Uber Launches 1st Ever Joint Service With Railway Carrier In War-Torn Ukraine

Uber Technologies Inc UBER has made history by launching its first-ever collaboration with a railway carrier, and that too in a war-torn nation. 

What Happened: Partnering with Ukrainian Railways (Ukrzaliznytsia, or UZ), the new service named Uber Travel integrates Uber rides with UZ train journeys, offering passengers a unique and convenient travel solution, as reported by The New Voice of Ukraine. The move comes against the backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022.

How It Works: In the city of Kyiv, where the service has debuted, Uber Travel enables passengers to plan their trips to or from railway stations in advance, with all travel details accessible in the app’s Travel tab. Moreover, users can now enjoy a 10% cashback on their journeys to and from railway stations when booked through Uber Travel.

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Why It Matters: Recognizing the difficulties faced by people in Ukraine due to safety concerns and limited air travel during the ongoing war, Uber’s Country Manager for Ukraine and the Baltics, Kateryna Netymenko, expressed excitement about the collaboration, highlighting its significance in such challenging times.

“We’re thrilled to present a solution in partnership with Ukrzaliznytsia aimed at simplifying travel during these difficult times. We’re also proud that Ukraine is the first country where we’ve initiated such an integration with a railway carrier,” she said, according to the report.

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi tweeted about the launch of the service, saying, “Excited to now launch a new integration w/ @Uber Travel, making it seamless for UZ passengers to reserve rides to and from the station. Built for Ukraine but scaling tech across the world.”

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