Czech Škoda Vagonka has two months to ensure 95% availability of new electric trains, said Latvian Minister of Transport Kaspars Briškens at a press-conference on Tuesday, the 9th of January.
“This is the standard appropriate in global practice. When adopting a new type of electric train, in two months its is necessary to ensure at least in 95% of cases these trains are fully available,” said Briškens.
Previously representatives of Pasažieru vilciens told LETA that the company currently has 17 new electric trains. The company has presented the Czech company with complaints in regards to various technical problems and various defects in seven trains.
This means the availability of new trains at the moment is about 60%.
Representatives of Škoda Vagonka told journalists on Tuesday that in two months’ time it is planned to deliver Pasažieru vilciens four more trains. This will increase the total number of new electric trains in Latvia’s hands to 21. 95% these trains will need to be made available for passenger transport services.
Pasažieru vilciens chairman Rodžers Jānis Grigulis added that if this requirement is not met in two months, the train manufacturer will be applied with fines.
“If the guaranteed terms for repairs are not met, there will be multiple sanctions. The recently uncovered A-level defect – when a train was unable to continue its movement – faces a fine of EUR 1 500 for each day of delay since the due date when these defects should have been rectified. For B-level defects, which are less significant and do not impact train functions, the fine is EUR 500 for every delayed day,” said Grigulis.
At the same time, Briškens said that previously there were ten specialists from Škoda Vagonka in Latvia. The company has since increased the number of its specialists in Latvia to 27.
These specialists work in all train-related processes, including repairs of defects.
LETA previously reported that PV started providing railway passenger transport services on the route to Tukims, Aizkraukle and Skulte using three new electric trains on Friday, the 15th of December. On the 16th of December new trains were deployed in Jelgava’s direction.
PV has three new electric trains at the moment. 20 electric train units have been supplied to Latvia so far. Škoda Vagonka plans to commission up to 19 electric train units by the end of the year.
At the same time, PV representatives explain that it is planned to receive all 32 trains by mid-2024.
Once all new trains have been received and commissioned, it is planned to start compiling interval timetables for new trains. Currently it’s planned to deploy them in morning and evening hours, which traditionally see the most foot traffic. Trains will course every 15 to 20 minutes.
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.
Pasažieru vilciens representatives previously said the company will request Škoda Vagonka to pay a fine for their failure to deliver trains on time. The maximum fine for failure to deliver each train within the agreed upon time is 10% of the train’s price.
The total costs of the project reach EUR 257.889 million.
Also read: BNN IN FOCUS | New trains: Latvia adopts new models together with Estonia, but falls behind by a decade
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