The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development will integral finance the procurement of new passenger rolling stock in Serbia. The bank will provide EUR 100 million to Serbia Voz, country’s rail passenger operator for the acquisition of 18 new EMUs, as a part of operator’s rolling stock renewal programme.
Serbia needs to renew its rolling stock fleet as currently the existing diesel trains are the old traction stock, with the average age of 45 years. The stock technical solutions are mostly outdated, and years of insufficient investment in maintenance have led to a high rate of immobilization and very low overall reliability.
To support train maintenance services, EBRD also provided Serbia Voz a second loan of EUR 37 million, in 2018, to finance the expansion and upgrade of the Zemun Technical Passenger Station facility. The first EBRD loan under the programme in the amount of EUR 30 million was signed in December 2017. The project envisages refurbishment and upgrade of TPS Zemun, located on the outskirts of Belgrade, to enable maintenance of the new Stadler EMUs and classic locomotive-hauled coaching sets. The expansion and upgrade of TPS Zemun is essential for the uninterrupted maintenance process of the company’s rolling stock, following the closure of a maintenance facility in downtown Belgrade.
Since 2015, country’s authorities announced the modernization of the rolling stock fleet by the procurement of diesel and electric passenger trains.
Two years later, Serbian Railways signed with Stadler a contract for the procurement of 21 four-car Flirt EMUs used on Belgrade suburban railway network.
Under a contract signed in 2014 with Russian Railways, Serbia received Russian-made Diesel Multiple Unit trains (DMUs).
Share on:
