The management of Pasažieru vilciens and Škoda Vagonka have signed amendments to the standing contract for the supply of electric trains, equipment and personnel training. Amendments state that the first 23 electric trains are to be supplied to Latvia in the first half-year of 2023, and the remaining nine – in Q4 2023.
Initially it was planned to supply the first trains in the first half-year of 2022. Amendments were introduced due to the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on the manufacturing process, which is something neither side could have predicted when the contract was first signed, as reported by Pasažieru vilciens.
With these amendments the initially planned end term for the contract’s completion remains unchanged. JSC Pasažieru vilciens is scheduled to receive all 32 new electric trains by the end of 2023 with all of them fully ready to carry passengers. Certification, testing and commissioning will be done by the manufacturer.
Each of the 32 trains will consist of four carts. The length of a single train will be 109 m. Each train will be able to seat 436 passengers.
The trains will have single-level boarding, which will provide not only accessibility for all passengers but also help shorten passenger exchange times. Wider doors will also facilitate quicker boarding.
New trains will have climate control, ergonomic seats and appropriate modern appliances. Other equipment includes video and audio information systems, powerful Wi-Fi connections, etc. Trains will run more quietly than the trains currently used in Latvia. The top speed of new trains will be 160 km/h (130 km/h now). Maximum speed will be possible to reach in areas where railway infrastructure allows it.
Once new trains have been received, JSC Pasažieru vilciens will be able to adopt interval schedules for all active railway routes.