Russian Railways Extends Train Service Restrictions to Crimea Amid Ukrainian Strikes
Russian Railways' 'Grand Service Express' has prolonged restrictions on 'Tavria' train services to annexed Crimea, now shortening routes to only Kerch-Pivdenna Novyi Park station until September 21. This decision follows strikes by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the peninsula’s railway infrastructure. Initially, these restrictions were set to end on August 31, then extended to September 14, and have now been extended for an additional week. Passengers are required to transfer to buses from Kerch to reach other cities in Crimea. Russian authorities have cited 'technical reasons' and operational headquarters decisions for these changes, without explicitly mentioning infrastructure damage. Furthermore, the company had previously suspended ticket sales for most dates in October, attributing it to a schedule change, a switch to an exclusively daytime train schedule for safety, and track repair work on the Kerch Railway. The advance booking period for fall trips was also reduced from 90 to 45 days.
