Ukraine elaborating project for Kharkov urban electric transport with EIB's assistance

MOSCOW. Nov 14 (Interfax) - The European Investment Bank (EIB), the Kharkov City Council and the Saltovo Tram Depot municipal enterprise have started drawing up a project for the Kharkov urban electric transport.

"The goal of the project is to upgrade the streetcar services in the city by purchasing new streetcars, as well as by modernizing worn out and destroyed tracks, systems and infrastructure of the depot," Ukrainian media reported, citing the press service for the Kharkov City Council.

The preparations will be funded by a 400,000-euro technical assistance grant, which Kharkov will receive from the Eastern Partnership Technical Assistance Trust Fund (EPTATF), which is managed by the EIB.

It is expected that the EIB will consider investing into the developed project after the technical preparations are completed and as soon as the conditions allow for starting the work.

The city mayor, Igor Terekhov, said that it would be a largescale reconstruction and expansion of the streetcar system, which the city has not undertaken in the last 30 years.

For her part, EIB Vice-President Teresa Czerwinska, who is in charge of financial transactions with Ukraine, said that it is necessary to draw up renovation plans and a grant from the EPTATF right now, which is the right step in that regard.

"The signature of this 400,000 euro EPTATF grant is the right step in this direction which allows us to review and modernize public transport planning in Ukraine, and create modern, efficient, safer, and green mobility for Kharkov. We have to [...] build back to integrate Ukraine in the EU, where it belongs," Czerwinska said.