Kiev to Rostov-on-Don by train

All aboard for another look out the train window – this time the 20 hour journey south-west from Kiev, Ukraine. Our next stop was the Black Sea resort of Sochi, but due to a lack of direct services we made our way to the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, where we would change trains.

Main entrance to Київ-Пасажирський railway station off Vokzalna Ploshcha

We left Kiev at 10 pm at night, and settled into our sleeping compartment for the overnight journey. I woke up the next morning just after 8.30 am, as we stopped in the village of Чаплине (Chaplyne) in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

Passengers at Чаплине (Chaplyne) wait for our train to depart

There were plenty of trains to see out the window.

Ukrainian Railways class ВЛ8 electric locomotive ВЛ8-289 at Удачное (Udachnoye)

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast is rich in reserves of brown coal and iron ore, so freight trains were in abundance.

Ukrainian Railways class ВЛ8 electric hauls a coal train outside Красноармі́йськ (Krasnoarmiisk)

With railway tracks headed every which way.

Coal trains cross paths outside the city of  Красноармі́йськ (Krasnoarmiisk)

At the stations the snow clearing crews were hard at work.

More manual clearing of snow from the pointwork

Snow covered the flat and scrubby landscape.

Electrical transmission lines cross the Ukrainian countryside

But eventually the sun started to come out.

There was heavy industry on the horizon.

Railway junctions outside the Ukrainian city of Ясинувата (Yasynuvata)

With trains kept on running through the snow.

електри́чка (suburban electrical multiple unit) train outside the city of Ясинувата (Yasynuvata)

As we passed the 1118 km mark from Kiev.

'1118km' post on the Ukrainian Railways

There were fields of dachas outside the cities.

Looking down on a valley of Dachas (holiday homes)

Followed by garages as we headed into town.

Field of garages fill the space between apartment blocks and the railway

Where the apartment blocks soon became visible.

Soviet-era apartment blocks tower over older cottages

The bright sun was a nice change.

Railway station at Харцизьк (Khartsyzk) in Ukraine

As we neared the Russian border crossing, the train rolled through a busy marshalling yard.

Ukrainian Railways class ВЛ8 electric locomotive ВЛ8-475 at Іловайськ (Ilovaisk)

Modern electric locomotives were stabled in the sidings.

Ukrainian Railways class ЧС7 electric locomotive

As well as a number of older units.

Ukrainian Railways class ВЛ8 electric locomotive ВЛ8-576 at Іловайськ (Ilovaisk)

By the time we had crossed into Russia, the sun was starting to slip from the western sky.

Evening falls over the Russian village of Рясное (Ryasnoj)

The cities themselves had the same Soviet look about them.

Crossing over a road in the Russian city of Таганрог (Taganrog)

With bland concrete apartment blocks towering over the surrounding houses.

Soviet-era apartment block towers over snow covered houses in Таганрог (Taganrog)

And shorter apartment buildings surrounded by fields of parking garages.

Garages beside apartment blocks in Таганрог (Taganrog)

Eventually it was too dark to take any more photos, so I settled down in the compartment, until our arrival into Rostov-on-Don an hour or so later.

Укрзалізниця (Ukrainian Railways) and РЖД (Russian Railways) trains at Rostov-on-Don

Footnote

For the entire journey I had my GPS datalogger running – the resulting track can be found below.

Our route across Ukraine by train

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2 Responses to Kiev to Rostov-on-Don by train

  1. rohan storey says:

    Er, I guess there was no heavy fighting ?? Surprised trains still running….

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