Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Ukraine on August 23 (File)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Ukraine on August 23 in what's going to be the first visit by an Indian PM to Ukraine in over 30 years. The External Affairs Ministry announced the visit on Monday, revealing that PM Modi will spend seven hours in Kyiv.
PM Modi's trip will involve a 20-hour train journey, during which he will travel on the 'Rail Force One' overnight train. This specially designed train offers a secure and comfortable journey through war-torn Ukraine, equipped with advanced security features, luxurious amenities and executive-level work and relaxation facilities.
'Rail Force One'
Rail Force One represents "Iron Diplomacy," a term coined by Ukraine's railway CEO, Alexander Kamyshin. Since the Russian invasion, Ukraine's rail network has become the country's diplomatic highway due to cancelled commercial air links and dangerous skies.
Over 200 foreign diplomatic missions have arrived in Ukraine by train so far. This train has ferried world leaders like US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Other world leaders like Justin Trudeau, Rishi Sunak and Giorgia Meloni have also taken the train to Kyiv.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky regularly uses the railway network for diplomatic missions abroad.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is the only G7 leader yet to visit Ukraine by train.
Inside 'Rail Force One'
The interiors of Train Force One are a sight to behold, rivalling the prestige of its esteemed guest list. It has wood-panelled cabins with everything needed for work and relaxation.
Amenities include a spacious table for high-stakes meetings, a plush sofa and a TV mounted on the wall. Comfortable sleeping arrangements are also provided.
These luxury carriages were initially built in 2014 to accommodate tourists visiting Crimea. However, following Russia's annexation of the peninsula, they were repurposed to safely transport world leaders and VIPs through the war-torn country.
Ukraine's rail network
Ukraine's rail network is one of the largest in the world, spanning almost 25,000 km. Ukrzaliznytsia, the state-owned railway company, is a crucial transportation hub, ranking sixth in passenger transport and seventh in freight globally.
The network, built-in pre-Soviet times, uses a broad gauge railway, different from the standard gauge used in most of Europe. Although cross-border links to Russia have been destroyed, Ukrzaliznytsia still connects with neighbouring countries like Moldova, Poland, and Romania. To overcome gauge differences, sections of previously defunct lines have been rebuilt, and infrastructure has been repaired at 11 border crossings.
This effort is vital for passenger travel and freight transportation, including Ukrainian grain exports. In 2022, Ukrzaliznytsia transported 28.9 million tons of grain, mostly for export, and nearly 60 million tons of goods. The company also transported 17.1 million passengers via long-distance trains, predominantly sleeper services.
Beyond transportation, Ukrzaliznytsia played a critical role in evacuating refugees, helping four million people to safety in 2022, including a quarter who were children. The company also transported nearly 336,000 tons of humanitarian aid and evacuated 2,500 civilians for medical treatment via rail.
Meanwhile, PM Modi's upcoming visit to Ukraine is being watched closely as India has positioned itself as a neutral party in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. After meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in July, PM Modi is heading to Ukraine on August 23.
PM Modi will depart for Ukraine on August 22, after meetings in Poland, and arrive in Kyiv on August 23. He will spend around seven hours in Ukraine, discussing matters with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, before returning to Poland on the same train.