‘War not an excuse:’ Ukraine rail boss keeps trains running

By JOHN LEICESTER
Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Among the bitter lessons that Ukrainians have had to learn in the nearly nine months since Russia invaded is that what’s here today can be destroyed tomorrow and that nothing in war can be taken for granted. Except perhaps the national rail company. It proudly boasts that 85% of trains ran on schedule last month. The network boss said in an interview with The Associated Press that “war is not an excuse.” Night trains that rattle across the country still welcome passengers with hot tea and clean sheets in the sleeping compartments. All this despite thousands of missile, bomb and artillery strikes that have crumpled bridges, blown up tracks and killed or wounded nearly 1,000 rail workers.