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25 million euro loan from EBRD to Srbija Voz for three railway depots -
A new depot in Niš and improvements for the Zemun and Sombor depots -
EBRD investment in the Western Balkans railway sector amounts to €1 billion
Serbia will continue the modernization of its railway infrastructure thanks to a loan of 25 million euros from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Srbija Voz, Serbia’s national passenger rail operator, will use the loan to build a new regional depot in Niš and rehabilitate two existing depots in Zemun and Sombor.
The facility, guaranteed by the Republic of Serbia, will allow Srbija Voz to finance not only the construction works of the depots, which are used for the maintenance of its rolling stock, but also the acquisition of new maintenance equipment and supervision Works. Modernizing maintenance practices will increase the efficiency of passenger services.
As part of this project, Srbija Voz will also work on skills development, support new work-study programs and further improve its corporate governance.
Matteo Colangeli, EBRD Director for the Western Balkans, said: “The rail sector is a key priority for the EBRD in the Western Balkans, as we help countries in the region modernize their infrastructure and services. This will help unlock economic opportunities, strengthen regional integration and promote a more sustainable transport model. Srbija Voz has been a long-standing partner of the Bank and we are happy to expand our cooperation with this important project, both in terms of modernizing its maintenance practices and strengthening skills.
Ivan Bulajić, Acting Director General of Srbija Voz, underlined the importance of this new investment for the future of the company: “This new agreement with our EBRD partners is the natural continuation of an already excellent cooperation thanks to which we are expanding our fleet and improving our rolling capacities. inventory maintenance. As more trains are delivered and the expansion of our Zemun facilities is nearing completion, we will now focus on other regions of Serbia. Most importantly, we will build a new key maintenance facility in Niš to prepare for the opening of the Belgrade-Niš high-speed railway line, as well as to rebuild other regional depots.
Srbija Voz has been a client of the EBRD since its separation from the former railway company JSC Serbian Railways in 2015. Through joint projects, EBRD financing helped Srbija Voz modernize five electric trains and build a new technical station passengers in Zemun, which included an IT upgrade and a new automatic ticketing system and, in the latest project, the purchase of 18 new electric trains.
The EBRD has also supported projects in the Serbian railway sector with other state-owned companies, investing around €500 million so far, with around €500 million more in the pipeline. The EBRD’s current total investment in the railway sector in the six Western Balkan countries stands at €1 billion, with a significant pipeline for the future.
To date, the EBRD has invested more than €8.6 billion in various sectors of the Serbian economy.
