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$150m ADB loan to develop India's railway system | Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India have signed a 150 million USD loan for first tranche of railway sector investment program aimed at improving rail freight services and passenger transport routes. The signatories
to the loan were Venu Rajamony, Joint Secretary (Multilateral Institutions), Department
of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, on behalf of the Government of India;
and Hun Kim, Country Director for India, on behalf of ADB. The project agreement
was signed by Satish Agnihotri, Managing Director, Rail Vikas Nigam Limited. The
program will help India improve rail services along some of its busiest freight
and passenger transport routes, providing double-track for about 840 kilometers
of rail routes and electrifying about 640 kilometers. New signaling will also
be installed. ADB will also support accounting reforms to improve operational
and financial efficiency at Indian Railways. The program will reduce fuel consumption
and enhance energy efficiency, reduce pollution, enhance railway safety, increase
the line capacity, benefiting consumers and producers of goods and services, improve
staff productivity, and incorporate innovating financing modalities by pursuing
carbon credits under UNFCCC. The total cost of the railway sector investment program
is 1,144.6 million USD, out of which loan assistance from ADB is 500 million USD
(in four tranches) and GOI's funding is 644.6 million USD. This is the 1st tranche
for a total US$ 343.4 million (ADB loan 150 million USD + GOI share 193.4 million
USD). Speaking on the occasion, Rajamony said that although railways make up a
significant part of India 's transport sector, constraints on high density railway
routes present a chronic challenge. This program should improve energy efficiency,
safety, reliability, affordability, and environmental sustainability along key
railway routes with heavy traffic, he said. Hum Kim, said that our goal is to
get people and goods moving more quickly and easily throughout India . Better
railways not only help promote environmentally sustainable growth, they build
better links between states and open opportunities to more people, he added. ADB
will also provide a program linked technical assistance of 300,000 USD to promote
sustainable transport modes by monitoring carbon emission reductions from shifting
bulk goods from road to rail.
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