Permission has been received to deploy the new electric trains to Latvia’s railway network. The first official passenger trip is scheduled for December, as confirmed by Latvian Minister of Transport Kaspars Briškens.
“We have received permission to deploy the new electric trains on the market. The first trip is planned for December,” the minister reported, adding that more information will be reported soon.
LETA previously reported that the first two new electric trains manufactured by Czech Škoda Vagonka were delivered to Riga more than a year ago – June 2022.
Each train consists of four cars. The length of a single train is 109 m. Each train can hold 436 seated and 454 standing passengers.
It is planned for Škoda Vagonka to supply Latvian Pasažieru vilciens JSC with 23 electric trains by the end of 2023 and nine more in 2024.
Pasažieru vilciens representatives previously confirmed plans to request Škoda Vagonka to pay a fine for failure to supply new trains on time. The maximum fine for delays of each individual train’s delivery is 10% of the train’s price.
The total cost of this entire project is estimated at EUR 257.889 million.
The new trains are planned to be deployed in Aizkraukle, Tukums, Saulkrasti and Jelgava.
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