Unveiling the iron diplomacy: Behind the scenes of Joe Biden's train journey through wartorn Ukraine

The details of the US president's visit to Ukraine in February of the last year were kept under wraps until the very last moment. According to American media, Joe Biden first flew a government plane under escort to the Ramstein base in Germany, and then proceeded to Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport. From there, he was transported by car to Przemysl, where a special train awaited him.

The preparation took us about a week, while the entire operation lasted just over a day. At the end of it, President Biden appreciated the comfort of our night train, recalled representatives of the rail company Ukrzaliznycia in an interview with money.pl.

Ukrzaliznycia transformed into an entirely state-owned joint-stock company in 2015. It operates under the Ukrainian Ministry of Infrastructure and employs nearly approximately 380,000 staff.

Since the onset of the full-scale Russian invasion in Ukraine, railway services have been provided to nearly 700 diplomatic delegations. "Post these journeys, many of our passengers stuck around and became regulars with 'Bravery Express', to Kiev obtaining Iron Club cards. For instance, Howard G. Buffett (the businessman and philanthropist, son of Warren Buffett) made eight rail journeys across Ukraine, Boris Johnson made five, while Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel made four each", explain employees of Ukrainian Railways.

Special transport operations on Ukrainian railways, collectively termed "iron diplomacy", kicked off with visits from three prime ministers - Poland, Slovenia and Czech Republic – three weeks post the attacks on February 24, 2022.

It marked the inaugural diplomatic transport post the outbreak of war. Our interviewees chose not to reveal the point of departure. Until the last minute, some participants were unaware of who was on the train. All passengers, including the prime ministers and their bodyguards, donned bulletproof vests. Special services from Poland, Slovenia, Czech Republic, and Ukraine were all simultaneously active on the vehicle.

Unpublished photos from that journey were shared with Money.pl.

Usually, each diplomatic delegation is escorted by its own special forces, to which a Ukrainian unit is added. We also have dispatchers who keep a close eye on all diplomatic trains and potential threats en route, representatives of Ukrzaliznycia told us.

Trains do not run on fixed routes. Ukraine's well-developed rail system allows for getting from Point A to Point B in several ways, roughly at the same time. Railway staff assure that the direction could be changed midway through the journey, without altering the arrival time in Kiev. This offers swift response in case of a threat.

Though we asked whether the train was armored and what specific security measures were in place for its protection, the rail staff chose not to divulge. They simply informed that Ukrainian authorities don't see the need for purchasing armored trains. "Trains are a moving target, which is extremely hard to hit, especially considering our ability to switch tracks promptly", we learnt from their response.

The most challenging operation over the last two years unanimously proved to be Joe Biden’s visit to Kiev from a year ago. Yet, they emphasized that by discharging their duties, trains in Ukraine have become a lifeline for four million people, including a million children. "The railway serves as the spine of wartime logistics. Soldiers, wounded, diplomats, and supply components, all travel by train simultaneously which makes coordination a considerable challenge", underline railway staff.

Interesting to note, in January 2024, despite the war, the trains in Ukraine retained an average punctuality rate of 94 percent. It could have been even higher had it not been for the delays in PKP trains. The punctuality of international trains would have been superior were it not for the busy station in Przemysl and the transfers. Ukrainian trains often end up waiting there for delayed Polish and Czech trains. We recognize and deeply appreciate the efforts of our Polish colleagues to streamline these transfers as much as possible, the representatives of Ukrainian Railways assured us.

From Ukrainian rail workers, we gather that the railway in wartime is indispensable - failure is not an option. High punctuality rates are encouraging, but there's room for improvement. "We don't plan on stopping at 94 percent. Our trains will arrive on time, come what may - that's the ethos Ukrainians have embraced during the war", the rail staff pride themselves.

"In Ukraine, the railway demonstrated its life-saving capabilities and came through promptly, ultimately emerging as a national trademark", they conclude.