photo: Škoda Transportation/Škoda Transportation
The Slovak Railway Company (ZSSK) took over the last fleet of 25 low-floor electrical units manufactured for it by the Škoda Transportation Association and ŽOS Trnava. The trains, meant to be for operations in the Žilina, Trenčín and Prešov regions, were handed over by the manufacturer's representatives at a ceremony meeting in Vrútky, Slovakia. The value of the entire contract is 160 million Euros.
ZSSK deploys units, for example, mainly on the lines Žilina - Trenčín, Žilina - Čadca, Čadca - Zwardoń and Žilina - Liptovský Mikuláš. The new electrical units are supplied for regional operation on all electrified lines in Slovakia for speeds of 160 km / h and voltages of 3 kV and 25 kV. They are provided in two versions. The first with a length of 80 m and a capacity of 247 seats and the second version is 106 m long with a capacity of 343 seats. Each car in the set has a traditional arrangement of two chassis and each electric unit always has three drive chassis. Thanks to this, the sets have excellent driving characteristics on all electrified lines in Slovakia and enable reliable adherence to the timetable even in hard winter conditions.
In the coming years, the fleet will expand by up to 20 new units
In addition, in September, a consortium of Škoda Transportation and ŽOS Trnava signed a contract with ZSSK for the delivery of up to 20 more trains of the same type. The subject of the contract is the delivery of 9 pieces of electrical units with a possible option for another 11 pieces. The first 9 new four-car RegioPanters will run in the Košice and Prešov regions. The fleet of these units will thus grow to 34 in Slovakia and 45 if the option is utilized.
The first delivered units have been used on the lines where they are operated by the Slovak state carrier since last year. "I am pleased that we are a supplier of ecological trains that help to significantly increase the comfort and safety of transport on the Slovak railways. After all, the country of our eastern neighbors has long been a key business partner for us - we supply not only vehicles for the local railways, but also trams and trolleybuses for Slovak cities, "said Petr Brzezina, Chairman of the Board of Directors and President of the Škoda Transportation Group.
"We have done everything in our power to put the new units into operation as soon as possible and provide passengers with more convenient services. The delivery of modern trains, which also run worldwide, has been successfully completed and the new units represent a huge leap in the quality of travel in the region. I am convinced that the highest quality will be maintained because we have set demanding contractual criteria for checking the quality and availability of vehicles in the tender. I am already looking forward to the handover of the first Panthers on the lines of eastern Slovakia, "said Roman Koreň, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of ZSSK.