Ukrzaliznytsia and Stadler CIS AG have agreed on cooperation / Photo from stadlerrail.com
Ukrainian and Swiss partners will jointly make efforts to develop passenger rail transport in Ukraine and raise funding.
Ukraine's railways giant, JSC Ukrzaliznytsia, and the Swiss company Stadler CIS AG have signed a Memorandum of cooperation and localization of the production of its passenger rolling stock in Ukraine.
This was reported by the Ukrainian Infrastructure Ministry's press service.
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In 2021, Ukraine's railway sector has already received the maximum budgetary support for the renewal of passenger rolling stock, in particular, for the purchase of about 100 passenger cars and the modernization of the railway infrastructure, the press service quoted First Deputy Infrastructure Minister Dmytro Abramovych as saying.
He also said it was also extremely important to ensure the maximum level of localization of production, which will create additional jobs in Ukraine and give an incentive for the development of the Ukrainian economy.
"I welcome the beginning of cooperation between Ukrzaliznytsia and the Swiss company Stadler. We expect positive results of cooperation," the press service quoted Abramovych as saying.
Under the memorandum, the parties will jointly make efforts to develop passenger rail transport in Ukraine and raise funding. In addition, if Stadler CIS AG wins a tender to supply rolling stock to Ukrzaliznytsia, the company plans to consider the possibility of localizing production in Ukraine.
"We are interested in cooperation with global manufacturers of railway rolling stock, which have proven themselves in work on other railways in the world, including on a wide gauge. One of such potential partners is Stadler, which supplied rolling stock for the Belarusian railway. But our main the condition of such a partnership remains unchanged – the localization of production on the territory of Ukraine. This means more funds to be injected into the economy and the development of heavy industry in our country," acting Chairman of Ukrzaliznytsia's Management Board Ivan Yuryk said.
According to him, trains to be produced by Stadler can be used in suburban and regional passenger transportation, as well as in City Express projects.