The EBRD is considering providing a €17.6 million sovereign loan to finance track renewal along the Corridor X railways line in FYR Macedonia. This will take the form of the replacement of wooden with concrete sleepers and the supply of new rails where, applicable, along approximately 50 km of track.

The Project will contribute to transition through the provision of further assistance to the on-going railway restructuring process. This will take the form of ensuring that there is the correct environment for open access, through support for the rail regulator and assisting the MOT with the establishment of a safety function within this entity. The project will also address cost recovery by assisting in defining an appropriate level and structure for the Public Service Obligation (PSO).

he Client for this project is the Public Enterprise for Railway Infrastructure (‘PERI’), the state-owned enterprise responsible for the provision and maintenance of the railway infrastructure in FYR Macedonia.

The total project cost is €19.7 million, with EBRD providing loans of €17.6 million.

The loan has passed concept review and will be presented for final review in June 2010

Source; EBRD