The heat surrounding the cancellation and delays of Vivi electric trains has calmed down a little bit. Nevertheless, together with technical malfunctions of the trains supplied by Czech Škoda Vagonka there are now problems with railway infrastructure maintained by Latvian Railway. To determine who should take responsibilities for the problems caused for train passengers, BNN reached out to Pasažieru vilciens (PV). Vivi communication and marketing office manager Edgars Butāns provided answers in writing.
On the 5th of March PV announced – the crisis is over. However, in the morning on the 7th of March trains on Riga-Tukums and Riga-Skulte routes were cancelled because of infrastructure damage. A similar announcement came in the morning on the 11th of March. How frequent are situations when trains are cancelled or delayed because of infrastructure damage?
PV services more than 320 electric train and diesel train trips every day. For example, in February 2024 t he company carried 1.3 million passengers. Our goal is ensuring transparent and accurate passenger transportation.
Our lowest accuracy index was in January, when we completed 91.7% of trips. In February we ensured 98.6% accuracy. This means we have returned to last year’s level of accuracy.
100% accuracy is unlikely to ever be reached in the transport sector, because, aside from train defects, there are all kinds of other problems that could appear and impact transports – animals on the railway, repairs, some passenger might suddenly fall ill, as well as various problems with infrastructure. It is important that in each of these situations our crew knows what to do, inform passengers and act accordingly to reduce the risk of delays.
According to data from 2023, in 38% of all cases with train delays, the reason was related to railway infrastructure. In 41% of cases delays were caused by various traffic accidents, ambulance or police calls, other railway carriers, natural disasters, etc. Only in 21% of cases delays were caused by trains operated by PV.
Why do you think contact network damages started appearing specifically after new electric trains were deployed? If there is some incompatibility between trains and existing railway infrastructure, would it be possible to exchange them for old electric trains while all problems are being worked on?
Railway infrastructure is maintained by Latvian Railway. If we’re talking about the railway infrastructure damage reported on Tukums line on the 11th of March, I can say that new electric trains were not there at the time of the incident.
In order to provide regular train trips, PV requires 22-23 electric trains. Right now the company has 17 new electric trains supplied by “Škoda Vagonka” and 18 old electric trains. Our goal remains the same – modernisation of passenger transportation services. As we introduce more and more new electric trains, we will gradually phase out old trains. Still, we will maintain a reserve of trains for emergencies.
Is it possible the new trains were deployed without passing tests and without ensuring their compatibility with our railway infrastructure?
The railway sector is tightly regulated and monitored. Before Škoda Vagonka trains were deployed, they had to pass a strict certification process on Latvian Railway infrastructure. An independent certification institution was involved in the certification procedure. Other institutions included Valsts dzelzceļa tehniskā inspekcija, European Union Agency for Railways (ERA). No deviations from the process were possible. The new electric trains have gone through all necessary tests and have received all certificates to ensure they are safe to be used for passenger transportation on the railway infrastructure maintained by Latvian Railway. At the same time, looking back at the start of their deployment and feedback received, I can agree that the process of their deployment could have been done in a more gradual manner. We have learned from our mistakes. This is why we will perform the deployment of the remaining electric trains in accordance with our new risk-reduction plan.
To what degree have the defects uncovered in trains supplied by Škoda Vagonka been fixed?
Currently all of the defects previously uncovered in the 17 trains supplied by Škoda Vagonka have been fixed. We have also determined the cause of those defects. Škoda Vagonka has performed all the necessary improvements and changes to the manufacturing process to ensure those defects do not appear in the other trains to be delivered to Latvia. We will use the knowledge and experience we have gained in the deployment of new trains. Before letting passengers board them, we will perform extensive dynamic tests to make sure they are reliable.
Were the risks with potential railway infrastructure incompatibility considered before the new trains were deployed on various passenger routes?
How is the modernisation of passenger railway infrastructure going in PV’s opinion? It was originally planned that Latvian Railway would reconstruct 48 passenger platforms by the end of last year. How many of them still haven’t been reconstructed and how big of an impact does this have on passengers’ comfort when boarding/de-boarding new electric trains?
When it comes to using the new electric trains, we took into account all possible limitations and risks, including Latvian Railway’s railway infrastructure modernisation work. We’ve been using the new trains more cautiously on routes in which risks for train timetable accuracy are the highest.
The comment from Latvian Railway about the reconstruction of passenger platforms:
“In order to improve the convenience of railway passengers, railway accessibility, promote the speed of trains and traffic safety, Latvian Railway is currently carrying out a number of important railway infrastructure modernization works, moreover, this is done without interrupting the movement of trains on the respective railway lines.
It was initially planned to complete the passenger infrastructure modernisation project in 2023. However, shortage of raw materials, material production, supplies and other complications surfaced as the work continued. These complications were caused by geopolitical events and other factors. The contracted construction company reached out to Latvian Railway with a request to extend terms. Contracts were expended and the project’s implementation continues.
On the Riga – Jelgava line, the modernized platforms are gradually put into temporary operation, while on the other lines active construction work is still underway. The entire project must be completed by the builders within the deadlines set in each individual contract – this year.
Let’s not forget that in the previous periods – by 2019 – there was already passenger infrastructure modernisation done, and passenger platforms were raised on 28 train stops. With the completion of the project currently under construction, almost the entire electrified area of the railway will have elevated passenger platforms and will be suitable for easy boarding/de-barding of new electric trains. One exception are stations and stops that will be reconstructed as part of Rail Baltica project, as well as certain stops that were planned to be relocated or closed entirely.”
Can you say that in the future, passenger trains will run smoothly and according to the train timetable?
One of PV’s main objectives is modernising passenger transportation while also ensuring accurate and punctual train movement with 99% accuracy. Although we faced various challenges in December and the beginning of the year, thanks to the adoption of the risk reduction plan in February, we’ve managed to restore the accuracy of transportation services, successfully completing 98.6% of train trips. We will continue working towards maintaining this level. At the same time, as we’ve already said, 100% accuracy in passenger transportation on the railway is not possible because of aforementioned reasons.
Passengers are asked to follow train movements using Vivi mobile app and the website. Where should passengers who don’t use the internet turn to get this information?
Information on train movements is also available at train stations and on platforms. In situations when trains are cancelled or delayed, up-to-date information is also available at the ticket offices. Additional information on train movements can be obtained by calling the Vivi Customer Service Centre at 80007600.
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