EIB supports upgrade of Warsaw Metro with EUR 139 million

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is lending PLN 555 million (some EUR 139 million) to finance the purchase of new rolling stock for Warsaw’s metro.

The EIB loan will support the purchase of 35 metro trains and foster investment in the public transport sector in the city of Warsaw. 20 of the new trains will be used on the new line II of the Warsaw Metro, currently under construction, and the other 15 will be used to increase frequencies on the existing line I.

Increasing the metro’s rolling stock will considerably upgrade the level of service and improve the quality of public transport.

As the EIB targets environmentally friendly subway transport services, the new metro trains will use advanced technology, increasing the energy efficiency of Warsaw’s metro fleet. A more frequently operating metro will reduce reliance on private cars and thereby mitigate the negative impact of transport on the environment.

The support of the EIB will also trigger growth in jobs. Most trains will be assembled in Poland (Nowy Sącz), and the increase in metro operations will require additional drivers, maintenance workers and office staff.

The acquisition of the new rolling stock for the new metro line is part of the wider project design, construction and rolling stock procurement programme for the central section of metro line II in Warsaw. Works on the project started in 2010 and their completion is scheduled for early 2014.