The section of the Chisinau-Ungheni railway will be modernized with the support of the French government in the amount of 75.7 million euros.
The Moldovan government initiates negotiations with the French government on a draft protocol on financing the project for the modernization of the Chisinau-Ungheni railway infrastructure in the amount of 75.77 million euros. The corresponding document is planned to be signed before the end of September. In particular, the French Treasury will provide 33 thousand euros in the form of a loan and 40.77 million euros in the form of a bank loan on behalf of the French government will provide Bpifrance Assurance Export. At the same time, the amount of a bank loan can be increased. The project provides for the modernization of a section of the railway along the Valcinet-Balti-Ungheni-Chisinau-Cainari route with a length of 446 km. In this section, the autonomy of energy systems will be ensured in case of a power outage, repair of infrastructure and crossings, improvement of railway lines, purchase of equipment for maintenance of the railway network, and changes in the signaling system are planned. This will ensure the creation of the necessary conditions to improve the safety of railway traffic, as well as reduce the duration of people and goods traveling along this route. Herewith, it will improve national and international passenger transport, increase the market share of high-capacity rail services, reduce road wear and reduce carbon emissions. “The railway infrastructure of Moldova includes 1087 km of main and 668 km of auxiliary lines, and the modernization of the Chisinau-Ungheni section is a project of strategic importance for sustainable economic development and connection of the country with the trans-European railway transport network, as well as for strengthening the Moldovan-French cooperation ties,” noted the Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development Lilia Dabija. The financing protocol with France will complement a €33 million loan and €30 million grant package from the European Commission, the EBRD and the EIB under the Solidarity Lanes initiative.// 26.04.2023 — InfoMarket.
