OPERATIONAL ASYMMETRY AT RAILWAY BORDER CROSSINGS: ASSESSMENT METHODS

Abstract

Purpose. Integration of Ukraine’s railway system into the European Union transport area requires not only the expansion of the 1435 mm gauge railway network, but also the harmonisation of transport operations, border procedures, and capacity management. The purpose of this study is to further develop a methodological approach to assessing the operational asymmetry of railway border crossings and to conduct comparative testing at the Mostyska-2–Medyka and Yahodyn–Dorohusk border crossings. Methodology. The calculations are based on operational data from JSC Ukrzaliznytsia for 2025. To compare the use of the 1520 mm and 1435 mm gauges, the share of traffic operated on the 1435 mm gauge was determined in terms of the number of trains, number of wagons, and freight tonnage. To characterise wagon utilisation, the share of empty wagons in each direction was determined, and its relationship with the previously proposed local operations coefficient for railway border crossings was examined. The directional imbalance of loaded wagon flows and differences in the standard handover time of freight trains were assessed using normalised coefficients. The relative difference in handover time was analysed together with the sum of the standard handover times in both directions. Passenger-flow imbalance was additionally assessed using passenger-volume data. Results. During the period from 1 January to 5 October 2025, the share of traffic operated on the 1435 mm gauge at Mostyska-2 was 42.1% in terms of the number of wagons and 38.7% in terms of freight tonnage; at Yahodyn, the corresponding values were 68.6% and 65.2%. Over the same period, the overall share of empty wagons on the 1435 mm gauge was 32.8% at the Mostyska-2–Medyka border crossing and 54.8% at the Yahodyn–Dorohusk border crossing. During handover from Ukraine via Yahodyn, this share reached 79.0%. The signed directional imbalance coefficient for loaded wagon flows on the 1435 mm gauge was −0.189 at Mostyska-2 and −0.437 at Yahodyn. At Mostyska-2, the standard freight train handover time was 467 min during handover from Ukraine and 300 min during acceptance into Ukraine (Kₜ = 0.218; Tₛᵤₘ = 767 min). For passenger traffic, the corresponding passenger-flow imbalance coefficient was 0.09, indicating a difference in average train occupancy under the paired timetable. Originality. The previously proposed approach to assessing railway border-crossing performance has been further developed by supplementing the aggregate assessment of wagon-flow utilisation with separate assessments of directional imbalance between opposite flows and differences in the standard handover time of freight trains. Practical Value. The proposed approach can be applied by railway undertakings and infrastructure managers for preliminary comparative assessment and monitoring of railway border-crossing performance, as well as for identifying areas for further technological analysis. Where comparable operational data are available, the approach can be applied to other railway border crossings. The identified asymmetry does not in itself indicate deficiencies in the organisation of border-crossing operations.