The European Investment Bank and the Rotterdam Electric Tram (RET) have signed a loan agreement of EUR 120 million for the financing of the acquisition of 22 new underground trains and the railway security upgrade of the Rotterdam underground network. For this loan, Rotterdam The Hague Metropolitan Area will stand surety and will compensate the RET for its capital charges annually.
The loan will be used to purchase 16 new underground trains, which will operate on the Hoekse Lijn, the underground railway line between Rotterdam and Hook of Holland being put into use from September 2017.
6 new underground trains will also be purchased to increase frequency of service during rush hours on underground line E, which runs between Rotterdam and The Hague. Railway security on the existing Rotterdam underground network has been upgraded and the new security system will also be installed on the Hoekse Lijn.
The new underground trains will cost approximately EUR 5 million each and will be put into service on the sections mentioned above from 2017. It is anticipated that, thanks to this investment and the expansion of the Hoekse Lijn, it will be possible to create as many as 80 new jobs.
Photo: RET
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