The European Investment Bank (EIB), the Kharkiv City Council and the utility company “Saltіvske Tram Depot” have agreed to prepare terms of reference for the modernization of the Kharkiv tram, which was damaged during the war in Ukraine. It is reported by Railway Supply magazine with reference to RailwayPro.

Kharkiv tram

In June, the city’s mayor’s office announced that the Saltіvske Tram Depot had been destroyed. During the shelling by the Russians, 60 tram cars were completely destroyed, another 60 tram cars received various damage. 20 tram cars survived and had to be removed from the depot.

Through the Eastern Partnership Technical Assistance Trust Fund (EPTATF), a EUR 400,000 grant will help Kharkiv make the necessary preparations for purchasing a new tram fleet and renovating war-torn tram infrastructure. Once conditions allow for work to begin, the EIB will consider funding the entire project, which will help the city restore and improve the quality and sustainability of public transport.

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“This will be a massive renovation and expansion of the tram system, something the city hasn’t done in the last 30 years. Kharkiv and our tram depot need the appropriate experience and skills to prepare such an investment. Support with technical assistance is very important to reduce any risks in the preparation and implementation of the project, in a quality and timely manner,” said Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov.

The modernization of the tram network is a priority in Kharkiv’s master plan for the restoration of Kharkiv and its Program for the Development of Urban Electric Transport for the period 2021-2025, which had already been approved before the war.

In 2021, the EIB announced that it will evaluate a program aimed at developing the Kharkiv tram system, including the purchase of new vehicles, the modernization of related equipment to develop efficient and convenient urban electric transport services. The total cost of the project was €100 million, with proposed EIB funding of €75 million.

EIB-supported transport projects include the expansion and modernization of the Kharkiv Metro, which received a €160 million loan (signed in 2017). The EIB also provided Kharkiv with a EUR 10 million loan to upgrade its trolleybus fleet and EUR 45 million to purchase new metro cars in 2020 under a framework loan from the Ukraine Urban Public Transport Project.

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