Trains delayed by up to 9 hours due to power outages in Poltava Oblast: passengers walked along tracks

On 8 November, train services in Poltava Oblast suffered major delays due to power outages following a nighttime Russian strike. Passengers on one of the trains were forced to walk along the tracks to reach the nearest station. The situation was made worse by the fact that earlier in the day the rail operator had denied any disruption in the region.

Source: Suspilne Poltava and Suspilne Kharkiv, local branches of the Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne

Details: As of midnight, train traffic through Poltava-Kyivska station was gradually resuming after extensive power supply disruptions. However, according to Suspilne Poltava correspondents at the scene, train delays were ranging from seven to nine hours.

The situation was particularly difficult for passengers on a train travelling from Chełm, Poland, to Kharkiv. It was due to arrive at its final destination at 13:42 on 8 November but stopped short of Poltava station. According to passenger Hanna Popova, who spoke to journalists by phone, the stoppage was caused by power supply problems following the nighttime attack.

"We've been standing somewhere outside Poltava since around 16:00. We stopped in the middle of a field. The train didn't make it to the Poltava station. People who wanted to get off in Poltava just got out and walked along the tracks. At night. On foot," she said.

The passenger emphasised the complete lack of communication from Ukrzaliznytsia, the state-run railway operator, and the absence of any alternative solutions.

"No one offered buses or even basic information on how else we could get there. We understand there's a power issue, but we've been travelling for almost two days now. We tried calling Ukrzaliznytsia, but no one answered," she added.

It is worth noting that earlier the same day, the Ukrzaliznytsia press service had officially stated that there were no service reductions or movement restrictions in Poltava Oblast. In its statement, the company accused anonymous Telegram channels of spreading "apocalyptic photos from Poltava Oblast", sowing panic and misleading Ukrainians with false information about railway disruptions in the area.

Background:

• On 8 November, Russian forces attacked energy infrastructure facilities in Kyiv, Kirovohrad, Poltava, Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts.
• Missile and drone strikes also targeted gas infrastructure, with confirmed hits.
• Reports said the Russians carried out their largest strike yet on the thermal power plants belonging to Centrenergo, Ukraine's state-run energy operator, since the start of the full-scale war, forcing the company to suspend electricity generation at its thermal power plants. Another thermal power plant, belonging to DTEK – the largest private power company in Ukraine, was also attacked.
• In Poltava Oblast, the nighttime attack caused severe damage to energy facilities, leaving parts of the region completely without, or with intermittent, electricity, heating and water supplies.

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