UKRAINE: European Bank for Reconstruction & Development is supporting private rolling stock owner Interleaseinvest's acquisition of around 2 500 open and hot pellet wagons, through the provision of a US$45m loan and a similar amount syndicated to Raiffeisen Bank International, Erste Group Bank and UniCredit Bank Austria.
Announcing the loan on September 26, EBRD said it was seeking to promote competition and efficiency in the Ukrainian rail sector by supporting private operators as well as state railway UZ. The bank said UZ's existing fleet is aging and the number of operational wagons is declining, and this risks creating a bottleneck in the rail sector.
