European Railroad Discussion > Moldova passenger operations?

Hi All,

Does anyone have a good source for current passenger operations in Moldova?

The 2012 map by Boris Komenko shows trains running as far south as Reni on the Ukraine/Moldova/Romania border.

A more recent looking map I downloaded from somewhere only shows passenger service as far south as Basarabeasca.

Looking in Rome2Rio I can’t find anything running south of Chisinau, like “Chisinau to Cainari “. Though I have no idea if Rone2Rio is a reputable site for identifying local or branch line train service.

Just curious, I’m near Izmael, Ukraine now and wondering what my options are for heading north.

Cheers, Ted in UA.

(Can’t get map images to upload. Map#2 might be from Wikitravel. ).

The European Rail Timetable includes Moldova, you can buy a digital edition on line.

www.europeanrailtimetable.eu

86 — thanks for the reply.

I bought it, installed it as an app on my iPhone.

It seems that it only lists major intercity trains, it doesn’t list the local electric trains (EMUs)

For instance, in Ukraine, there is local electric train service from Lviv to Sianki which isn’t listed. doesn’t show up on the map on page 526, or on chart 1722, I rode it a year ago and it was very well patronized, so I doubt that they’ve cancelled the service). And from Odessa to Bilhorod Dnistrovskyi, which I watched go by the other day, also isn’t listed. (Should be on 1722).

I assume it doesn’t list local trains for Moldova, either.

Though it shows the line from Chisinau south to Basarabeasca as being in service, but it doesn’t list any trains. At least not that my eyes can spot on my iPhone.

So, to refine my question, does anyone know with some degree of certainty whether trains are in service south of Chisinau Moldova? And bonus points if you can find a schedule.

Also bonus points for local train service listings in Ukraine. Like Bilhorod Dnistrovskyi to Izmail.

(I’m floating around by bicycle and train, and usually I just show up at a station and figure things out, but it’s been cold and rainy these last few days, so I want to minimize wild goose chases.

Thanks for any info or sleuthing,

Ted in Ukraine



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/17 11:46 by gobbl3gook.

Take a look at this, it's an old schedule but things don't change very fast in Moldova......
I don't think there are any crossborder trains between Moldova and Ukraine other than the train through Transnistria and that there hasn't been any progress in restoring them.
I know finding schedules for local trains in Moldova isn't easy and it seems the number listed by the European Rail Timetable has been declining since Cooks stopped issuing it. Even there aren't local rail services there are almost always marshrutky if you are feeling brave lol........ Good Luck sounds like a lot of fun!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/17 11:42 by GettingShort.

---

Getting Short, thanks for the info. Do you know what year the schedule is from? Or how to look up the current status of trains on this line?

(Your posts from 2014 are part of my inspiration for the trip, BTW. I’ve been traveling 2 months now, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia. Sampling train services and touring by bicycle, have 2 weeks remaining).

Ted in UA

gobbl3gook Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Though it shows the line from Chisinau south to
> Basarabeasca as being in service, but it doesn’t
> list any trains. At least not that my eyes can
> spot on my iPhone.

My 2016/2017 winter edition lists trains to Basarabeasca on table 1756, one train Thursday through Sunday deaprting Chisinau at 18:55 arriving Basarabeasca at 23:34. I've not received the 2017/2018 edition yet so can't confirm whether that's still the case. Is the Moldovan Railway website any good? www.railway.md

> Also bonus points for local train service listings
> in Ukraine. Like Bilhorod Dnistrovskyi to Izmail.

From www.bahn.com runs daily 04:51 to 08:23.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/17 12:20 by 86235.

gobbl3gook Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Getting Short, thanks for the info. Do you know
> what year the schedule is from? Or how to look up
> the current status of trains on this line?
>
> (Your posts from 2014 are part of my inspiration
> for the trip, BTW. I’ve been traveling 2 months
> now, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia.
> Sampling train services and touring by bicycle,
> have 2 weeks remaining).
>
> Ted in UA

Are you sharing pictures anywhere? Flickr? I'd love to see what you have. Traveling mostly by bicycle must be a real adventure and really give you a chance to better know where you pass through, amazing man! How did you like Georgia and Armenia? I really enjoyed both. Kazakhstan is on my list for next year but I can't visit Azerbaijan as I have a Nogorno-Karabach visa in my passport now.

Sorry I should have posted the link to the site where I found the schedule.
http://worldofmoldova.com/en/transport/moldova-train-schedule/
the schedules are almost 10 years old but were pretty accureate as recently as 2014 and 2015.

86235 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> gobbl3gook Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Though it shows the line from Chisinau south
> to
> > Basarabeasca as being in service, but it
> doesn’t
> > list any trains. At least not that my eyes can
> > spot on my iPhone.
>
> My 2016/2017 winter edition lists trains to
> Basarabeasca on table 1756, one train Thursday
> through Sunday deaprting Chisinau at 18:55
> arriving Basarabeasca at 23:34. I've not received
> the 2017/2018 edition yet so can't confirm whether
> that's still the case. Is the Moldovan Railway
> website any good? www.railway.md
>
> > Also bonus points for local train service
> listings
> > in Ukraine. Like Bilhorod Dnistrovskyi to
> Izmail.
>
> From www.bahn.com runs daily 04:51 to 08:23.

