Vice Prime Minister: Škoda trains will connect two Euro cities

first double-decked electric train...

The first double-decked electric train manufactured by ŠKODA VAGONKA a.s. was handed over to the Ukrainian delegation headed by Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister and Infrastructure Minister Borys Kolesnikov in the Czech Republic on 13 March, according to Information Centre Ukraine-2012. According to Infrastructure Ministry’s press service report, the trains of Czech production will run between Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk. Borys Kolesnikov together with Ukrzaliznytsya (Ukrainian Railroad Administration) experts have inspected the carriages and drove a test circle at the ŠKODA TRANSPORTATION a.s. company’s testing ground in a new train. The trains will be delivered to Kharkiv by railway at the end of March. In line with the contract concluded between the Pivdenna (Southern) Railway and the Czech company, Ukrainian railways will receive two trains of this kind.

According to the deputy vice minister, travel fees in new trains will be affordable for people. “These two trains will run around the circle Kharkiv – Dnipropetrovsk – Donetsk – Kharkiv.   Therefore, they will provide communication between the three cities in the east of the country having population of over one million each. I do not wish to reveal the prices now, but it will be somewhat cheaper than by bus, though the quality will be much higher,” Borys Kolesnikov emphasized.

Double-decked Škoda trains are made up of six carriages, each of them having 126 seats (total capacity 636 seats). First-class (upper deck) and second-class seats have been envisaged. Electric trains are equipped with seats for persons with limited physical capacities, and each train has got four stairlifts for wheelchairs and specially equipped toilet cores.

The trains will have maintenance warranty during 24 months since the moment when they are put into operation. The total term of a train’s operation is 40 years, which is almost double that of the current one.

Czech engineers will visit Ukraine at the beginning of operation and during Euro-2012 in order to help Ukrainian specialists to operate electric trains and maintain them.

Information Centre Ukraine-2012 - ukraine2012.gov.ua