---
title: "Ukrzaliznytsia reroutes trains to reserve paths after overnight attack: travel time up by 6 hours"
description: "After an overnight UAV attack on railway infrastructure on September 17, Ukrzaliznytsia switched trains No. 7/8 and No. 53/54 to reserve routes, increasing travel time by six hours. There were no casualties, and traffic through Berehystrah continues."
date: 2026-09-17T09:32:02.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukrzaliznytsia-train-delays-after-overnight-attack-september-17
tags: [ukrainian-railways, train-delays, infrastructure-damage, drone-attack, ukraine-transport, passenger-rail]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Ukrzaliznytsia reroutes trains to reserve paths after overnight attack: travel time up by 6 hours

![Ukrzaliznytsia train carriages on reserve routes after the night attack](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/18/ukrzaliznytsya-zaderzhki-poezdov-posle-nochnoy-ataki-17-sentyabrya/ukrzaliznytsya-zaderzhki-poezdov-posle-nochnoy-ataki-17-sentyabrya-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- The overnight UAV attack on September 17 damaged railway infrastructure, including the Berehystrah station in Kharkiv Oblast and the Nikolska Slobodka station in Kyiv
- Trains No. 7/8 Odesa—Kharkiv and No. 53/54 Dnipro—Odesa were switched to reserve routes, increasing travel time by about 6 hours
- No casualties were recorded as a result of the overnight strikes; traffic through Berehystrah was not cancelled
- Kyiv City Express operated on a modified route in the morning, but by the day traffic on the full loop had been restored

On the night of September 17, 2026, enemy strikes on Ukraine's railway infrastructure caused significant disruptions to Ukrzaliznytsia's schedule. According to the company, before dawn an unmanned aerial vehicle damaged the Berehystrah railway station building in Kharkiv Oblast, where passengers and staff had taken shelter. No casualties were recorded as a result of the overnight strikes, however the damage to infrastructure required an immediate review of the routes for several services. As of 12:15 on Thursday, September 17, an updated list of delayed trains was published on the carrier's website, while traffic through Berehystrah was not cancelled — the infrastructure was inspected to determine the acceptable conditions for passing trains.

### Which trains are running with the greatest delays

The most significant deviations from the timetable affected two interregional routes. Trains No. 7/8 on the Odesa — Kharkiv route and No. 53/54 on the Dnipro — Odesa route were switched to a reserve, safer path. As a result, the estimated travel time for passengers on these services increased by approximately six hours. Ukrzaliznytsia emphasized that the decision to change the route was made in the interest of the safety of passengers and crews, and that the up-to-date list of delays in real time is available on the carrier's dedicated page.

### Situation in Kyiv: the circular electric train returned to the full loop

In addition to long-distance routes, the consequences of the attack also affected the capital's urban rail transport. In Kyiv, the infrastructure of the Nikolska Slobodka station on the circular electric train line was damaged. As a result, Kyiv City Express operated on a modified route on the morning of September 17. However, as the company reported, the repair work was completed within the day, and traffic on the full loop was resumed in normal mode.

### Recommendations for passengers and operational timetable adjustments

Ukrzaliznytsia appealed to passengers, asking them to understand the possible deviations from the schedule. The company explained that train movements have to be adjusted promptly in light of the evolving security situation on certain sections of the network. The carrier recommends checking the current status of a service on the official website and in mobile applications before traveling, and taking into account the possible increase in travel time when reserve routes are used.

### Contradictory data

Fact-checking of materials on the topic revealed that open sources simultaneously published information about mass train delays caused by bad weather (in particular, a separate article on disruptions due to meteorological conditions was posted on unian.net). These incidents relate to different dates and causes and should not be confused with the consequences of the overnight attack on September 17. All three main sources (RBC-Ukraine, Delo, UNIAN) unanimously point to the damage to infrastructure as a result of UAV strikes as the direct cause of the delays and route changes on the day in question. No discrepancies in the figures for delays or in the list of affected trains were found between the sources.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [UZ changed routes on September 17: which trains are running with the greatest delays](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/uz-zminila-marshruti-17-veresnya-ki-poyizdi-1789636925.html) - Основной источник: перечень задержек на 12:15, смена маршрутов поездов №7/8 и №53/54, +6 часов, повреждение Берестя, Kyiv City Express.
- ["Ukrzaliznytsia" changed train routes due to shelling: list of services](https://delo.ua/ru/news/ukrzaliznycya-izmenila-marsruty-poezdov-iz-za-obstrelov-spisok-reisov-470415/) - Подтверждает смену маршрутов и причину — обстрелы/удары по инфраструктуре. Перечень рейсов совпадает с РБК-Украина.
- [Russia struck the railway again: a number of trains are running with delays](https://www.unian.net/economics/transport/ukrzaliznycya-ryad-poezdov-kursiruet-s-zaderzhkami-iz-za-obstrela-13252755.html) - Подтверждает факт ударов по ж/д инфраструктуре и задержки. Формулировка «Россия снова ударила» — редакционная оценка УНИАН, в статье XAB.info использована нейтральная формулировка «вражеские удары».
- [Mass train delays in Ukraine due to bad weather: list of routes](https://www.unian.net/economics/transport/ukrzaliznycya-v-ukraine-massovo-zaderzhivayutsya-poezda-iz-za-nepogody-perechen-marshrutov-13251249.html) - Подтверждает факт ударов по ж/д инфраструктуре и задержки. Формулировка «Россия снова ударила» — редакционная оценка УНИАН, в статье XAB.info использована нейтральная формулировка «вражеские удары».

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Which trains were running with the greatest delays on September 17?
**A:** According to Ukrzaliznytsia data as of 12:15 on September 17, the greatest delays were recorded for trains No. 7/8 (Odesa — Kharkiv) and No. 53/54 (Dnipro — Odesa), which were switched to reserve routes. The estimated travel time for these services increased by approximately six hours.

### Q: Were there any casualties as a result of the overnight attack on railway infrastructure?
**A:** No. Ukrzaliznytsia reported that the night passed without casualties. Passengers and staff at the Berehystrah station were in shelter at the moment of the UAV strike.

### Q: Has train traffic through Berehystrah station been cancelled?
**A:** No, traffic through Berehystrah was not cancelled. After the damaged infrastructure was inspected, trains are being passed in normal mode.

### Q: What is the situation with Kyiv City Express after the damage to Nikolska Slobodka station?
**A:** On the morning of September 17, the circular electric train operated on a modified route due to damage to the infrastructure at Nikolska Slobodka station. The repair work was completed within the day, and traffic on the full loop was resumed.

### Q: Where can passengers check the current status of their service?
**A:** Ukrzaliznytsia publishes the up-to-date list of delays on a dedicated page of its website. The carrier recommends checking the status of a service before traveling, since routes are adjusted promptly in light of the security situation.