site.btaTransport Ministry Signs Constract for 7 Double-decker Trains worth over BGN 300 Mln

A contract for the supply of seven double-decker trains, which will be purchased with funds under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), was signed by caretaker Minister of Transport and Communications, Georgi Gvozdeikov, and the management of the Polish company Stadler Polska, said the Ministry of Transport and Communications on Friday.

The contract includes the delivery of seven double-decker zero-emission electric trains from the KISS series, as well as an option for the delivery of three more trains if financing is secured by the end of the contract. The contractor must also provide 15 years of train maintenance and training of operating personnel. The rolling stock will have a minimum of 300 seats, and more than 10% of them will be for people with reduced mobility. The trains will be able to move at up to 160 km/h and will be interoperable with the European railway network.

The value of the contract is BGN 300,513,279.50, and the delivery period will be 26 months.

"We are signing this contract after more than 20 years, in which our country has not purchased a single new train," pointed out Gvozdeikov. He added that after all the years of neglecting the railway transport, society deserves to travel with modern and safe trains, and this contract is the first significant step in that direction. "The rolling stock, which will be delivered by 2026, meets all the requirements for comfort and environmental friendliness, which are the basis of the NRRP reforms," The Minister noted.

Philipp Brunner, Executive Vice President Division Central Europe at Stadler, stressed the importance of the deal with Bulgaria, noting that the company is extremely proud to contribute to the improvement of railway transport in the country and expressed hope that the partnership will continue in the future.

At the beginning of the month, Gvozdeikov signed a decision to select a contractor for the delivery of seven double-decker trains, which will be purchased with funds under the NRRP. The public procurement was opened in the middle of February, and at the end of March the bids of the participants were considered. On April 18, the Trasport Ministry switched to direct contracting for the supply of 35 single-decker locomotives under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. 

Investments were envisaged under the NRRP for the purchase of seven double-decker and 35 single-decker electric locomotives, 20 single-decker push-pull trains, 18 electric shunter locomotives, as well as the supply of on-board equipment for 108 electric locomotives.