BULGARIA: Škoda Group has officially unveiled one of the trainsets it is building for the Sofia metro.
The €65m contract awarded by metro operator Metropolitan JSC in July 2023 covers eight four-car trainsets, which are being manufactured at Škoda’s sites in Plzeň where the train was unveiled and at Ostrava.
They are a follow-on from vehicles Škoda supplied to Warszawa, but are equipped with more powerful air-conditioning suitable for the warmer climate and surface running sections of the Sofia metro network.
The trains will be deployed primarily on lines 1, 2 and 4, helping to increase capacity and train frequencies.
The 750 V DC third rail trainsets have three-phase asynchronous traction motors and feature regenerative braking. They have a maximum design speed of 90 km/h, with an automatic speed control system to prevent trains from bunching too closely together.
The 80 m long trainsets have walk-through cars giving a capacity of more than 580 passengers, including 120 seated, with two dedicated spaces for wheelchair users.
‘The unveiling of the new metro train shows that the project is progressing according to plan’, said Škoda Group COO Zdeněk Sváta on October 1. ‘The first vehicle will be transported to Sofia in November, and we aim to complete the entire order in the first half of next year. We are proud to contribute to the modernisation of public transport in the Bulgarian capital and to provide passengers with greater comfort and capacity.’
