On 17 September 2026, the Kyiv City Express loop electric train was forced to temporarily change its operating pattern due to damage to the railway infrastructure sustained in a night attack. As reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing Ukrainian Railways (Ukrzaliznytsia), the strike damaged the Nyzhynska Slobodka station, as well as the glass and doors of one of the electric multiple units, the depot, and other company facilities. Trains on the section between Darnytsia and Pochaina did not run on their usual route for part of the day.
Changes to the Loop Electric Train Routes
Due to the damage to Nyzhynska Slobodka station, Kyiv City Express switched to a partial-loop operating pattern. According to the Kyiv Loop Electric Train Telegram channel, the altered routes were used by services A04, A06, A07, B02, B05 and B04. Service B01 on the Darnytsia — Pochaina — Sviatoshyno route was not operated at all that day. Train A01 (Darnytsia — Vokzalna — Sviatoshyno) departed with a delay due to the air threat, while service B07 (Sviatoshyno — Vokzalna — Darnytsia) left Sviatoshyno station 30 minutes behind schedule. The photo published online shows an ED9M-series electric train (unit number 0220) in the livery of Ukrainian Railways — these are the very units that make up the Kyiv City Express fleet.
Swift Recovery and Lifting of Restrictions
Repair work on the damaged section began immediately after the attack. By 11:15 on 17 September, the restrictions on the loop had been lifted, and the post-strike recovery work was declared complete. Train A11 on the Sviatoshyno — Pochaina — Darnytsia route had already departed on its usual route and was running according to schedule. Kyiv City Express asked passengers to be understanding about possible deviations from the timetable, as train movements had to be adjusted quickly in light of the security situation. The company recommended following announcements at the stations and listening to information from the train crews.
Contradictory Data
In a statement to RBC-Ukraine, Ukrainian Railways noted that "preliminarily, restoring the section would take about a day." However, the actual chronology of the day tells a different story: by 11:15 — that is, within a few hours of the work beginning — the restrictions on the loop had been fully lifted, and the recovery work declared complete. Thus, the preliminary estimate of "about a day" was not borne out in practice, and the actual recovery time turned out to be significantly shorter than stated. Possible explanations for the discrepancy — from initial caution in assessing the scale of the damage to an accelerated pace of work — are not clarified in open sources.
Context: The Massive Attack of 17 September
The damage to Kyiv City Express infrastructure was part of a broader picture: on 17 September a massive attack was carried out across Ukrainian territory, affecting seven regions. The adversary used missiles, an aviation bomb and more than 150 strike drones. Casualties among civilians and infrastructure damage were recorded in Kyiv, Odesa, Kyiv Oblast and Zaporizhzhia. RBC-Ukraine also reported that the previous night Russian forces had attacked the Berestyn railway station in Kharkiv Oblast: the strike damaged the station building, while the station workers who had taken shelter were unharmed.
Recommendations for Passengers and Next Steps
Ukrainian Railways promised to provide additional information on any further changes to train movements. Passengers of Kyiv City Express, under heightened threat, are advised to check the current routes in the company's official channels in advance, to allow for the possibility of delays due to air alerts, and to be prepared for quick timetable adjustments. The security situation at railway facilities remains a priority, and any deviations from the schedule in the coming days may be linked precisely to the need to ensure the protection of passengers and staff.
