Czech rolling stock manufacturer Škoda has completed the first of 25 new electric trains for Bulgaria just 14 months after singing the contract, worth more than half a billion euros. Czechia’s Škoda has rolled out the first unit of Bulgaria’s new national EMU fleet, finalising the train barely a year after signing a contract worth nearly CZK 13 billion (€538m). The order, placed by the Ministry of Transport and Communications in September 2024, covers 25 electric multiple units alongside 15 years of full servicing — a package expected to play a central role in the modernisation of Bulgaria’s regional rail network. The trains are based on Škoda’s RegioPanter platform, already in service across Czechia, Slovakia and the Baltics. For Bulgaria, the manufacturer has delivered a customised variant adapted to local requirements, with the remaining 11 units in advanced stages of production. “We managed to complete the first train for Bulgaria within 14 months after signing the contract – an exceptionally short time,” said Petr Novotný, CEO of Škoda Group. Bulgaria’s Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Grozdan Karadzhov echoed the same sentiment: “We already have the first completed train. Another 11 are in an advanced stage and are expected to be completed in the coming months. We will receive without delay what we have paid for — and what the Bulgarian citizens deserve.” Delivery, customisation and political backing Each four-car EMU offers more than 300 seats, a top speed of 160 km/h and 25 kV AC power systems, supported by ETCS Level 2, CCTV, air-conditioning, Wi-Fi and multifunctional areas for PRM passengers, prams and bicycles. Škoda will be supplying the 15 years of maintenance from a newly leased depot in Bulgaria.
