Škoda Group has completed to weld the carbodies for the new Sofia metro train at its plant in Ostrava, in the Czech Republic.
In July 2023, Škoda Group and Metropoliten EAD signed a EUR 65 million contract for the supply of 8 four-car metro trains expected to enter passenger services in 2026. They will be put in operation on Bulgarian capital metro lines 1, 2 and 4.
The new trains will be equipped with powerful air conditioning system and safety system with automatic speed control which will ensure a safe journey by regulating the speed of traffic and preventing trains from catching up. They will also be equipped with powered by traction three-phase asynchronous motors, with a modern system allowing the recovery of braking energy which will return to the power grid.
The new trains will have a design speed of 90 km/h. The Sofia metro operates on a standard gauge of 1 435 mm and is powered via a contact (third) rail. The power supply is DC, and the nominal voltage is 750 ± 250 V.
The trains will be adapted to passengers with reduced mobility and will provide two wheelchair areas to provide better access and comfort to passenger with reduced mobility
The new Sofia metro train is manufactured at Škoda Group’s production sites in Ostrava and Pilsen and will provide increased capacity on city’s metro network which is used by more than 1 million passengers each day.
Also in July 2023, Sofia Metro awarded Simetro consortium a EUR 66.8 million contract for the supply of 8 Inspiro trainsets for the future Line 3. The consortium is made of Siemens Mobility Bulgaria, Siemens Mobility Austria and Newag. The trains are expected to enter operation in the second half of 2026.
When entirely completed, city’s Line 3 will be 21 km long with 21 metro stations. The Recovery and Resilience Facility provided EUR 110.5 million for the construction of a section for a total length of 3 km covering 3 stations. The investment is expected to allow the transport of 7.6 million passengers per year on average as of 2026.
The contracts on the construction works have been signed and the implementation is ongoing and the investment is expected to be completed by 31 December 2025.
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