
The EBRD will provide an additional loan of 23.5 million euros for the modernization of the main infrastructure of the Moldovan Railway.
In particular, this is provided for by an amendment to the loan agreement between Moldova and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for the implementation of a project for the acquisition of locomotives and restructuring of the railway infrastructure, which was signed on October 6, and now the government has approved a draft law on its ratification. The loan agreement itself was signed on November 14, 2014. Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development Andrei Spinu noted that the amendment would increase the amount allocated by the EBRD for the modernization of the Bender-Causeni-Basarabeasca-Etulia-Giurgiulesti railway section from 27.5 million to 51 million euros, that is, by 23.5 million euros. At the same time, 49.75 million euros will be used for the restoration of infrastructure, and 1.25 million euros - for the implementation of technical supervision of the work. Additional EBRD funding for “Component 2 - Rehabilitation of Railway Infrastructure” will be used to modernize the railway infrastructure on the mentioned railway section, which is the busiest railway section in the country, providing transit of goods from Romania and Ukraine. The implementation of this project will contribute to improving the quality of services in this area, as well as ensuring the transportation of goods and passengers without restrictions on speed and weight. Herewith, in the south of the country, it will be possible to carry out rail passenger traffic, which is currently stopped. It should be noted that within the framework of the Project for the acquisition of locomotives and restructuring of the railway infrastructure, “Component 1 - Locomotives” was previously implemented, within the framework of which, with the support of the EU, 12 new mainline locomotives were purchased for the state-owned enterprise “Railway of Moldova”. They were supplied by General Electric Transportation from the USA, and the locomotives for the railway were produced by its plant in Kazakhstan. The contract value was 45 million euros.// 03.11.2021 — InfoMarket