Latvian Government announced that EUR 259 million will be provided to Pasažieru vilciens, the passenger rail operator, for the rolling stock acquisition programme.
The funds will finance the launched procurement process on the supply of 32 new electric trains, together with the maintenance services and the construction of new depots, between 2019 and 2024.
The total costs will be known only after the closure of the train tender with the winner to be announced by the end of November., the Transport Ministry announced.
“This tender opens a new possibility on the deployment of new trains on our railway network, which will meet passengers’ expectations and the future demand,” Uldis Augulis, Transport Minister said.
In 2015 Pasažieru vilciens launched the tender on the acquisition of new trains. Talgo, Stadler, CAF and Skoda were the four companies which have submitted their offer. The most economically priced train on its entire lifetime, or 35 years, is one of the most important tender’s requests.
The new 32 electric trains, with a capacity of 400-500 seats each, are expected to be delivered between 2020 and 2023.
According to the estimations, after introducing the new trains into commercial operation, the number of passengers will increase from currently 17 million to 25 million per year.
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