All the recently ordered trains for Latvia have been handed over.
In 2015, the tender for the purchase of 32 new electric trains began, with the Latvian state rail company JSC "Pasazieru vilciens" eventually signing a contract with the Czech company "Sčkoda Vagonka" in mid-2019. The total cost of the entire project was estimated at 257.889 million euros.
The trains, designed to operate in Latvia's harsh winter conditions, were first tested on Latvian railway infrastructure before they faced various problems last winter. Passenger transportation with the new trains began on December 15, 2023.
However, the delivery of these trains was not without its challenges. The first train was received only at the end of June 2022, with the Covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine contributing to the delays. The procurement watchdog discovered deficiencies in the tender after Sčkoda Vagonka and Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles S.A. appealed.
Despite the initial setbacks, by December 2023, 31 trains had been delivered, with the 31st currently being accepted and the 32nd in the assembly stage. The contract stipulated that all trains should be delivered by the end of 2023, but the delivery of the last train has not yet been accepted.
Sčkoda Vagonka has submitted reasons for the delays, but the relevant arguments have yet to be evaluated. The contractual penalties for the Czech company for delays in deliveries are still ongoing.
Before opting for trains from Sčkoda Vagonka, Latvia had agreed to purchase trains worth €225 million from Spanish Patentes Talgo S.L. However, the contract with Sčkoda Vagonka was eventually signed, and the new electric trains are now in service.
Despite the initial hiccups, the new electric trains are expected to improve passenger transportation in Latvia, offering a more modern and efficient service. The person mentioned in the news articles reporting on delays in train deliveries by Sčkoda Vagonka remains unspecified.
