The direct train from Košice (a city in Slovakia) to Mukachevo (a city in Ukraine) is the most convenient way to cross the border without transfers: you board in Košice and get off in Mukachevo. It operates like this most of the year, but August 2026 is an exception. Due to a large-scale reconstruction of the station in Čop (a border town), direct service is temporarily interrupted, and Ukrainians traveling home or returning to Slovakia will have to plan their route with a transfer.
Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko (ZSSK) warned about restrictions on August 5, citing a message from Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways). The restrictions apply in two periods: from Monday August 10 to Saturday August 22 inclusive, and then from Tuesday August 25 to Saturday August 29. Between these dates, only two days, August 23–24, will have direct trips.
Which trips are canceled
The cancellation affects only the Čop – Mukachevo section and only four international Zakarpatia trains:
- R 960 (Košice 5:46 – Čop 9:12 – Mukachevo 11:05)
- R 963 (Mukachevo 11:54 – Čop 13:41 – Košice 15:18)
- R 962 (Košice 10:46 – Čop 14:20 – Mukachevo 16:53)
- R 965 (Mukachevo 18:57 – Čop 20:50 – Košice 22:49)
The nuance is that the trains themselves do not disappear. The entire Slovak part of the route operates without changes — trains between Košice and Čop run according to the current schedule. The canceled part is the “Ukrainian tail” from Čop to Mukachevo.
How to get to Mukachevo and back
The scheme for passengers looks like this: take the Slovak train to Čop station, then transfer to an internal Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways) train toward Mukachevo. In the opposite direction — Ukrainian train to Čop, then Slovak train to Košice.
Check the schedule of Ukrainian internal trips on the Ukrzaliznytsia website — this is where ZSSK directs passengers. Allow extra time for the transfer: no one guarantees the connection of schedules between the two carriers, and border control is added at Čop.
More options for traveling between Slovakia and Ukraine by trains and buses are collected in our section about transport and routes.
Why this is not news for regular passengers
The reconstruction of Čop station has been going on for a long time, and this is not the first temporary cancellation of trips in 2026. As KOŠICE:DNES writes, similar cancellations due to repair work in Čop were introduced at least twice this year — in February and June. So if you travel this route regularly, you should get used to it: check the schedule before each trip and don’t expect it to be “like last time.”
ZSSK recommends checking the current connection right before departure and remembering that the carrier changes on Ukrainian territory. The carrier publishes operational messages about changes on its Telegram channel and in the “Cancellations” section on the website.
What to do if your trip is already planned
- Check if your date falls under the restrictions: August 10–22 or 25–29.
- Buy a ticket only to Čop — continue the route by Ukrzaliznytsia train.
- Look at the schedule of Ukrainian trips from Čop in advance and leave time for transfer and border control.
- If the transfer does not suit you, consider buses — regular services run from Košice to Zakarpattia that are not affected by the station reconstruction.
After August 29, according to preliminary data, direct Zakarpatia trains should return to the usual schedule. But the reconstruction in Čop has already caused new cancellations several times, so it is better to check the schedule again before your next trip in autumn.
