First six new locomotives from EU investment arrive in Moldovan capital

Chisinau, 14 July /MOLDPRES/ - The first six locomotives, of the 12 ones, which are part of an investment project financed by the European Union, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB), arrived in Chisinau today.

„This is a historical day for the Railway of Moldova state enterprise, as for the first time ever in the period of Moldova’s independence, such investments are made in the revival of the park of technology and re-establishment of the Moldovan railway. I am quite confident that, after the renovation of the locomotives’ park, the restoration of the infrastructure will start as well and the Railway of Moldova will return to the previous efficiency level,’’ President Igor Dodon said at a ceremony on meeting the locomotives.   

The head of state noted that this investment would not have been possible without the support of development partners. ‘’A friend in need is a friend indeed and this project would not have been possible without the support of colleagues from the European Union. On behalf of the citizens and the country’s leadership, I thank the European partners for this support,’’ Igor Dodon said.   

For his part, Head of the EU Delegation in Moldova Peter Michalko stressed that the European Union was the strongest supporter of Moldova. ‘’This is money of EU’s citizens, which back Moldova’s citizens, in order to help for the creation of better living standards. These locomotives represent just a small part of EU’s support provided to Moldova. The modernization of the infrastructure is necessary, but not less than the life quality and in this respect, the Moldovan citizens can rely on EU,’’ Peter Michalko said.

According to Economics and Infrastructure Minister Sergiu Railean, the arrival of the new locomotives is an event which marks the future of Moldova’s Railway. ‘’I want to thank those who negotiated and made possible this first step of reorganizing the railway communication sector. The renewal of the park is one of the components of the railway’s reform, started in 2018, which will contribute to the country’s economic development,’’ Sergiu Railean said.     

To buy the locomotives, in 2018, the Railway of Moldova state enterprise signed a contract with the General Electric company, which won the tender according to the EBRD standards. The cost of this contract is 45 million euros, as well as the price of those 12 locomotives. The apparatus are diesel TE33AC, with GEVOI 2 engine. As compared with the previous generation of TEIO locomotives, the new machines have a lower level of noxious emissions, by 30 per cent and a lower consumption of fuel by 15 per cent. The locomotives are checked by a system with micro-processor and onboard diagnostics system.