The Serbian national rail company Srbija Voz got a 25 million Euro loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to upgrade its railway infrastructure, a press release said on Thursday.

It said the loan will be used to finance maintenance depots and buy new equipment as well as support training programs.

It quoted EBRD Director for the Western Balkans Matteo Colangeli as saying that “the rail sector is a key priority for the EBRD in the Western Balkans as we support countries in the region in upgrading their infrastructure and services. This will help to unlock economic opportunities, strengthen regional integration and promote a more sustainable model of transport”.

Srbija Voz acting CEO Ivan Bulajic said that the new investment is important for the company’s future. “As new trains are delivered and the expansion of our Zemun facility nears completion, we will now shift focus to other regions of Serbia. Most importantly we will construct a key new maintenance facility in Niš to prepare for the opening of the Belgrade-Niš high-speed railway line, as well as reconstruct other regional depots,” he said.