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Bulgaria's Capital Sofia to Receive Eight Metro Trains from Škoda Group

Bulgaria's Capital Sofia to Receive Eight Metro Trains from Škoda Group
photo: Škoda Group/Bulgaria's Capital Sofia to Receive Eight Metro Trains from Škoda Group
14 / 07 / 2023

The Škoda Group has secured a contract exceeding CZK 1.6 billion to provide eight metro trains for Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. These four-car trains, a continuation of the model supplied to Warsaw, will be manufactured at Škoda's production plants in Ostrava and Plzeň and are expected to enter service by 2026 on Sofia's 1, 2, and 4 metro lines. A noteworthy feature of the Sofia trains will be their air conditioning system, a necessity given Bulgaria's warm climate. Škoda has a history of vehicle delivery to Bulgaria, having provided 210 trolleybuses to five of the country's cities since 2010.

Zdeněk Svata, President of Region Central East at the Škoda Group, lauded the deal, stating, "This success underlines our expertise in the field of public transport. I am confident that the Sofia Metro sets will exceed expectations and further strengthen our reputation as a reliable partner in urban mobility solutions." On the same note, Stoyan Braotev, Managing Director of Metropoliten EAD, added, "The opening of the new metro station, together with the necessary partial reduction of peak intervals on lines 1 and 4, will be made possible by the 8 new trains."

The new metro trains will be 80 meters long and will be outfitted with a signaling system for automatic speed control, traction three-phase asynchronous motors, regenerative braking, and compartments for wheelchair users. Given that the Sofia metro operates partially on the surface, the vehicles will be designed to cope with such conditions. The win of this contract reinforces the Škoda Group's standing as a significant European manufacturer in the transport industry and underlines its commitment to sustainable urban mobility and innovative solutions.

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