Brussels, 05/11/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Investment Bank (EIB) has granted loans worth EUR 241 million in total for projects in Upper Austria. The Federal province of Upper Austria is receiving EUR 107 million to build a 560-bed hospital in Völcklabruck. The replacement of obsolete healthcare infrastructure will allow the provision of high quality state-of-the-art health services. Linz AG will receive a EUR 84 million loan for the extension of the public transport network in Linz (extending the tram network, a new bus terminal and tram underpass under the central railway station). The Raiffeisen Landesbank Oberösterreich will draw on a EUR 50 million credit line to support SMEs and small scale local authority projects in the fields of environmental protection and rational energy use). Total EIB lending in Austria since it joined the EU stands at EUR 553 million.