Project for Urban Mobility and Railway Corridor Regeneration in Niš

Context of the project

Urban mobility and regeneration in the City of Niš

The Project comprises the improvement of connectivity and sustainable transport in the city and the regeneration of the current railway corridor (the Railway Corridor) as a municipal public transport axis. The planned railway by-pass of Niš will allow for the removal of the Niš-Sofia railroad that currently traverses the inner city, thus creating the impetus to enhance the city’s transport system and promote a more consolidated urban form.  Therefore, the project preparation assistance provided under UPFI will help the City of Niš assess its needs and opportunities, evaluate options for the reuse of the Railway Corridor and the prioritizing of investments in mobility and urban development.

The Urban Projects Finance Initiative – UPFI – will ultimately result in the preparation of a programme of prioritized investments in mobility and urban development to be implemented in the short to medium term. As part of the technical assistance provided by UPFI, investments will be appraised for their strategic importance, economic impact, synergies created, environmental and social impact, as well as the implementation capacities of the City of Niš will be assessed.

The UPFI project

The TA is intended to:

  • Provide a sound basis for addressing urban mobility issues in Niš;
  • Evaluate options for the reuse of the present inner-city railway corridor (the Corridor) as an urban transport axis (already explored and ranked);
  • Provide a prioritized list of integrated investments in urban mobility and related development (already identified); and
  • Identify capacity-building needs for the City of Niš to implement a sustainable transport strategy, and operate and maintain new assets (as mapped).