Czechia: On 24 November, the four-car trainset was presented at the Plzeň plant. The EMU is expected to arrive in Bulgaria in January and start commercial service in April, as soon as the necessary tests are complete.
The rolling stock is designed on Škoda Group’s traditional platform 7Ev (RegioPanter), a partially low-floor single-deck electric unit. With a maximum operating speed of 160 km/h, the train will operate on 25 kV AC lines. The interior features 333 seats and multifunctional areas for people with reduced mobility, prams and bicycles.
The contract for the delivery of 20 trains was signed with the Bulgarian Ministry of Transport and Communications last September. Later, an option for a further five trainsets was exercised. The total cost of the procurement with 15 years of maintenance is over BGN 639 mln excluding VAT (€326.7 mln). The manufacturer plans to deliver the whole fleet by next August.
