This is what the long journey was like. WARSAW, Poland — When I boarded the big blue train that took me on a 16-hour journey into Ukraine, I was certain I wasn't going to be getting any sleep.

where all that separated my wife and me from the empty lot on the other side was a security guard. “Blue Train,” I said, and the guard waved us through.

I recently took the 16-hour overnight train from Warsaw to Kyiv for a reporting trip. The 'Kyiv Express' was loud and bumpy but surprisingly cozy. This is what the long journey was like. WARSAW, ...