Alona Lebedieva argues Ukraine’s rail integration is a security issue

Alona Lebedieva presented a study at the World Conference on Transport Research in Toulouse on how Ukraine’s rail network can fit into the EU’s TEN-T system. The case she made: the project is not just about infrastructure and trade, but also about transport resilience and Europe’s security architecture.

Why it matters: - Ukraine’s rail integration into the Trans-European Transport Network could reshape freight links between the EU, the Black Sea region and Eurasian routes. - The study frames TEN-T alignment as both an economic upgrade and a security measure at a time when transport systems face military and hybrid threats. - The argument matters for the EU as it seeks more resilient logistics, border crossings and critical infrastructure.

What happened: - Alona Lebedieva, owner of the Ukrainian industrial and investment group Aurum Group, presented a study at the 17th World Conference on Transport Research in Toulouse, France, held July 6-10, 2026. - Lebedieva’s presentation was titled “New Railway Corridors as a Tool of European Integration and a Guarantee of Transport Resilience amid Hybrid Threats.” - WCTR 2026 gathered researchers, engineers, business leaders, public officials and transport experts from around the world. - The conference program focused on aviation, maritime and rail transport, freight and logistics, infrastructure, urban mobility, planning, transport economics, sustainability and safety.

The details: - The study said Ukraine’s railway network directly borders the trans-European network and connects with rail systems in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova. - The Ukrainian rail system also connects to sea and river ports, which strengthens links with the Black Sea and Danube regions. - Technical barriers still complicate integration, including different track gauges, different electrification systems, wear on some infrastructure sections, and different signalling and safety systems. - Those gaps affect traffic speed and cargo delivery times and require systematic modernization. - Lebedieva said rail corridor development must go beyond main lines and include access routes, border crossings, logistics hubs and port infrastructure. - The study said that broader network buildout would help Ukraine use more of its transit potential and strengthen its role in Europe’s transport system. - Ukraine’s transport system has operated under full-scale war conditions, including evacuation, freight transport, infrastructure destruction, energy shortages and constant attacks. - Lebedieva said that experience could help Europe rethink transport resilience under new security risks. - She said Ukraine’s integration into TEN-T should be seen as an economic, infrastructure and security project at the same time.

Between the lines: - The presentation pushes TEN-T from a technical infrastructure topic into a broader strategic debate about Europe’s eastern flank. - Ukraine’s wartime transport experience becomes part of the pitch, with resilience treated as an operational asset rather than only a crisis response. - The emphasis on private business suggests the integration effort may depend not only on state coordination but also on industrial capacity and public-private cooperation. - Aurum Group’s profile in mechanical engineering, rail freight transportation, rolling stock repair and freight wagon components gives Lebedieva’s remarks a direct industry context.

What's next: - Lebedieva said Ukraine would benefit from stronger national coordination on TEN-T integration. - She proposed creating national coordinators for each TEN-T corridor or a dedicated interagency body. - That body would coordinate with the EU, international financial institutions, donors and investors. - Lebedieva also pointed to cooperation between European structures and independent Ukrainian railway enterprises as a way to strengthen transport resilience. - She said the development of reserve rolling stock resources could be one area for joint programs with European partners.

The bottom line: - Ukraine’s TEN-T integration is being framed as more than a transport upgrade. It is being positioned as a test of how Europe builds faster, safer and more resilient freight corridors under wartime pressure.