The Road Transport Administration (ATD) signed a contract on Thursday with the Czech association Škoda Transportation – Škoda Vagonka (Škoda) for the purchase of nine battery electric trains (BEMU) for a total of 89.409 million euros, reports LETA.
The delivery of trains is scheduled by 2029. The funding will be provided by the European Cohesion Fund and the state budget of Latvia.
The contract includes the option to purchase an additional seven trains if extra funding is available.
It is planned that the new battery trains will primarily operate on the routes to Daugavpils and Cēsis, where the necessary charging infrastructure will be built. If additional units are purchased, a large portion of the diesel trains can be replaced, and routes to Rēzekne and Valmiera can also be serviced.
BEMU trains are electric trains additionally equipped with batteries for operation on non-electrified sections of railways. They can be charged both while traveling on electrified lines and at special charging stations.
The new trains will consist of two carriages and will provide 188 seats, including 24 first-class seats. The design speed of the trains will be up to 160 km/h, and in battery mode — up to 120 km/h. Improved acceleration compared to diesel trains will allow for more efficient use of the available infrastructure and reduce travel time by 15–25 minutes.
The management notes that in Latvia, transportation on non-electrified lines is currently provided by 23 diesel trains produced from 1980 to 1992. The new trains will replace some of them.
The chairman of the board of ATD, Jānis Lapiņš, emphasized that BEMU trains are an important investment in the development of rail transport as the basis of public communication and in improving the quality and accessibility of transportation.
He noted that passengers will be able to appreciate such advantages as climate control, reduced noise and vibration levels, power outlets, USB-C charging, and more.
The trains will be adapted for all passenger groups and will meet the latest EU accessibility requirements. They will feature a modern announcement system, spaces for passengers in wheelchairs, and improved conditions for travelers with bicycles.
"While old diesel trains typically have high floors and only three bicycle spaces, the new trains will have eight spaces in the low-floor area — four arranged vertically and four horizontally," Lapiņš noted.
The CEO of the Škoda Group, Petr Novotný, emphasized that 32 electric trains of the 16Ev model produced by Škoda are already in use in Latvia, and the new contract continues the collaboration with ATD. He noted that winning the tender for the supply of up to 16 battery trains confirms the growing role of Škoda Group in the Baltic region.
Novotný added that besides Latvia, Škoda supplies electric trains to Estonia, trolleybuses to Tallinn, and recently completed the supply of trolleybuses to Vilnius.
According to the Electronic Procurement System (EIS), two companies submitted bids in the second stage of the procurement — Škoda, which offered a price of 89.409 million euros, and the Polish Stadler Polska, whose documents did not meet the tender requirements. Thus, the contract was concluded with the only eligible participant.
The Spanish company CAF also participated in the first stage of the tender but did not submit a bid in the second stage.
ATD announced the procurement in April 2022.
As previously reported by LETA, on September 9 of this year, the government decided that 123 million euros would be allocated for the purchase of new BEMU trains and the construction of charging infrastructure. Of this, 104.609 million will be EU funds, and 18.46 million will come from the state budget.
By 2029, it is planned to purchase at least nine trains and build the corresponding infrastructure.
The Ministry of Transport reports that in March 2025, an agreement was reached at a meeting of the EU funds thematic committee to redistribute funding for transport projects to strengthen the railway as the basis of the transport network and develop regional connections.
A total of 94.082 million euros from the fund intended for improving energy efficiency in public transport has been redistributed for the purchase of trains, and 10.527 million euros from the program for investments in the safety and accessibility of TEN-T roads has been allocated for the construction of charging infrastructure.
According to the ministry, BEMU trains can travel 80 to 100 km on non-electrified lines without recharging. After that, recharging is required — either from the contact network on electrified sections or at special charging stations.
Initially, BEMU trains are planned to be used on routes between Riga and the remote regions of the country — Riga–Cēsis and Riga–Daugavpils. According to the ministry, there is a high passenger flow on these routes, and elevated platforms will continue to be constructed at the stations until 2029.
Four charging stations are preliminarily planned to be built on these routes: in Sigulda and Cēsis for the Riga–Cēsis line, and in Līvāni and Daugavpils for the Riga–Daugavpils line.
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