This week, the American Public Transport Association (APTA)'s High-Speed Rail Seminar event in Washington DC will be an excellent opportunity to highlight the large net positive benefit of high-speed rail for the US economy and society. However, in order to get there, the usage of the new high-speed rail infrastructure should be maximized. This can only be achieved by promoting competition between different high-speed operators from the beginning of operations.

The Ukraine Railroad is the lifeline for refugees, medicine, food and other humanitarian aid. Already more than 100 rail workers have died keeping the railroad running. Earlier this week, Russia bombed five railroad stations in central and western Ukraine, killing people and causing disruption - another example of how vulnerable this life-saving rail service is!

This is why we are now offering the chance to directly support all of the railway heroes! We are working together with the global charitable organisation United Way (unitedway.org), its German branch PHINEO (phineo.org/en) and its Ukraine program WE-AID to provide targeted help to the Ukrainian Railroad.

Further information on how to donate can be found in the press release by clicking on the link below.

This call for donations has been issued by the Multinational Support Ukraine Rail Task Force, a partnership of leaders from the worldwide rail industry chaired by Jolene Molitoris, former US Federal Railroad Administrator.

This week, the European Rail Infrastructure Managers (EIM), has joined the newly set multinational "Support Ukraine Rail Task Force" as an observer. EIM is a non-profit association, representing the interests of European rail infrastructure managers in Europe, in particular vis-à-vis the EU institutions.

Two weeks ago, leading rail sector officials in Europe and the USA announced the formation of a Multinational “Support Ukraine Rail Task Force”, in partnership
with Ukrainian Railways "Ukrzaliznytsia" (UZ), the Ukrainian Ministry of Infrastructure and the Ukrainian Cabinet. The aim is to coordinate technical, mechanical, and policy support for Ukrainian citizens and the rail sector.

“Ukrainian Railways express its sincere gratitude to the leaders of the railway industry for their comprehensive support and efforts aimed at stabilizing and developing Ukrainian railway transport. Our company has always been and will be a powerful player in the railway market and by joint efforts of Ukraine, the EU and the US we will bring the industry to a qualitatively new level despite all the difficulties", – said Oleksandr Kamyshin, Chairman of the Board of Ukrainian Railways.

Посадовці та провідні фахівці залізничного сектору Сполучених Штатів Америки та Європи оголосили про створення багатонаціональної «Цільової групи з підтримки залізниць України», яка опікуватиметься технічною та політичною підтримкою українських вантажних та пасажирських залізничних компаній.

«Укрзалізниця висловлює щиру подяку світовим лідерам залізничної галузі за всебічну підтримку та зусилля, спрямовані на стабілізацію та розвиток українського залізничного транспорту. Наша компанія завжди була і буде потужним гравцем на ринку залізничних перевезень, і спільними зусиллями України, ЄС та США ми виведемо залізничну галузь на якісно новий рівень попри всі негаразди», – наголосив голова правління АТ «Укрзалізниця» Олександр Камишін.