Denmark’s national rail passenger operator Danske Statsbaner (DSB) and Nordic Investment Bank (NIB), a Nordic investment bank, have signed a € 400 million loan agreement to finance the acquisition of electric rolling stock in 2020–2025. This was reported in the bank’s press release.
The 15-year loan will be used to finance the purchase of 42 new electric locomotives and over 100 electric train cars, as well as the creation of three workshops operating in accordance with the latest technological and environmental standards. The investment is part of a 10-year program aimed at replacing the operator’s aging fleet and reducing carbon emissions to zero by 2030.
DSB notesthat in the coming years, the company’s investments in the renewal of rolling stock will completely abandon diesel trains. With the new electric locomotives, the operator is expected to simultaneously optimize maintenance and energy consumption, thereby cutting electricity consumption in half in ten years.
“This investment is an important step towards the implementation of the Danish government’s carbon emissions policy and in response to the expected increase in the number of passengers using public transport in the coming years. Better connections and more efficient services will contribute to a sustainable transition to rail in the future, ”said Henrik Normann, President and CEO of NIB.
Danish Railways had announced plan to sell maintenance workshops, since the operator does not need his own production of parts for rolling stock. DSB hired SEB Corporate Finance, a Swedish company, to advise on this process and negotiate the market.(Gudok.ru)
