The Railway Company of Slovakia (ZSSK) has launched two train fleet tenders for long-distance trainsets and battery electric multiple units (BEMUs), totalling EUR 781 million.
One of the procurements covers the acquisition of 8 EMUs, with an option for an additional 7 trainsets. EUR 645 million is the total value to acquire 15 electric multiple units, and the contract also includes the delivery of spare parts and the provision of maintenance services for 10 years, which will involve ZSSK employees, ensuring maximum reliability and long-term operation.
The new EMUs will offer at least 550 seats, including first class with at least 75 seats, a bistro car, an information desk, and space for passengers with children, passengers with reduced mobility, and bicycles.
“The procurement of these electric units is a historic step for ZSSK and represents a fundamental shift in the quality of long-distance travel in Slovakia. Passengers can look forward to a modern interior, the highest comfort, and technologically advanced solutions. With this investment, ZSSK will enter a new era of rail transport in Slovakia. We want the train to become the first choice for people when travelling across the country, thanks to the speed, comfort, and top quality of the new trains,” said ZSSK CEO, Peter Helexa.
The multi-system trainsets, capable of running on various traction systems, will be equipped with ETCS and GSM-R systems, meeting all European standards for high-speed rail transport (TSI).
The EMUs will partially or completely replace the existing conventional trains operating on the Tatran and Kriváň express railway lines, providing passengers with higher comfort, increased speed, and shorter journey times compared to conventional trains.
The trains will be primarily deployed for daily long-distance transport between Košice, Poprad, Žilina, Trenčín, Trnava, Bratislava, and Vienna, with the possibility of use on other long-distance lines. Their high capacity and maximum speed of up to 200 km/h will provide passengers with the most modern design and unrivalled comfort.
The project reflects the efficient use of vehicles in accordance with the planned hourly cycle on the Bratislava – Košice – Vienna route. The new trains will be fully compatible with the infrastructure in the region and ready for operation even after market liberalisation.
In the long term, the trains will run within Slovakia and Austria, and, if approved, will also provide services to the Czech Republic and Hungary.
The aim of the project is to achieve an efficient and long-term sustainable solution for the renewal of rolling stock for long-distance transport. Based on an internal needs assessment and in accordance with optimisation recommendations, the number of electric units to be procured was adjusted from the original 10 to 8, with an option for an additional 7. Financing should be secured from EU funds, which minimises the burden on the state budget, ZSSK says.
First BEMU procurement
The second of the issued train fleet tenders covers the procurement of 16 battery electric multiple units (BEMUs), with the contract also including an option for a further 20 units. EUR 136 million is the estimated value of the BEMUs, which will be co-financed from European funds.
In addition to increasing journey comfort, the trains will also improve the working conditions of employees.
The aim of the project is to support the quality of travel in the regions of Slovakia and provide sustainable solutions to reduce carbon footprint. The public procurement will reflect the recommendations of the Value for Money Unit of the Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic to ensure the most advantageous solution in terms of efficiency, operating costs, and battery life.
ZSSK reflects the recommendations of the Value for Money Unit (VFU), which praised this initiative. The carrier focuses on the cost-effectiveness of its investment in battery-powered trains. It systematically analyses the economic efficiency of deploying new vehicles and follows an investment plan that addresses not only the modernisation of the rolling stock but also other activities in preparation for 2027.
It reviews and analyses in detail the deployment of planned vehicles from both an operational and commercial perspective to ensure the vehicles are used effectively with regard to the goal of increasing the attractiveness of rail passenger transport in Slovakia. The public procurement criteria remain unchanged, as the greater capacity of trains supports the growth in passenger numbers, and the maintenance costs are reasonable.
The battery warranty is contractually set for 8 years, and before its expiration, test runs will be carried out to check the guaranteed range of the units. Before any expansion of the fleet, an analysis of the further use of the vehicles will be carried out, and at the same time, the feasibility study will be updated, which will be resubmitted for evaluation by the Office of the Transport Inspectorate.
These trains will be equipped with air-conditioning systems, modern passenger information systems, Wi-Fi, and more comfortable spaces for transporting bicycles and prams. The new BEMUs will be quieter, smoother, and more environmentally friendly.
ZSSK considered this BEMU procurement as the electrification of the rail lines managed by the Slovak Railways (ŽSR) is not sufficient, with only 1,585 km electrified out of the total 3,630 km of railway lines in Slovakia. The deployment of battery trains is an effective solution today, enabling modern and sustainable transport even on partially electrified lines. The new trains will run on electrified lines in normal mode and will use rechargeable traction batteries on non-electrified sections.
Thanks to battery electric trains, 2.3 tonnes of pollutants and 130,000 tonnes of CO₂ are saved annually. Battery electric units are already running in Germany and Austria, and recently, the first battery train was also introduced by České dráhy in the Czech Republic. Slovakia is thus joining this European trend and will become the next country in Central Europe to systematically deploy battery units in regional operation. This project is a step towards the modernisation of rail transport in Slovakia and its transition to more sustainable and efficient solutions.
These train fleet tenders are the largest public procurements in the history of the Slovakian rail passenger operator, marking a turning point for the country’s rail transport in terms of comfort, speed, and safety on rail lines currently dominated by conventional locomotives with carriages.
The Ministry of Transport of the Slovak Republic sees this project as a strategic investment in the future of rail transport in Slovakia. “The modernisation of rail transport is one of the main priorities of the ministry. We want the railway to be not only ecological, but also a fast and comfortable alternative to road transport. These are vehicles that will offer safety, reliability, and a high standard of travel. We are convinced that railways are the key to sustainable mobility in the 21st century,” said the State Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, Denisa Žiláková.
2023 was a successful year for ZSSK regarding its rolling stock renewal programme. Thanks to EU funds, the company was able to obtain 12 new electric units, of which 9 are single-deck and 3 are double-deck, and to modernise a further 15 electric units used on tracks in the High Tatras. In 2023, ZSSK also acquired 11 new passenger coaches and modernised 18 railcars. Together with other smaller projects focused on increasing safety, the total amount spent on these projects reached almost EUR 242 million. The new rolling stock significantly reduced the average age of the train fleet, one of the most important indicators of railway quality from the customer’s point of view.
Between 2024 and 2030, ZSSK plans to purchase new train sets for long-distance services and electric units for regional services. In order to reduce emissions, the company does not plan to purchase new diesel units in the future, but intends to focus on hybrid rolling stock using battery-driven and hydrogen-driven motors.
ZSSK operates 1,818 trains per day, of which 428 are long-distance trains and 1,390 are used for suburban and regional transport. The company’s trains stop at 705 stations, serving a network of 2,872 km of tracks. In 2023, ZSSK transported 71.7 million passengers, which represents a year-on-year increase of almost 7%. However, this is still 7% less than the record-breaking year of 2019.
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