A Joint Venture composed by the companies UTA and IRD Engineering have recently entered into a service contract with the State Railways Company “Kyrgyz Temir Jolu” (hereinafter KTJ) for the implementation of the project “KTJ Climate Resilient Rail Infrastructure – Project Implementation Support”. This is the first contract for IRD Engineering in the Kyrgyz Republic, and represents a step forward for its expansion efforts in Central Asia.
The new project is funded by a loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development that aims at addressing various challenges in the Kyrgyz rail network, particularly in the northern and southern regions.
The loan agreement envisages, among other components, the renewal of rolling stock and the institutional reform of KTJ. It will also grant funds to restore critical railway infrastructure, such as the avalanche protection gallery in the Boom Gorge.
Built in the 80s in the northern part of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Boom Gorge gallery has been affected by various climate-related geological hazards, such as landslides. The introduction of climate adaptation measures will help KTJ reduce risks of weather-related damage to the rail infrastructure and rolling stock, avoiding service disruptions.
In this way, the project will enhance the safety and reliability of KTJ, which is responsible for the transportation of 38% of all national freight. This is particularly important, as trade volumes, particularly container traffic, between Asia and Europe, continue to grow and major trading and logistics companies are exploring ways to diversify and optimise transport routes and make them more sustainable.
The overall objective of the consultancy contract is to facilitate the timely and effective implementation of the overall loan agreement. A team of specialists from the partner companies will offer all kinds of technical assistance to KTJ in project management, procurement, compliance, reporting obligations, and in guaranteeing EBRD’s environmental and social safeguards.
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