Six out of 12 Flirt EMUs manufactured at the Stadler Polska factory in Siedlce were handed over to the Polish national carrier PKP Intercity. The remaining trains are to be delivered by the end of 2023.
The value of the contract signed in 2019 with Stadler exceeds PLN 1 billion (EUR 227.4 million) including the provision of maintenance for all trainsets for a period of 15 years.
The new electric multiple units are able to run at a top speed of 160 km/h on the modernised railway lines, significantly reducing travel time. The trains offer 294 seats at the 2nd class and 60 seats at the 1st class.
The new trains are equipped with air conditioning, power sockets, GSM/LTE signal amplifiers and Wi-Fi and provide passengers with dedicated spaces for bicycles and for people with disabilities. The new units equipped with modern passenger information systems are monitored by the installed security system.
The lightweight Flirt trains guarantee lower energy consumption, and their sustainability is also ensured by the utilisation of ecological materials that are recyclable. In addition, they are equipped with an energy recovery system, thanks to which they can return the energy generated during braking to the traction network. Greater travel comfort will be ensured by soundproofing, which will result in less noise emission inside the trains.
The new Flirt EMUs will enable the increase of capacity and connections on the most popular routes connecting the main Polish cities.
The trains will run on six rail connections:
- Szczecin – Poznań – Łódź – Lublin;
- Szczecin – Poznań – Łódź – Kraków;
- Gdynia – Bydgoszcz – Łódź – Kraków;
- Gdynia – Bydgoszcz – Łódź – Katowice;
- Olsztyn – Warszawa – Kraków;
- Olsztyn/Białystok – Warszawa – Częstochowa – Bielsko Biała/Racibórz.
The new electric multiple units are compatible with the existing Flirt trains delivered in 2015. This means that the EMUs from 2015 can be combined with vehicles from the latest series enabling great operational flexibility and harmonisation of the train fleet.
“Each PKP Intercity investment is carried out considering the impact on our passengers. Modern vehicles, such as those just received from Stadler Polska, are tangible proof of the positive change in Polish railways. More and more connections are served by new or modernised rolling stock, thanks to which rail is becoming more and more a means of transport preferred by passengers,” Jarosław Oniszczuk, member of the management board of PKP Intercity said.
The contract is part of the company’s 2030 rolling stock investment plan worth PLN 27 billion (EUR 6 billion) which involves the modernisation of the existing vehicles and the procurement of new vehicles including locomotives, multiple units and coaches. As a result, the carrier plans to launch about twice as many trains in 2030 and offer passengers a high standard of travel. Traveling at a speed of 160-250 km/h will become the norm, which will shorten travel times.
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