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Latvia to purchase 32 new electric trains

Latvia to purchase 32 new electric trains

They will serve as the backbone of a new and improved public transport system in the country

Last week, the Latvian government approved the allocation of over 250 million euros for the purchase of new electric trains and equipment, their maintenance, personnel training and the establishment of a new repair centre. The funding will be provided to the Ministry of Transport for the period between 2019 and 2024 under the condition that it signs a contract for the training of personnel with the company Škoda Vagonka AS.

The government has also directed the Ministry of Transport to begin exploring options for the acquiring of European funding for this massive undertaking, but odds of that happening are slim, according to officials. The hurdle – subsidiaries of Škoda Vagonka AS are involved in a corruption scandal revolving around Riga’s public transport system.

The package is also part of a larger strategy – the Guidelines for Transport Development 2014-2020 which aims to integrate the whole country’s public transport system. This programme has evolved into the future concept for public transport development 2021-2030, which envisions the newly purchased electric trains to become the backbone of the entire public transport of Latvia. Through it, cities, towns and villages will be better connected than ever and will be able to better manage traffic flows and establish new route networks.

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