Bulgaria’s caretaker Transport Minister Georgi Gvozdeikov and the management of Polish company Stadler Polska Sp. z o. o. signed on April 26 the contract for the supply of seven double-decker trains, which will be bought using funds under the EU’s Recovery and Sustainability Plan, the Transport Ministry said.

The value of the contract is 300 513 279.50 leva, and the delivery period is 26 months, the ministry said.

“We are signing this contract after more than 20 years in which our country has not purchased a single new train,” Gvozdeikov said.

He said that after all the years of neglecting the railway transport, society deserves to travel in modern and safe trains, and this contract is the first serious 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 Recovery and Sustainability Plan reforms,” he said.

The chairman of the board of Stadler Polska Sp. z o. o. Philip Brunner emphasised the importance of the deal with Bulgaria.

“We are extremely proud that our company will contribute to the improvement of railway transport in the country and I hope that our partnership will continue in the future,” he said.

The contract includes the delivery of 7 double-deck zero-emission electric trains from the “KISS” series, as well as an option for the delivery of three more trains if financing is secured until 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 per cent of them will be for people with reduced mobility. The trains are for a speed of 160 km/h and will be interoperable with the European railway network.

(Photo: Transport Ministry)

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