Companies and institutions have to reach an agreement on cooperation in the event of malfunctions of passenger trains, said Latvian Minister of Transport Kaspars Briškens in an interview to LTV programme Rīta panorāma on Wednesday, the 3rd of December.
He said the recent cases of various malfunctions being discovered in new electric trains have confirmed that the algorithm of joint action does not work in Latvia.
“This week we will sit down with representatives of Pasažieru vilciens, Latvian Railway and the Road Transport Administration. We will ask them to agree on cooperation, algorithms and reserve transports for emergency situations,” said Briškens.
The minister said that a situation when the response algorithm doesn’t work is unacceptable.
It is not a normal situation when passengers have to wait for hours in a cold, dark train without heating […] without information when the train could start moving,” said Briškens.
The minister also said that on Wednesday passenger transports are provided by nine out of 11 new electric trains. “Technical nuances and malfunctions are prevented relatively quickly,” said Briškens, adding that it is highly important to make sure these malfunctions don’t become systematic.
As previously reported, on Tuesday, the 2nd of January, there were six electric trains available for passenger transport services. This is because five of them were experiencing various technical malfunctions.
On the 15th of December, PV started providing passenger-carrying services using three new electric trains in Tukums, Aizkraukle and Skulte. On the 16th of December new trains were deployed in Jelgava.
PV representatives previously explained that it is planned to receive all 32 electric trains by mid-2024.
Once all trains have been received and commissioned, it is planned to adopt interval timetables for electric trains. PV plans to use the new trains in morning and evening hours, which are usually the most packed. Trains will course every 15 – 20 minutes.
The first two Czech electric trains were delivered to Riga in June 2022.
Each train consists of four train cars. The length of a single train is 109 m. Each train has 436 seats and enough room for 454 standing passengers. All trains have same-level boarding from adapted train platforms.
Pasažieru vilciens representatives previously said the company will request Škoda Vagonka to pay a fine for their failure to deliver trains on time. The maximum fine for failure to deliver each train within the agreed upon time is 10% of the train’s price.
The total costs of the project reach EUR 257.889 million.
PV turnover in nine months of 2023 was EUR 44.256 million, which is 19.2% more when compared to 2022. The company’s profits are down 21% to EUR 458 074.
PV was founded in 2001 as a result of domestic passenger transport services being separated from Latvian Railway’s main functions. Previously PV 100% belonged to Latvian Railway as its subsidiary, but in October 2008 it was reformed into a state company.
Also read: Latvian minister to request explanations from Škoda Vagonka about defects found in new trains
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