On 24th November 2023, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Ukrainian state railway UZ signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) through which USAID will support UZ in the development of a 75 km standard-gauge rail line from Mostyska II near the Polish border to Sknyliv in the city of Lviv. The MoU will provide €208.9 million (US$225 million) in funding and technical assistance. According to USAID, it can take more than five hours per train to switch between Ukraine's 1,520 mm gauge and Western Europe's standard gauge of 1,435 mm. Modernising cross-border connections and building standard-gauge lines could increase Ukraine's grain export capacity by 2.5 million t per year, increasing exports by up to €394.6 million and providing an alternative to Black Sea shipping corridors disrupted by Russia's war against Ukraine. Improved connections to the TEN-T network would also support Ukraine's economic resilience and help reduce its dependence on donor support.
