Skip to main content

EIB provides loan for Rhine-Ruhr Express project

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing a US$370 million long-term loan to finance the upgrading of the local public transport system in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The funds will be used to purchase 82 new double-deck electric trains offering better energy efficiency, greater capacity and special barrier-free passenger comfort for the Rhine-Ruhr Express (RRX) project. RRX is North Rhine-Westphalia’s most important rail project. Promoted by the four neighbouring transport associations VRR,
July 17, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
The 4270 European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing a US$370 million long-term loan to finance the upgrading of the local public transport system in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The funds will be used to purchase 82 new double-deck electric trains offering better energy efficiency, greater capacity and special barrier-free passenger comfort for the Rhine-Ruhr Express (RRX) project.
 
RRX is North Rhine-Westphalia’s most important rail project. Promoted by the four neighbouring transport associations VRR, NWL, NVR and SPNV Nord, it consists of interconnecting the Rhine-Ruhr region with a network of six lines, whose backbone will be the Cologne-Düsseldorf- Duisburg-Essen-Dortmund-Hamm corridor. Alongside the EIB, KfW IPEX-Bank and Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen (Helaba) will also be financing the project.
 
When signing the framework agreements, EIB President Werner Hoyer said that “with the close cooperation of the four transport associations, the RRX project is a first for North Rhine-Westphalia’s local transport system. The Rhine-Ruhr Express represents a key sustainable and customer-focused transport solution for NRW that will be appreciated in the region and beyond”. President Hoyer also expressed his confidence that the EIB would do further business with the participating transport associations in future years.
 
The EIB has long supported sustainable and environmentally responsible transport solutions, financing the upgrading of both infrastructure and rolling stock. By providing modern, energy-saving light trains, the RRX project will help to tangibly improve the quality of local passenger transport in North Rhine-Westphalia. The contract to build and maintain the new double-deck trains was won by 189 Siemens earlier this year following a Europe-wide procurement process.

Related Content

  • June 4, 2013
    Further EIB support for Lithuanian Railways
    Lithuanian Railways are set to benefit from new rolling stock following a US$65.3 million loan agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB). After the support for the upgrading of railway infrastructure and purchase of new locomotives, this is now the third EIB operation aimed at modernising Lithuanian railways. “The EIB strongly promotes sustainable transport, and railways will remain one of the most energy-efficient and least polluting land transport modes. We therefore particularly welcome this agre
  • July 10, 2015
    EIB supports purchase of modern trams for Krakow and Silesia
    The European Investment Bank (EIB) has provided two loans totalling over US$85 million for the purchase of modern energy-efficient low-floor trams for Krakow and Upper Silesia Agglomeration in Poland. The EIB will also finance the modernisation of the existing tram stock and infrastructure in Silesia.
  • May 16, 2013
    EIB increases support for high-speed trains
    The European Investment Bank (EIB) is increasing its loan for Poland’s PKP Intercity’s Pendolino trains from US$288 million to US$440 million. The project consists of the purchase of twenty modern high-speed trains and the construction of an associated maintenance depot in Warsaw. With the increase of financing, the bank aims to ensure smooth project implementation by completing the financing plan. The high-speed passenger connections will be available between Gdynia, Warsaw and Krakow/Katowice, part of a T
  • July 29, 2014
    EIB funds modernisation of Dusseldorf’s public transport
    The European Investment Bank (EIB) has granted Rheinbahn, the public transport authority in the Düsseldorf region of Germany a multi-million euro loan to become more efficient and environmentally friendly. Rheinbahn operates in an area of over 520 square kilometres, with more than a million people living within the Greater Düsseldorf area. The US$201.6 million loan will fund a four-year investment programme, including the purchase of 40 new trams and 87 new buses, measures to improve accessibility an