Is it possible to upgrade the rolling stock of Ukrainian Railways?

$310 million can be spent to the renewal of rolling stock, if the land tax and contributions to the road fund would be canceled. It was said by the chairman of the board of Ukrzaliznytsia Volodymyr Zhmak, as railway magazine «Railway Supply» informs reffering to Ukrzaliznytsia websit

upgrade the rolling stock
Picture: Ukrzaliznytsia. The chairman of the board of Ukrzaliznytsia Volodymyr Zhmak

«“The company pays $150 million a year on the land where the rails are. No other country taxes land under the rails. Ukrzaliznytsia also pays $50 million in excise tax to the state road fund, money used to repair roads but not rails,” he emphasizes.

By canceling these taxes and cutting certain list of expenses, Ukrzaliznytsia can save over $300 million and use it to buy new locomotives and wagons, because much of the existing stock dates to Soviet times.