LOL the Moldovan website must be good for something but for what I'm not sure, It may be more useful for international services than internal.

On further inspection, table 1720 lists local trains in Moldova, service to Basarabeasca as a night train, and Ungheni during the day. But nothing as far south as Reni (the southern point of Moldova).

And, for 86, I can confirm that the timetable does not cover local electric trains in Ukraine. The 686 train service south from Odessa that you list is just one of 4 trains that run as far as Bilhorid Dnistrovskyi. I took a photo of the train schedule from the Zatoka station (which TO won’t let me upload).

Southbound trains are
686 Odessa -> Ismail
6303, 6307, 6309 Odessa -> Bilhorod Dnistrovskyi (where electrification ends).

So, still looking for info —
* Can anyone confirm that Moldova has cancelled the train service that once ran as far south as Remi?
* Does anyone have a source for local train schedules in Ukraine? (For instance, is there DMU service from Bilhorod Dnistrovskyi south to Izmail).

And, just as an FYI as to why I’m looking — the intercity trains listed in the European Timetable often run at night. But local trains run during the day. Offering obvious benefits for those that like to watch trains and/or see the countryside.

Thanks for any further info folks may have, or can find from their desktop computers.

(And, Getting Short, I haven’t posted photos yet, but will post some in December. I did post some to TO from Estonia in 2016, which you should be able to find on a TO search).

Ted, camped in a hedgerow outside Kyrnychky, Ukraine



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/17 19:11 by gobbl3gook.

I guess you've seen this map

http://www.bueker.net/trainspotting/map.php?file=maps/ukraine/ukraine.gif

> And, for 86, I can confirm that the timetable does
> not cover local electric trains in Ukraine. The
> 686 train service south from Odessa that you list
> is just one of 4 trains that run as far as
> Bilhorid Dnistrovskyi. I took a photo of the
> train schedule from the Zatoka station (which TO
> won’t let me upload).

Yes, I've found those on the Ukrainian Railways website; 11:08, 16:35 and 20:20 from Odessa. Apart from that 686 from Odessa the only other train the UZ website lists for Izmail is the 145/146 daily train too and from Kiev. Are there services which UZ run which they don't feature on their website?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/17 23:45 by 86235.

86235 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I guess you've seen this map
>

> Yes, I've found those on the Ukrainian Railways
> website; 11:08, 16:35 and 20:20 from Odessa. Apart
> from that 686 from Odessa the only other train the
> UZ website lists for Izmail is the 145/146 daily
> train too and from Kiev. Are there services which
> UZ run which they don't feature on their website?

Interesting map. The part of Ukraine that has the densest rail network also happens to be the area known and Novorossiya, The Donetsk and the Luhansk Peoples Republics.

86235 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I guess you've seen this map
>
> http://www.bueker.net/trainspotting/map.php?file=m
> aps/ukraine/ukraine.gif

While Bueker.net does have some really good maps of European railways, be advised this site hasn't been updated in nearly 7 years. Not sure why the site went cold but there's been a lot of changes since.

Update, there is train service north from Reni, Ukraine to Etulia, Moldova.

Distance about 30 kilometers. Travel time 1.25 hours. (That’s 25 KMH average speed).

I considered taking it (I passed through at 3:30, trail left at 5:00) and there may we’ll have been a Moldovan local train that started in Etula and continued north.

But I now have a plane ticket out of Sofia on the 29th, so I figured I should stop dawdling and head SW. (I’m in a hotel in Galati, Romania tonight, will take a train the Bucharesti tomorrow).

But, it certainly was intriguing.

Trains 6201, 6202, 6203 And 6204.

In hindsight, I could have taken it up to the last station in Ukraine, then waited an hour and taken the same train back to Reni, then continued west tomorrow. All travel would have been after dark, though.

Ted in Romania



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/22/17 12:26 by gobbl3gook.

gobbl3gook Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Update, there is train service north from Reni,
> Ukraine to Etulia, Moldova.
>
> Distance about 30 kilometers. Travel time 1.25
> hours. (That’s 25 KMH average speed).
>
> I considered taking it (I passed through at 3:30,
> trail left at 5:00) and there may we’ll have
> been a Moldovan local train that started in Etula
> and continued north.
>
> But I now have a plane ticket out of Sofia on the
> 29th, so I figured I should stop dawdling and head
> SW. (I’m in a hotel in Galati, Romania tonight,
> will take a train the Bucharesti tomorrow).
>
> But, it certainly was intriguing.
>
> Trains 6201, 6202, 6203 And 6204.
>
> In hindsight, I could have taken it up to the last
> station in Ukraine, then waited an hour and taken
> the same train back to Reni, then continued west
> tomorrow. All travel would have been after dark,
> though.
>
> Ted in Romania

Thanks for the report, I was wondering how things were going.

Final report —
* Reni UA to Braila, RO by bicycle (via Giurgiulesti, MO (didn’t stop in MO)
* Braila to Bucharest by train.
* Buchaeesti RO to Ruse, BG by bicycle
* Ruse to Mezdra by train, via Varna
* Mezdra to Svoge by bicycle
* Svoge to Sofia by train.

* Flew to Vancouver BC

* Plan to take Amtrak back to Portland tomorrow.

Will post groups of photos and stories in a couple weeks.

Ted in BC

Posted from iPhone