Nordic Investment Bank to provide EUR 30 million to fund bus terminal and school campuses in Lahti, Finland

Helsinki, Finland, 13-3-2014 — /EuropaWire/ — NIB and the city of Lahti have signed a new loan agreement, totalling EUR 30 million with a tenor of 15 years, for the construction of a new bus and freight terminal and two multipurpose school campuses in Lahti, southern Finland.

The city is investing in the development of the public infrastructure with the purpose of facilitating passenger flows in its main transport hub and providing local communities with modern educational and service centres.

Lahti’s new bus and freight terminal will be built next to the railway station. The current terminal is located 700 metres away from the station. The relocation will enable easier transfers from one means of transportation to another. It will also help reduce congestion in the city centre as heavy bus and truck traffic will be directed away to the railway station. The bus and freight terminal in Lahti is among the busiest in the country.

The two new multipurpose school campuses will provide primary school services and house libraries, nursery schools, sports halls, a canteen, health and dental services and meeting spaces for the local communities. Both campuses involve considerable energy efficiency gains.

“Financing municipal investments in Lahti will help the city increase the capacity and productivity of public services within the areas of public transport and primary education. We believe this is a viable contribution to the competitiveness and a better environment of the local community,” says Henrik Normann, President & CEO of the Bank.

Lahti is the country’s ninth largest city, with a population of 100,000.

NIB is an international financial institution owned by eight member countries: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden. The Bank finances private and public projects in and outside the member countries. NIB has the highest possible credit rating, AAA/Aaa, with the leading rating agencies Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s.

For further information, please contact

Ms Tarja Kylänpää, Senior Director, Head of Infrastructure, Transportation & Telecom Group, at +358 10 618 0237, tarja.kylanpaa@nib.int

Mr Dimitrijs Alehins, Senior Communications Specialist, at +358 10 618 0296, dimitrijs.alehins@nib.int

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A new school campus. Visualisation: City of Lahti