EIB grants $319 million loan for metro project in Poland

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has approved a loan of PLN1 billion ($318.69 million) for the construction of new metro new line for the central section of Warsaw metro in Poland.

The new central section of the Warsaw metro is undergoing development in the city centre and is 6.7km long. The new line will feature seven stations. The project also includes development of a 400m-long tunnel to connect the new and the old metro lines.

As part of this loan agreement, the EIB is also supporting the expansion of the existing Kabaty metro depot to cater for the additional rolling stock requirements for the operation of the new line.

The project also includes installation of a train traffic control system, telecommunication and fare collection systems. The installation of these systems is underway and is planned for completion by 2014-2015.

The Warsaw metro will improve the quality of public transport service in terms of speed, comfort and reliability. The project is in line with the EIB’s lending objectives in the field of environmental sustainability as it will reduce air and noise pollution from transport in the long run. The project is estimated to cut back carbon dioxide emissions by about 42 000 tons per year.