UKRAINE: A memorandum of understanding setting out principles for co-operation to replace ageing rolling stock and develop the rail sector has been signed by the Ministry of Infrastructure, national railway Ukrzaliznytsia, Stadler and Swiss export risk insurance agency SERV.
The MoU was signed at a meeting between Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Stadler Chairman Peter Spuhler and Executive Director of Stadler CIS Alexander Luft on August 26.
‘I am very glad that this important memorandum is being signed today’, commented Zelenskyy. ‘It is a great signal to the citizens of our countries about how we co-operate.’
Swiss export financing of up to €500m is envisaged to support railway development, in what Luft said would be the first such state backing from Switzerland. Rolling stock would be produced locally at a new plant to be established in Ukraine.
Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov said up to 30 suburban EMUs could be ordered for use on City Express services in Kyiv, and another 30 for use in Kharkiv and Dnipro, along with 20 regional EMUs and 10 long-distance trainsets.
