Approximately 300 windows in the new Czech-made “Škoda Vagonka” electric trains, operated by Pasažieru vilciens(PV), have been found to be defective, the company told news agency LETA.
PV explained that across all 32 electric trains, there are nearly 3,000 windows, of which about 10% – more than 300 – have lost their seal, causing fogging. Nearly 60% of these faulty windows have been replaced, but 134 still await replacement. The remaining replacements are expected to be completed by the end of summer.
The company emphasized that identifying defects is an ongoing process, and any findings are reported to the manufacturer, who performs repairs under warranty.
Currently, 19 of the electric trains are equipped with bike racks, and six more are scheduled to be equipped by the end of May. The final seven should be ready by the end of June. On a daily basis, 24 electric trains are in service, with priority given to those equipped with bicycle racks. Passengers can check the PV mobile app to see whether a specific train has a bike rack before traveling.
Regarding the delays in installing bike racks, PV cited initial setbacks in spare parts delivery from the manufacturer and the need for additional staff training.
To speed up the process, PV has expanded its repair crew by hiring more personnel. The installation work must also be coordinated with the limited capacity of repair workshops, which are simultaneously handling other technical tasks like routine maintenance of electric and diesel trains, major repairs, and warranty work.
By the end of March, PV had also recorded four incidents of damage to the trains’ pantographs – three caused by poor condition of the overhead contact lines and one due to a truck tearing the line while crossing a railway. These repairs have cost nearly €100,000.
Passenger service with the new “Škoda Vagonka” electric trains began in mid-December 2023, following an extended testing phase on Latvia’s railway infrastructure. Despite the tests, the trains experienced frequent technical issues throughout December and January.
The first two train cars arrived in Riga in June 2022, and by September 2024, all 32 trains had been delivered. Each train consists of four cars, with a total length of 109 meters, and offers seating for 436 passengers and standing room for 454 more. The trains are designed with level boarding for high platforms.
The total cost of the new electric trains amounts to €244.846 million, of which €168.191 million is co-financed by the European Union’s Cohesion Fund.
PV was established in 2001 as a spin-off from Latvijas dzelzceļš to manage domestic passenger transport. Initially a subsidiary, PV became a fully state-owned enterprise in October 2008. In 2023, PV carried 19.44 million passengers.
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