Visa Partners with Ukrzaliznytsia to Launch 6 New Children’s Train Carriages This Spring

KYIV, April 21, 2026 — Visa has supported the expansion of Ukrzaliznytsia’s fleet with six new children’s compartment carriages. All of them will undergo major refurbishment and be equipped with educational and interactive components and adapted for comfortable and safe travel with children.

The full modernization of the first three carriages has already been completed. They will operate as part of two trains: No. 011/012 Lviv–Odesa and No. 001/002 Kharkiv–Ivano-Frankivsk. Tickets will be available starting April 24 from Lviv, April 25 from Odesa, May 2 from Kharkiv, and May 3 from Ivano-Frankivsk. Three additional carriages will be added to other passenger trains in the near future.

The new carriages, hauled by a heritage steam locomotive on their special inaugural journey, have already welcomed their first passengers—children under the care of the Save Ukraine charitable organization.

“For us, children’s carriages are not just a professional challenge or a test of ingenuity. This is a labor of love and a source of positivity that stands out among hundreds of strategic railway initiatives in a country at war. Passenger satisfaction with the children’s carriages is exceptionally high—a 97% NPS score is currently an unattainable benchmark for any other passenger carriages in Ukraine or abroad. We have a clear picture of who we are designing convenient stroller ramps, mobile playpens, and children’s menus for: families who have chosen to live and raise their children in Ukraine and those who will return. That is why we are grateful to the Visa team, which shares our vision of creating a space of care on the railway,” said Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, Chairman of the Board of Ukrzaliznytsia. “These children’s carriages will be added to routes most popular among Ukrainian families with children. These are long routes connecting several regions, including frontline areas, and they will certainly help make travel more pleasant for children.”

The carriages are equipped with additional child-height corridor handrails, protective elements for upper berths, changing tables and fold-down seats in restrooms, playpens for safe sleep, and bottle warmers for baby food. In established tradition, a children’s menu will be available on board, including cottage cheese pancakes or buckwheat nuggets. Special attention has also been paid to accessibility: the carriages are equipped with additional folding ramps.

All the carriages are united under the “Fairytale Ukrainian Forest“ concept, reflected in the interior design and spatial interaction logic. The theme was chosen intentionally, as many of Ukraine’s most popular railway routes pass through natural landscapes, especially forests familiar to children from books and games. The interiors have been transformed into a cohesive thematic environment with corresponding visual elements—from wall and floor design to small details that create the atmosphere of a magical journey. The concept continues with specially designed bed linen featuring illustrations of trees, animals, magical symbols, and characters, immersing travelers in a fairytale world even during rest.

The concept is complemented by mascots—Zaliziatko the Carriage and Hroshyk the Dog—who accompany little passengers during the journey and are part of the interactive experience. The carriages also include game-based and developmental elements such as busy boards, board games, coloring books, and even special children’s glass holders. Moreover, the children’s carriages will feature unique collectible stamps for Traveler’s Passports.

The project also includes an educational component integrated into the travel experience. Through game scenarios and storytelling elements, children can learn basic financial concepts: what cashless payments and their advantages are, how do you transfer money from card to card, why saving is important, and what the main rules of digital safety are.

“Visa is a technology company, but our mission goes beyond payment solutions—we consistently support Ukraine and its economy and society through social initiatives with tangible impact. Together with Ukrzaliznytsia, we are creating a space where children can not only travel comfortably but also learn and gain new experiences. In particular, we are integrating elements of financial literacy in an accessible and engaging format, helping children get basic financial knowledge. We believe such solutions contribute to shaping a new culture of family travel in Ukraine,” commented Tetiana Chorna, Visa Vice President and Country Manager for Ukraine.

The project will also feature a special fairytale for kids created in collaboration with one of Ukraine’s leading authors of children’s literature, Sashko Dermanskyi. It will be broadcast in audio format in the carriages every evening after departure from the initial station.

Tickets to the children’s carriages are available exclusively through the Ukrzaliznytsia mobile app. Their price equals standard compartment-class tickets on the same train. In the app, these carriages are marked with a special “Children” label. Children up to 5 years inclusive travel free of charge on Ukrzaliznytsia trains and do not require a separate ticket.

About Visa

Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at visa.com.ua.