Kosovo has signed a grant agreement to receive an additional €17.2m of co-financing to support upgrade works on the international link Rail Route 10.
The financing has been awarded by the European Union (EU) through the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) and will be implemented by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
It will be used to fund upgrade works between Fushë Kosovë and the town of Mitrovicë, the second of three phases.
Overall, Rail Route 10 aims to improve railway connectivity between Kosovo and the wider European network through Pan-European Corridor VIII and Corridor X. The route runs from FYR Macedonia to the Serbian border.
It also forms a part of the Western Balkans core railway network, as an extension of the Trans-European Transport Networks to strengthen connectivity in the Western Balkans region.
In 2015, the project received loans of €39.9m from the EBRD and €42m from EIB. Kosovo also received an additional €38.5m of co-financing in February from the EU to carry out the first phase of works.
The third and northern section of the line, which ranges from Mitrovicë to the Serbian border, will also be rehabilitated with EU and WBIF financing.
Established in 2009, the WBIF is a joint initiative by the governments of the Western Balkans, the European Commission, EBRD and other bilateral donors to support infrastructure projects across sectors.
It offers financial and technical assistance to build social infrastructure, private sector developments, as well as other strategic investments in transport, energy and the environment.
