Starting August 1, 2025, Ukrzaliznytsia, Ukraine’s national railway operator, has launched a pilot project requiring identity verification via the government’s Diia.Signature system for purchasing tickets on select high-demand routes. The move is part of a broader effort to curb ticket scalping and resales, which have plagued popular trains, especially during peak seasons.
Following feedback from passengers and civil society, Ukrzaliznytsia has scaled down the initial scope of the program. Only three routes are now included in the trial phase, and limited in-person ticket sales remain available at designated ticket offices.
Mandatory Diia.Signature verification now applies to the following routes:
Train 29/30 Kyiv — Uzhhorod
Train 12 Lviv — Odesa
Train 27/28 Kyiv — Chop
Passengers purchasing or returning tickets online for these routes via Ukrzaliznytsia’s app or website must verify their account using Diia.Signature, the country’s secure digital identity tool integrated into the Diia app.
Still Prefer to Buy at the Station? Only Select Counters Allow It
While digital verification is now required for most purchases, Ukrzaliznytsia has kept ticket counters open for passengers who do not use digital documents. However, these are limited to:
Kyiv: Counters #21 and #22
Lviv: Counter #1
Odesa: Counters #2 and #14
Uzhhorod: Counter #2
Chop: Counter #2
Why This Change?
The main goal is to tackle automated bulk purchases and resales of tickets on routes that often sell out within minutes. Diia.Signature verification links each ticket purchase to a verified individual, making it more difficult for bots and scalpers to abuse the system.
Ukrzaliznytsia also emphasized that these new rules do not apply to tickets for active-duty military personnel, and that identity checks at boarding will be tightened on the affected routes.
The railway operator plans to monitor the test period closely before deciding whether to extend the digital verification model to additional routes in the future.
