Elron's first Škoda regional train arrives in Estonia
Elron's first suburban or regional train – the Škoda EMU – arrived in Estonia on Friday. Once operational, the train will be used primarily to serve commuter routes to Tallinn, both to the west and to Aegviidu. A total of five Škoda EMU's will be produced in the Czech Republic for Elron.
Elron management board member Märt Ehrenpreis said that the regional train is similar in nature to a long-distance train, but with more space for bicycles and seats and no business classes due to the short journeys it makes.
Elron ordered both long-distance and suburban trains from Škoda, with the first long-distance train arriving in Estonia last year. In total, 16 new Škoda electric trains will be coming to Estonia between 2024 and 2026, 11 of which will be long-distance and five suburban.
The suburban trains will have 262 seats and 18 places for bicycle. The Long-distance trains will have 236 seats, 15 bicycle spaces, a catering area and numbered seats.
The new long-distance trains are expected to start serving passenger routes on the Tallinn-Tartu line after infrastructure owner Eesti Raudtee completes the electrification of the entire Tapa-Tartu section of the railway, Elron said. The commuter trains can be brought onto the line once necessary testing has been completed.
The trains will be built at Škoda's Ostrava factory in the Czech Republic, then transported by road in trucks to Riga, where their construction will be finished.
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Editor: Marko Tooming, Michael Cole
