POLISH operator PolRegio has signed framework agreements with four rolling stock manufacturers for the supply of up to 200 EMUs.

The four companies involved are FPS H. Cegielski, Pesa Bydgoszcz, Newag and Stadler Polska, which all submitted bids above budget for a tender for the new trains issued in May 2022, with the results announced in October.

Each manufacturer will be required to supply trains with modern features such as Wi-Fi, digital passenger information systems and air-conditioning over the next three years.

The new trains will be ordered in two versions - either a shorter two-car formation with at least 130 seats, or a longer three-car unit with a minimum of 210 seats. Both versions should be able to run at up to 160km/h to help speed up travel times on the network.

Another requirement of the new vehicles is that they should be adapted to the needs of people with limited mobility, with single-space interiors and low floor entry together with ramps or an automatic lift. In each formation one of the two on-board toilets will be adapted to the needs of people with disabilities and another requirement is there should be a baby-changing area.

The new rolling stock for PolRegio represents a record order for the regional operator, with a value totalling over Zlotys 7bn ($US 1.6bn) and financing will come from EU grants and loans as well as other sources such as the European Investment Bank (EIB), commercial debt instruments and PolRegio’s own funds. In the last two years PolRegio says it has been in a stable position financially, having secured nearly Zlotys 10bn in revenue from long-term operating contracts signed with Polish regional governorships for the period up until 2030.

PolRegio has already conducted extensive market consultations, settled tenders and signed framework agreements with the manufacturers in accordance with Centre for EU Transport Projects (CUPT) requirements. As part of the signed framework agreements, electronic auctions for the next batches of vehicles will be held.

It is estimated that the first of the new EMUs will be delivered in 2025 and completion of all deliveries is slated for July 2026.

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