The Central Finance and Contracting Agency (CFCA) has approved the project of AS “Pasažieru vilciens” for the purchase of electric trains, providing funding from the Cohesion Fund in the amount of more than 114 million euros. The European Commission has delivered a positive opinion on the project design.
In order to promote the use of environmentally friendly public transport and increase the number of passengers on environmentally friendly public transport, the purchase of 23 new electric passenger trainsets is planned with the support of funding from the European Union (EU) that is part of the number of new electric trainsets to be procured by AS “Pasažieru vilciens”. Additional purchase of 9 electric trains is planned with full financial support from the State budget which is not included in the project.
Anita Krūmiņa, Director of the CFCA: “The largest EU funds project in the programming period of 2014–2020 has received the green light also from the European Commission which means that more than 114 million euros will be allocated from EU funds for the purchase of electric trains. Modern and comfortable rail transport is one of the most anticipated development stages in public transport that would encourage a large part of society to change their mobility behaviour. We wish “Pasažieru vilciens” a successful implementation of the project!”
It is estimated that the implementation of this project will enable the transportation of at least 2.7 million passengers using environmentally friendly public transport in 2023. Convenient rail transport will contribute to reduction of motor vehicle traffic, thus improving road safety and reducing environmental pollution. Rail passenger transport will also become more efficient, reducing the travel time.
It is expected to complete the railway electrification project by the end of 2023. On 30 July 2019, the management of AS “Pasažieru vilciens” and the company “ŠKODA VAGONKA” signed a contract for the delivery of 32 new electric trains. The delivery of the new electric trains is planned to take place in stages, with the first trains being delivered in the first half of 2022 and passenger services already being operated with all 32 new trains by the end of 2023.
The purchase of the electric trains is one of the most financially significant projects financed by EU funds in the current programming period, with 114.21 million euros being allocated from the Cohesion Fund and almost 47 million euros – from the State budget. Considering that the project funding exceeds 50 million euros, the project design was also examined and approved by the European Commission and a positive opinion was delivered on 18 April.