The first tranche of the investment grant for the construction of the Belgrade – Niš high-speed railway of EUR 598 million, as part of the financial envelope for the railway Corridor 10, was signed today on the train in the presence of the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, and the European Commissioner for Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi.
The agreement was signed by the Head of Regional Representation at European Investment Bank (EIB) for the Western Balkans, Alessandro Bragonzi, and the Minister of Construction, Goran Vesić. After the signing, Vučić thanked the EU, saying that 600 million was the largest non-repayable amount that Serbia has received.
The agreement refers to the construction of the section Stalać – Đunis, on the third stage of the future high-speed railway, which will be the first to be built because the conceptual design for that section has already been completed and approved.
The Stalać – Đunis section is 17.7 kilometres long. The Belgrade – Niš high-speed railway will be 230 kilometres long, and the work is expected to be completed in 2029.Construction will take place in three stages: Belgrade – Velika Plana, Velika Plana – Paraćin, Paraćin – Niš.The EU will provide a financial package of EUR 2.2 billion: The EIB will provide EUR 1.1 billion, the EBRD 550 million, the EU donation is EUR 598 million, (now approved 265 million).
The Belgrade – Niš high-speed railway is expected to ferry 2.3 million passengers a year.
The signing was also attended by the Minister of European Integration Tanja Miščević.
Source: Tanjug
