EBRD finances tram fleet renewal in Kazakhstan’s Pavlodar

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is helping to develop a sustainable transport system in Kazakhstan by supporting a tram fleet modernisation programme in the city of Pavlodar, ebrd.com reports.

The EBRD’s senior loan of up to €10 million (in Kazakhstan tenge equivalent) to Pavlodar tram management company will help this major municipality in north-eastern Kazakhstan to acquire up to 25 energy efficient trams. The project will be co-financed by a €4 million loan from the Clean Technology Fund.

The tram company, a client of the Bank since 2015, is responsible for handling almost 40 per cent of passenger traffic in the city, which has a population of more than 360,000. Yet nearly 60 per cent of the company’s fleet was commissioned in the 1970s and 1980s and requires urgent renewal.

New battery-powered trams will have an autonomous driving range of up to 20 km, which means that the trams can continue operating during electricity outages and therefore help keep traffic congestion to a minimum. The deployment of these trams will also help to expand the existing network without building additional catenary lines.

EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso said: “Trams are widely recognised as an ecologically friendly and efficient means of transportation. We are pleased to help our long-term counterpart, the city of Pavlodar, to renew its rolling stock.” As part of the project, the tram company will deliver public awareness campaigns in order to improve safety for female tram drivers and passengers.

To date, the EBRD has invested €10 billion in 328 projects in Kazakhstan, with most of those funds supporting private entrepreneurship.