Dragan Djilas, Mayor of the city of Belgrade, Serbia, and Gian-Luca Erbacci, Alstom Transport South Europe Vice President, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, in the presence of the President of the Republic of Serbia, and Pierre Lellouche, French foreign trade Secretary of State, concerning the construction of a new public rail transport system. Preliminary studies will determine the full technical and operational features of the line, including the type of rolling stock designed to meet the city’s transport needs. The project concerns a first line (L1) with 25 stations. Located on the southern bank of the Danube, the future « Y » shaped line would connect the central districts of the city, linking Ustanicka-Novi Merkator to Tvornicka on one branch, to Zelesnicka Stanica Novi Beograd on the other.
This agreement opens a negotiation period during which the city of Belgrade and Alstom will define the framework and conditions of cooperation in the development of the different phases of the project. Alstom’s role would consist in building a transport system including infrastructure (track laying, catenaries and power supply), signalling equipment and rolling stock. At the end of the discussions, Alstom and the city of Belgrade should sign a contract which also includes the financing of the project.
The new rail transport system is part of the « Urban Master Plan of Belgrade 2021 » designed to expand and modernise the public transport network of the Serb capital. The development of Belgrade’s public transport is based on this main line (L1) which will be extended into two other lines (L2 & L3).
«This agreement illustrates Alstom’s active policy, with the political and financial support of the French State, to help the Serb authorities develop their transport and power infrastructures. By choosing Alstom, the global leader in urban transport solutions, the city of Belgrade will benefit on a daily basis from the similar efficient solutions already in service in such cities as Paris, Istanbul and Singapore,» said Gian-Luca Erbacci, Alstom Transport South Europe Vice President.
