics needs resulting from the geopolitical challenges related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and aims to increase the capacity, interoperability and efficiency of transport services on the border between Ukraine and the EU.

Numerous infrastructure projects are being implemented within the CINEA Solidarity Lanes, two of which – a rail and a road – are being implemented with the participation of Polish and Ukrainian partners. These projects are implemented under grant agreements signed by CINEA, the Center for EU Transport Projects (CEUTP), and partners from Poland and Ukraine. Both projects began in 2023 and will be completed in 2027. The CEUTP is coordinating them, ensuring progress monitoring and the achievement of planned milestones in consultation with the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy, which serves as the Managing Authority for the Connecting Europe Facility 2021-2027 (CEF 2) in Poland.

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Railway project “Solidarity Lanes EU-UA”

The meeting, held in Warsaw on February 17-19, 2026, focused specifically on the “UE-UA Solidarity Lanes” railway project (project number 101122931). This project aims to optimize and modernize transport flows in terms of infrastructure capacity, interoperability, and BC service efficiency at the main Polish/UA rail border crossings.

What was the meeting about?

The three-day working group meeting consisted of three parts:

On February 17, 2026, we welcomed a delegation from Ukraine and then embarked on a joint study visit to Warszawa Zachodnia Station, organized by PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A. We listened to a presentation about the progress and details of the recently completed investment, then set off on a tour of the facility. We saw the work in the signalling control and toured the passages and platforms. PKP PLK S.A. experts provided a comprehensive description of the station modernization project and its challenges, shared their knowledge on the skillful and effective use of European Funds, and answered questions from Ukrainian Railways specialists.

On the second day, February 18, 2026, representatives of the project parties, as well as our guests from CINEA, met for several thematic sessions at the MCC Mazurkas Conference Centre & Hotel in Ożarów Mazowiecki. During the meeting, the project’s progress on behalf of CEUTP, PKP PLK SA, and Ukrainian Railways was discussed in detail. Current technical challenges related to the documentation of the project’s feasibility studies on both sides of the border were also addressed. We also discussed audits of CEF-funded projects, conclusions from national and CINEA reports, and numerous informational and promotional aspects of the project.

On the third and final day, the delegations visited the railway stations on Railway Line No. 7 – Falenica, Wawer, and Olszynka Grochowska. The study visit was again led by representatives of PKP PLK S.A.

This meeting brought us, the project partners, closer to many important conclusions regarding our ongoing collaboration. This project is currently conducted online, so our goal was to comprehensively utilize the opportunity for face-to-face discussions and the exchange of experiences between the participating institutions.

As a result, this has brought us closer to an even better understanding of how we work and the challenges we all face as we reach further milestones in the coming years.

What activities are carried out as part of the project?

The key task for the Polish partner, PKP PLK S.A., is to develop a Feasibility Study for the Lublin-Chełm railway line, the Dorohusk State Railways, the Jagodzinska State Railways, and Kovel, as well as a development concept for the Solidarity Lanes border crossing area. The tender for the Feasibility Study was won by IDOM, which was also present at the conference. During the conference, company representatives presented the current state of knowledge regarding the ongoing work and the first identified challenges.

The feasibility study is divided into two parts:

• Part A will cover the railway line between Lublin and the Polish/UA state border.
• Part B is a development concept for the Dorohusk/Jagodzin border crossing area.

The Ukrainian side, on the other hand, is responsible for, among other things, preparing pre-design documentation based on the SW results for the section from the UA/PL border to Kovel (development of a SW for the expansion of the railway line between the UA/PL border in Dorohusk/PKJ Yahodyn and Kovel), as well as short-term work on the railway line at the border crossing in Yagorod and on the railway line between Luboml, Matseiv, and Kovel (revitalization work). Work is also planned on the railway line at the border crossings in Mostyska I and Mostyska II, and repairing cargo handling equipment in Kovel, including the purchase and installation of a container handling crane at the multimodal terminal at Kovel station.

We will keep you informed about the project’s progress on the information channels of the Centre for EU Transport Projects.

Some basic informations about the project:

Grant Agreement (GA) signing date: 10/10/2023

Project number according to GA:101122931

Project acronym according to GA:22-EU-TG-PL-UA railway BCPs

Project start date according to GA: 01/03/2023

Project completion date according to GA: 31/10/2027.

Eligible project costs according to GA: EUR 65,293,423.00

Maximum amount of EU funding: EUR 32,646,711.50

The project is coordinated by the CEUTP and implemented by a Polish-Ukrainian consortium consisting of PKP PLK S.A. and JSC “Ukrainian Railways” (Ukrzaliznytsia). Activities implemented within both projects support the modernization of transport infrastructure located within the TEN-T core and comprehensive networks. The projects are aligned with the objectives and priorities defined under the Connecting Europe Facility, from which they receive funding.