The projects include a number of rail and transit projects, as well as environment, health and energy schemes.

Croatia

More than €119m from the EU cohesion fund will finance national operator HZ Passenger Transport's purchase of 21 new EMUs to improve service quality, reduce delays and encourage the use sustainable transport.

This includes 11 suburban EMUs and 10 regional EMUs.

The project will contribute to the modernisation of the country’s rolling stock and improve connectivity and mobility.

Poland

The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) will provide nearly €85m to improve public transport in Olsztyn by extending the existing light rail and bus routes and installing an intelligent transport system. This will encourage more people to use public transport, reducing congestion.

The cohesion fund will also invest more than €38m to modernise the Bydgoszcz light rail network, in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie region.

An investment worth more than €76m from the ERDF will support the modernisation of four main lines totalling nearly 52km in the Śląskie region. This will reduce travel time and air pollution while ensuring smoother rail interoperability and safety.

Portugal

The cohesion fund will invest €107m to upgrade Porto’s metro system, to make the city’s public transport more appealing, reduce traffic and pollution and guarantee safer, faster and more comfortable journeys for passengers.

The Atlantic corridor

The ERDF will invest €265m to improve more than 178km of the 715km Madrid - Lisbon section of the TEN-T Atlantic Corridor, focusing on the Spain's Extremadura region on the border with Portugal. This section of the corridor is currently not electrified. Work will benefit long distance freight and passenger services.

“In such difficult times for our continent, it is crucial that cohesion policy continues to play its role in supporting the economy for the benefit of our citizens,” says commissioner for cohesion and reforms, Ms Elisa Ferreira. “Today's major project adoptions show that EU funding, and cohesion policy in particular, delivers concrete results, helping regions and cities become safer, cleaner and more comfortable for people and businesses. Many of the approved projects also help deliver the goals of the European Green Deal.”

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