Rail service remains the most reliable mode of transport
Without trains, it would be more difficult for people to travel quickly and conveniently and to transport goods, deliver merchandise, parcels, printed matter, and letters. In our country alone, more than 500 million passengers set off each year. More than 170,000 freight cars carry out domestic and international rail transportation, delivering over 300 million tons of cargo.
By the way, in terms of freight traffic volume, the railways of Ukraine rank fourth on the Eurasian continent, behind only the railways of China, Russia, and India. The railways of Ukraine closely interact with seven neighboring countries.
Today, Ukrzaliznytsia consists of the Lviv, Dnipro, and Southwestern Railways, which also carry out interstate transportation. And more than 370,000 people service this entire system. The work of railway workers is held in well-deserved respect.
Ukrainian Railway Worker's Day is celebrated annually on the fourth of November. Those whose work is connected with the railway, station, and train—conductors, drivers, as well as employees of the multi-thousand-strong army of the Ukrainian Railway—mark this event.
This holiday was first celebrated in our country in 2002—this date was established by a presidential decree signed by Leonid Kuchma. In 2015, railway transport workers were honored for the thirteenth time.
And this date was not chosen by chance. On November 4, 1861, a train arrived from Vienna via Krakow and Przemyśl, carrying many passengers. It arrived at the Lviv railway station. At that time, this city was part of Austria-Hungary. Some time later, a railway line one hundred kilometers long was built, connecting Austria and Poland. Much later, Lviv, which had previously been part of Poland, was annexed to the Ukrainian SSR.
By the way, in Soviet times, Railway Worker's Day was celebrated at the end of July. A few years later, this date was moved to the first Sunday of August. And with Ukraine gaining independence, a new date for the professional holiday of Ukrainian railway workers was established.