Ukrzaliznytsia, Ukraine’s state railway company, will implement new ticket refund regulations starting May 2. The revised policy will alter the percentage of ticket value refunded upon cancellation, depending on how close the cancellation is to the departure date.
According to a statement from the company, the new refund system will apply exclusively to domestic travel within Ukraine. The closer the cancellation is to the departure time, the smaller the refund percentage will be.
“Tickets will be refunded on a progressive scale starting May 2. This means that the percentage of the ticket price eligible for refund will change based on how close the cancellation is to the departure date,” the statement read.
For journeys with a sales horizon of 20 days, the refund conditions are as follows:
- 15-20 days before the trip: 100% refund;
- 10-14 days: 95-90% refund;
- 5-9 days: 75% refund;
- 1-4 days: 50% refund;
- Less than 24 hours before departure, but no later than one hour after departure: only the cost of the seat reservation will be refunded.
Military personnel from the Defense Forces who purchase tickets through the “Army+” app will retain the previous refund conditions, allowing for a full refund if the ticket is returned before the scheduled departure. This process can be completed online through the app.
“The new differentiated refund model is based not on a fixed calendar period for ticket sales but on the actual time the ticket has been available for purchase. This model uses a dual scale to account for when sales for a specific train opened and how many days remain until departure at the time of the ticket return,” Ukrzaliznytsia explained.
If ticket sales begin less than 14 days before departure, as is the case for some routes to frontline cities, the refund system will operate under an adapted logic. For instance, if sales open with a 10-day horizon:
- Returning a ticket 10 days before departure will result in a 95% refund;
- 5-9 days: 75% refund;
- 1-4 days: 50% refund;
- Within 24 hours, but no later than one hour after departure: only the ticket price will be refunded, excluding the seat reservation fee.
“The primary goal of this approach is to encourage passengers to return tickets promptly after their plans change, which will enhance the predictability of passenger flow for the railway and allow for more efficient management of rolling stock. Vacant seats will be returned to open sale sooner and become available for other passengers,” the company stated.
The new refund policy is also expected to serve as a deterrent against ticket scalpers, making last-minute ticket returns less advantageous for them. Additionally, it aims to increase railway revenues amid rising costs associated with restoring rolling stock and infrastructure due to ongoing attacks.
Ukrzaliznytsia will implement a new ticket refund policy on May 2, adjusting refund percentages based on the timing of cancellations. The changes aim to improve operational efficiency and combat ticket scalping.