The European Investment Bank and the representatives of the South Moravian region Jihomoravsky kraj of the Czech Republic signed a CZK 2.57 billion (EUR 97 million) loan agreement for CD train acquisition project.
The project consists of the acquisition of 37 EMUs to be used in the South Moravia region mainly on lines S2 Letovice – Brno – Kfenovice and S3 Khzanov – Tisnov – Brno – Vranovice – Bfeclav. The new electric trains will be used for suburban and regional passenger connections.
“I am glad that this project dedicated to the purchase of new trains has been completed thanks to the cooperation between our region and the European Investment Bank. After all, train sets, which are almost half a century old, still run on rails in our region. Rejuvenation of this fleet is therefore a necessity,” Jan Grolich, the Governor of the South-Moravia region, said.
The train procurement is linked to the “Transport Policy of the Czech Republic for the period 2014-2020 with a view until 2050” which aims at developing alternative to individual transport, among others by supporting the competitiveness of railway passenger transport. The project is also implemented within the framework of the Operating Programme Transport and the departmental programme “Purchase and Modernisation of Railway Vehicles”.
It complements other EIB financed projects in Czech Republic, related to the modernisation of infrastructure, and in particular the Czech Railway infrastructure rehabilitation project, aimed at modernising several sections of the rail infrastructure in the country, including the two sections Blansko – Adamov and Adamov – Brno, line S2. The project is to be co-financed by EU grants from the Operational Programme Transport. CZK 24 billion (EUR 912.4 million) is the total value of this rehabilitation project, with a financial proposal from EIB of CZK 11.5 billion (EUR 437.13 million).
In November 2019, the South Moravian Region authorities have approved the procurement of 37 trains from Škoda Transportation that will enter transport operation from 2023 on the lines linking Brno to Tišnov, Blansko, Břeclav and Křenovice.
In December 2019, the European Investment Bank has approved a EUR 134 million loan to the South Moravian Region for the procurement of the new passenger trains.
In March 2019, the Škoda Transportation – Škoda Vagonka consortium signed an 8-year framework agreement to deliver 50 single-decker RegioPanter EMUs with a firm order for 31 EMUs estimate at CZK 3.6 billion (EUR 136.84 million). The total value of the train procurement is estimated at CZK 6 billion (EUR 228 million).
The CD train acquisition will support the replacement of obsolete rolling stock and improve the availability and reliability of the fleet, in order to increase the attractiveness of the railway services in the region.
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