| Project Detail |
The French Development Agency (AFD) is supporting the implementation of phases 1 and 2 of the multi-year programme for the modernisation of the Serbian railway sector, through the support of technical cooperation between the French National Railway Company (SNCF) and its Serbian counterpart, the railway infrastructure manager, Infrastruktura železnice srbije (IZS).
CONTEXT
As part of the revitalization of the railway sector, the Serbian government has requested technical and financial support from the World Bank (WB) and AFD for the deployment of a multi-year program for the institutional, physical and operational modernization of the railway sector, for a total amount of €400 million (Program).
The first phase of the €102 million financing formalized in 2021, co-financed equally by the AFD and the WB, includes the renovation of certain railway infrastructures, with priority given to urban areas, safety (level crossings) and improving asset management.
Phase 2 of the financing, amounting to €130 million (€65 million AFD/€65 million BM), is currently being examined to cover the purchase of maintenance equipment and the development of a strategy for network maintenance.
DESCRIPTION
In support of this ambitious programme, the AFD and the French authorities have set up a FEXTE* technical cooperation focused on peer-to-peer exchange between the French (SNCF) and Serbian (IZS – Infrastructure Manager) railway companies. The two main areas of application are the management and development of stations and the maintenance of infrastructure. A third component concerns the overall vision of the railway system by putting into perspective the last 20 years of reforms and alignment with the acquis of the European Union (EU).
The technical expertise of the SNCF aims to help the IZS identify the gaps between the current state and a modern, efficient infrastructure management model, backed by a sustainable economic model. With regard to the management and development of stations, the challenge of this cooperation is to help the IZS define an organization and management methods by drawing inspiration from the examples and good practices observed in France and the EU. This partnership will also include study trips to France.
IMPACTS
The expected result is to strengthen the organization and human capital of IZS for the maintenance of the Serbian railway network, including high-speed lines and the conventional network in Serbia. The other expected result is to support IZS in developing an initial strategy for the management of the operation, development and maintenance of stations. The support provided by SNCF to IZS will thus make it possible to share French approaches and best practices in the sector, and to guide the choice of standards, technical specifications for maintenance equipment and associated specifications.
The establishment of FEXTE will thus make it possible to consolidate the positioning of the AFD and the French railway ecosystem in this sector in Serbia, the development of which constitutes an important axis of implementation of the green agenda for the Western Balkans . |
