– With the help of Russian loan in the amount of $ 8000 mil, for modernization, Serbian Railways will have an up-to-date image in the next five years. Railway traffic safety in Serbia will be on much higher level, the train speeds and the traffic efficiency on the main railway lines in Serbia – on Corridor 10 and on Bar railway line will be increased, and also additional 20 new DMUs for local passenger traffic on non-electrified lines will be provided. With the help of the new trains the local traffic will be placed on a much higher lever than it is today, because precisely that mean of passenger transport is on the lowest level. The image of the Serbian Railways will be changed in the next 5 years with the help of Russian state loan which is in interest of passengers and our customers, railways, railway workers and the State – said Serbian Railways Director General Dragoljub Simonović, regarding State Contract on Russian Loan for railway modernization in the amount of $ 800 mil, which was signed today in Moscow by the Minister of Finance and the Economy Mlađan Dinkić with the Russian Minister of Finance.

According to Mr. Simonović, this funds will, as planned, be used for realization of 5 projects, as follows: modernization and electrification of Belgrade-Pančevo line, rehabilitation of the 6 sections of the Corridor 10 line in the total length of 111 km, procurement of the new DMUs, construction of the railway line Valjevo-Loznica and the reconstruction of the Serbian part of the railway line Belgrade-Bar.

– In spring months, this year, we can start modernization and electrification of the 15 km long railway line Belgrade – Pančevo, as well as works on three of total six sections on Corridor 10. Those are sections Golubinci-Ruma (17,9 km), Sopot-Kosmajski Kovačevac (18,4 km) and Mala Krsna-Velika Plana (29 km). Appart from that, this year the procurement of the new Russsian DMUs in the amount of $100 mil financed from the loan is planed. Those are going to be the same trains as 12 trains we have already bought from the “EUROFIMA” loan from the Russian manufacturer „Metrovagonmaša“, – said Simonović, and continued:

– In the second phase, during 2014, the remaining three sections on Corridor 10 will be worked on, south from Niš: Vinarce-Đorđevo (15 km), Vranjska Banja-Ristovac (17,7 km) and Bujanovac – Bukarevac (13,8 km). Also, in the second phase, the new railway line Valjevo-Loznica will be constructed and the Serbian part of railway line towards Bar will be modernized.

Serbian Railways Director General announced that all projects financed from the Russian loan can be finished in 5 years.

-That going to be a significant business for Serbian economy because it was specified that Serbian part will participate with 30 % of labor force and material, concluded Director General of Serbian Railways Dragoljub Simonović.