SYSTRA, at the head of a consortium which also includes Scott Wilson, has signed a contract on March 15, 2005, funded by the EBRD and aimed at strengthening the institutional capacity of Ukraine Railways (UZ). The contract is part of a programme to modernise the rail network which also involves a loan of US$120 million for the construction of a tunnel, and the purchase of passenger carriages and track maintenance equipment. The launch of the contract coincided with the visit of a French delegation under the auspices of MEDEF, the French Business Confederation. SYSTRA was represented by, among others, its Managing Director, Philippe Citroën.

The award of the new contract ensures that SYSTRA will continue its presence in this country where it has been working almost without interruption for more than 10 years. SYSTRA is noted for carrying out two studies on the development of a high speed rail network financed from capital reserves, which is highly rare in this region. Now all the major investors operating in the region are expanding their involvement in the country especially in schemes aimed at modernising the transport systems. Our client wishes us to continue our partnership and draw up tender documents for the implementation of the high speed rail network, particularly along the Kiev-Poltava-Kharkov line.