“Serbian Railways” and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on the Serbian Railway men Day – September, 15, in Belgrade, signed 100 million EUR worth Loan Agreement.The Agreement was signed by Director General of “Serbian Railways” Milovan Marković and Executive Director for the Infrastructure of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Tomas Maier.
On the occasion of Agreement signing were present Minister for Infrastructure Milutin Mrkonjić, State Secretary of this Ministry Doctor Slavoljub Vukićević and Director of
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for Serbia Hildegard Gacek.
– Owing to the credit assets which are worth 100 million EUR, “Serbian Railways” will rehabilitate the main lines on the Corridor X and acquire new multi-system electric locomotives. For rehabilitation of 112 kilometers of main lines on the Corridor X, including acquisition of the mechanization for railway lines maintenance, 35 million EUR will be used.
For acquisition of multi-system electric locomotives, and we estimate that approximately fifteen such locomotives can be acquired, 64 million EUR will be used, while millions of euros will be used for access charges – said Director General of “Serbian Railways” Milovan Marković, and announced that the entire project will be finished until May 1, 2014.
Realization of this Contract will create conditions for increase of efficiency of passenger and freight transport, as well as raise of efficiency level and reliability of the traffic separation and increase of the railway lines capacity. Marković emphasized that “Serbian Railways” want the lines to be better, trains to be more attractive and quality of the services to be improved, so that they can be competitive in the international traffic.
– With acquisition of the new multi system electric locomotives the condition for international interoperability of the „Serbian Railways” will be fulfilled, because it is about locomotives that can operate on the different European lines, within European integrations of our country – said Marković, and announced new activities on the modernization infrastructure and rolling stock in Serbia, expressing his gratitude to the Government of the Republic of Serbia for great support in the realization of this projects.
– Signing of this Agreement is step forward in our cooperation. These investments are important for integration of Serbia in the regional economy and in European Union. “Serbian Railways” and Government of the Republic of Serbia should be congratulated on the reforms that they are taking, and I am especially thankful to the Minister of the Infrastructure Milutin Mrkonjić, for his energetic attitude and determination to invest in the railway and road. This is forth credit of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development which is given to the “Serbian Railways”, for which modernization we approved more than 300 million euros- said Executive Director for the Infrastructure of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Tomas Maier, congratulating the Railway men Day to the “Serbian Railways”.
– Completion of the construction and modernization of the international traffic Corridor X through our country is absolute priority for the Government of the Republic of Serbia. The deadline for completion of the north shank of Corridor X, from Belgrade to Subotica is May 1, 2012 – said Minister for the Infrastructure Milutin Mrkonjić, and announced that he today talked about new credit in the amount of 200 million euros for modernization of railway line Belgrade – Subotica, as well as that in the following few months the works on the electrification of the railway line from Niš do Dimitrovgrad will begin.