Vesic: Two European companies to manage Belgrade metro project

BELGRADE - Serbian Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Goran Vesic said on Monday a consortium of two European companies - Germany's Deutsche Bahn and France's Systra - would be managing a project to build a Belgrade metro system.

Previously, a project management contract for the first metro line and a Makis Field depot was signed by City of Belgrade Secretary for Public Transport Predrag Lukic, Belgrade Metro and Train Director Andreja Mladenovic and Natasa Bezmarevic on behalf of the winning tender bidder, DB Engineering and Consulting.

"We now have a consortium of two renowned European companies, Germany's Deutsche Bahn - the German railway company - and the French company Systra, which won the tender and will manage the project to build a Belgrade metro. The contract is worth 46 mln euros and fully covered by our budget," Vesic told Tanjug.

He explained that several companies were collaborating on the project, including France's Egis as the designer and PowerChina as the supplier of construction works.

There needs to be a company that will coordinate the work and activities of all project participants to ensure the Belgrade metro is completed on time and in line with the contract, he said.

"We now have two great European companies and this proves that the Belgrade metro is a project that is significant even to the largest European companies. It is the largest metro project in Europe at this time, and we are happy to see major European companies come to Belgrade," Vesic said.