ODEG won the concession in January 2019 to operate Lots 1 and 4 of the Elbe-Spree network from December 2022 to 2034. The EIB loan relates to trains for Lot 1, which includes the purchase of an initial batch of 21 six-car Desiro high-capacity EMUs ordered from Siemens in March 2019.
The trains will be introduced at the end of 2022 on the RE1 regional express route linking Magdeburg, Berlin, Frankfurt (Oder) and Cottbus. The new trains have space for bicycles, prams and wheelchairs and an accessible toilet in each multi-purpose coach. They have wide doors to enable faster boarding and free Wi-Fi.
The loan is guaranteed by the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), the central pillar of the European Commission’s investment plan.
“At the EU bank, we are convinced that a well-functioning rail network with good connections and offering enhanced comfort for passengers can make a vital contribution to reducing the number of cars on the roads and in this way lower pollution and mitigate climate change,” says Mr Ambroise Fayolle, EIB vice-president responsible for EFSI and operations in Germany.
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