One week after starting tests on the first track, 2TDK received 73 million euros from the European Investment Bank for the second track between Divača and the port of Koper, in Slovenia. This is the second tranche of a 250 million euros loan announced in 2023, the company said.
“The EIB is one of the key financial partners of the Second Track project”, 2TDK added. With the 250 million euros promised to the project, the Bank will end up covering about 25% of the total costs. The company claimed this was the second payment of this loan, but information on the first one is not publicly available.
Court of Auditor gave its blessing too
In addition to the 73 million euros, last week came with a positive assessment of the project by the European Court of Auditors. “The audit, which lasted six months, was concluded without any observations”, 2TDK explained. In other words, the Court concluded that the construction of the second track between Divača and Koper is progressing in a satisfactory manner.
First track about to open
The infrastructure we have talked about so far would create a second track reaching Slovenia’s main port. The plan is to start construction this year and finish it by 2030. The first one, which will replace the nearly 60-year old single track line, was tested a week ago, and should officially open at the end of the month.
One of the particularities of these new lines is that they are being built with a slab track, meaning no ballast is necessary. The new network is expected to further boost rail freight services to and from the port of Koper, where this modality already operates more than half of the land transport operations.
