Moldova found itself in a railroad blockade created by the Ukraine

In the night of Monday to Tuesday, September 5, the Ukrainian state administration for railroad transport “Ucrzaliznitea” decided to stop all railroad transport from and to the R. Moldova. In this respect, the passenger train 47/48 Chisinau – Moscova was stopped in the Ocnita station and had to return to Chisinau. Sources from the Ministry of Transport and Road Management declared for Info-Prim Neo that the Ukrainian side motivated the stopping of railroad circulation on the grounds that it cannot ensure the safety of circulation on the new railroad access Larga-Kelmenti, which was making a detour of the Moghiliov-Podolski-Ocnita branch, closed as a result of the reparation works in the bridge at the km 116. The railroad crisis in the R. Moldova constituted the purpose of the visit of the minister of Transport and Road Management, Miron Gagauz on Monday, Septemner 4, to Kiev. The same sources declared for Info-Prim Neo that the results of the visit are not yet known, with the minister being expected back in Chisinau on Wednesday. Considering the fact that the travel tickets can be bought 45 days in advance of the day of the trip, sources within the Moldovan Railroads (CFM) declared for Info-Prim Neo that they are expecting more than 2 thousand citizens to return their tickets over the next few days. The administration of the Railroads is already refunding the price of the purchased tickets and guarantees that all the citizens will receive the money they paid for tickets in advance back. Because of the halt in railroad circulation, two more trains from Moscow and Minsk are stationed in the R. Moldova. The press service of the Ukrainian state administration for railroad transport had announced earlier that, as of September 1, the train circulation in the Mighiliov-Podolski-Ocnita railroad branch, which makes the link between the R. Moldova and the Ukraine, would be blocked in relation to the reparation works on the above mentioned bridge. The cited source warns that, if alternative access routes will not be opened, the railroad circulation for passengers and merchandise from the R. Moldova will be completely blocked in September. The declarations of the Ukrainian side have been deemed by officials of CFM as “provocative with a Transnistrian subtext”, meant to lead to resume the railroad transport on the border railroad branch of Cuciurgan (the Ukraine) – Novosavitcaia (the R. Moldova), which was blocked by the Transnistrian side on March 4.