Summit participants agreed on funding for locomotive procurement
The Ministry of Communities and Territories Development and JSC Ukrzaliznytsia are starting to form an international coalition to support the Ukrainian railway. This was announced by Minister Mykola Kalashnyk during the Carpathian Eight summit. This was reported by UAprom, according to the portal PromPolitInform.
During the event, participants discussed the primary needs of the railway sector amid constant shelling and infrastructure destruction. In particular, updating and strengthening the rolling stock has been identified as a key direction.
Locomotive Fleet Losses
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, russia has attacked 533 locomotives of the state carrier and 75 units belonging to private industrial enterprises. Due to systematic attacks, there is a need not only to restore damaged equipment but also to expand the fleet of machines.
Equipment Procurement Funding
Summit participants agreed on 100 million US dollars in grant financing from the URTF trust fund under the RELINC project, jointly with the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. These funds are intended for purchasing used locomotives on external markets, and Slovakia will additionally transfer three electric locomotives.
Energy Resilience of the Enterprise
The second important area of the coalition’s work is ensuring the energy independence of the railway. An agreement has been reached with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to direct 130 million euros under the UZ Energy program for critical needs.
The relevant agreements are planned to be signed by the end of the current month. The new initiative combines efforts for systematic modernization, attracting financing, and addressing infrastructure challenges.
Illustrative photo: durik1980 / CC BY 3.0
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