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Ukraine urban planning-6.jpg

Ukraine's trams, trains, and trolley buses

Laurie Mitchell November 1, 2017
Cities who do not have trams always look less literary, less poetic, and less mysterious!
-Mehmet Murat ildan, Turkish author

 

With the exception of the funicular, using Ukraine's public transit systems doesn't make for the most foreigner-friendly experience.  Bus service can be unreliable, current transit schedules may or may not exist, mini buses sputter past with what looks like a hundred passengers, Soviet-era trams frequently break down (causing quite a traffic jam on the tracks), and very few employees speak English.  Yet, hopping aboard Ukraine's buses, trains, or trolleys can make for memorable experiences... and major savings.  I thought Lviv was much easier to get around than Kiev although Kiev's transportation-related architecture was fascinating to take in, and while I was too scared to try the Ukranian minibus, one transportation trick I learned was to always take Uber (unless you enjoy being scammed, of course).

 

 

Trams

Kiev

Kiev

Ukraine urban planning-3.jpg
tram breakdown in Lviv

tram breakdown in Lviv

Kiev and Lviv's trams were clunky, creaking contraptions that had seen better days, and they couldn't be more charming.  Fare is just 4 UAH ($0.16) and, at least in Lviv, rides are scenic and often crowded.  (Kiev's tram is limited to lower town.)

IMG_7726.JPG
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don't forget to punch your ticket!
don't forget to punch your ticket!
IMG_7731.JPG
 
 

 

 

Trolley buses

Kiev

Kiev

Kiev

Kiev

Lviv

Lviv

Trolley buses are big in Ukraine, operating in forty different cities including Crimea, where one finds the longest trolleybus route in the world.  Most of the buses are old and the poles occasionally come off the wire above, forcing the driver to jump out of the vehicle to reattach them with a special hook.  In Lviv, I took the trolley bus route from the city center to the airport and couldn't have been more pleased with the ease and low cost of doing so: fare is 4 UAH, or $0.16.

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Kiev Metro

Ukraine urban planning-7.jpg
interesting station interior, it felt like an office lobby

interesting station interior, it felt like an office lobby

bad picture, but the metro station interiors were fascinating

bad picture, but the metro station interiors were fascinating

user-friendly kiosks for ride coins

user-friendly kiosks for ride coins

Ukraine urban planning-10.jpg
most stations look very Soviet

most stations look very Soviet

Kiev has a fascinating metro system, from the deepest underground station in the world, Arsenalna, to its strikingly authoritarian architecture the Soviet Union is famously known for.  Fare was only 4 UAH, although some metro stations are difficult to find (proper signage is lacking, too...).

 
 

 

 

Kiev Funicular

It wouldn't be a "funicular" without the "fun", now, would it?  Funiculars have a way of warming my heart, probably because riding them is more joyous experience than transit essential (technically, you could just walk up the stairs but there's no fun in that... literally).  Fare is 5 UAH, or $0.20.  The funicular station was built in 1905 and was renovated in 1928, 1958, and 1984; the architecture is an odd conglomeration of utilitarian public building and modernist church, and I thoroughly enjoyed the striking arches, gold finishes, and stained glass, 

Ukraine urban planning-12.jpg
Ukraine urban planning-13.jpg
Ukraine urban planning-14.jpg
IMG_7727.JPG

 

 

Train

Traveling via Ukrainian rail was an interesting experience, much more basic than I expected but who's counting with fares so low?  The Kiev train station was built in the late 1920s in "Ukranian Baroque" style, and I couldn't help but think the building looks like a barn.  The inside is stunning, though, with intricate moulding and paintings.  The train car I rode in to Lviv was old and rickety with no food or beverages on board, but I did pay only $50 for a bed in a first class sleeper compartment (mandatory on account of Mango...).

Ukraine urban planning-15.jpg
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Other urban observations

one of many "pop-up" shopping alleys in Kiev

one of many "pop-up" shopping alleys in Kiev

interesting benches/charging stations

interesting benches/charging stations

in Kiev: so many missed opportunities for outdoor cafes and vibrant public spaces

in Kiev: so many missed opportunities for outdoor cafes and vibrant public spaces

Ukraine is sort of obsessed with knock-off Apple stores

Ukraine is sort of obsessed with knock-off Apple stores

In Ukraine, car-free, urban planning
← Taking a bite out of... UkraineHow to be a pedestrian/cyclist in Ukraine →

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