The European Union may finance the construction of the railway line Lviv - Iasi - Chisinau - Odessa with European gauge.
This was announced by the European Commissioner for Transport Adina Valean at a press conference in Chisinau. She said that implementation of this important project with EU support will be possible after the feasibility study of linking the Moldovan and Ukrainian railway networks to the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) will be completed and presented soon. Adina Valean stressed that the project to build the Lviv-Iasi-Chisinau-Odessa railway line with European gauge is of strategic importance in this area. "This is one of the strategic projects awaiting Moldova and the partners in the region to develop transport infrastructure, which, in turn, is the main condition for economic development and trade expansion," Adina Valean noted. As InfoMarket agency earlier reported, the European Union will grant Moldova 20 million euros for railroads rehabilitation. The EU Delegation to Moldova noted that this financial aid is aimed at connecting Moldova with the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). It was stressed that the European Commission and the European Investment Bank had earlier initiated development of a pre-feasibility study to assess how best to connect the Ukrainian and Moldovan railroad networks to the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). As noted by the European Commission, the gauge used in most EU countries differs from that in Eastern Europe, making it difficult to deliver goods in both directions. The solution to this problem would be to adopt the railroad gauge used in the EU and in these neighboring countries, namely from Poland and Romania to Ukraine and Moldova. "This study is a key step in preparing for better communication between the EU, Ukraine and Moldova after the war. The study is one of the medium- and long-term measures outlined in the Solidarity Lanes Action Plan and is also closely linked to the European Commission's July 2022 proposal to expand the TEN-T network in Ukraine and Moldova. In this way, we create the basis for long-term solutions, supporting Ukraine in its post-war trade and reconstruction of the country, aiming in particular to close the interoperability gap at the borders," said European Commissioner for Transport Adina Valean. // 10.05.2023 - InfoMarket.
