The State Railway Technical Inspectorate rejects the claim that it had permitted the commissioning of Czech Škoda Vagonka’s manufactured electric trains on the market without performing an appropriate inspection, representatives of the inspectorate say, commenting on their responsibility for the many troubles with the new electric trains in Latvia.
The inspectorate stresses that the permit provided for the release of the trains on the market means the inspected trains comply with EU and Latvian regulations and they can be used within Latvia’s territory.
The permit does not ensure each train is inspected before every railway trip.
The inspectorate also mentions that the permit that permits the use of Škoda trains within Latvia’s territory means a decision taken by the inspectorate on the basis of reasonable assurance that the relevant obligations and responsibilities of the participants involved in the design, manufacture and conformity assessment have been fulfilled to ensure compliance with the regulatory requirements.
Thus, the permit allows the vehicle to be placed on the market and used in the relevant space under the conditions specified in the permit, the inspectorate explains.
The inspectorate also notes that in the case with Škoda trains all supporting documentary evidence was received, confirming that the manufacturer and all related participants have fulfilled all regulatory obligations. This is why in relation to Škoda Vagonka electric trains the inspectorate operated solely as the issuer of a permit to allow the use of trains in Latvia.
At the same time, the inspectorate notes that the situation with the new electric trains in Latvia is not something passengers and residents expected, as the deployment of new trains presents certain risks for continued provision of passenger transportation services.
The inspectorate also explains that train manufacture, their release on the market and deployment on the railway network is a long and complicated process, adding that adaptation of trains to their new environment is usually accompanied by various “childhood diseases”, which are supposed to be “cured” during the warranty period by the manufacturer – Škoda Vagonka. At the same time, it is important to keep in mind that new electric trains also have new technologies that differ greatly from older generation train models.
Commenting on the responsibility of the participants of this process, the inspectorate notes that it is necessary to separate the requirements of compliance with technical regulations from the aspects of convenience, reliability and reliability.
At the same time, the inspectorate notes that in this situation all involved sides have different responsibilities – the train manufacturer Škoda Vagonka needs to fix the defects, monitor the technical state of trains, as well as train local maintenance specialists. The local railway infrastructure manager needs to ensure infrastructure accessibility and platform cleanliness, especially during period of intense snowfall. The inspectorate has the duty to monitor the situation and make sure all sides perform their duties.
The first two Škoda Vagonka 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.
The total costs of the project reach EUR 257.889 million.
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