Brussels, 11/06/2013 (Agence Europe) - Last week, the president of the European Investment Bank (EIB), Werner Hoyer, signed a €50 million loan agreement with Lithuanian Railways for the acquisition of modern rolling stock. After the support for the upgrading of railway infrastructure and purchase of new locomotives, this is now the third EIB operation aimed at modernising Lithuanian railways.
Thanks to the EIB loan, 590 new wagons will be purchased (150 tank, 140 open-top, 100 covered and 200 platform wagons). Furthermore, three diesel and six electric multiple units for rail passenger traffic will be acquired and the overall purchase will serve to renew the company's existing fleet. The main use of the freight wagons will be for cross-border railway traffic between Lithuania and the CIS countries.
During the signing ceremony, Hoyer affirmed that “the project will improve the competitiveness and attractiveness of rail transport services and consequently encourage passengers to switch from road to rail”. (OL/transl.fl)