ŠKODA unveiled the first of five 160km/h double-deck push-pull trains for Czech Railways (ČD) at the country’s Velim test centre on June 30.
The trains will be used in the Moravian-Silesian region, and will be tested between Ostrava, Frýdek-Místek, Frýdlant nad Ostravicí and Frenštát pod Radhoštěm until the end of 2021.
The new fleet was ordered in March 2019 for Koruna 1bn ($US 46.4m).
The trains, which have capacity to seat 356 passengers, will be hauled by modified class 750.7 diesel locomotives from the ČD fleet. Electric locomotives are earmarked to eventually replace the diesel traction.
The trains will mostly be standard class, however, there is a small first class accommodation. They are also partly low-floor for barrier-free access from platforms with a 550mm height. Each set has five toilets with one being a universal access facility.
The trains feature a ticket validator for contactless purchase and passenger Wi-Fi. Plug sockets are fitted, while there is space for up to 30 bicycles, prams, and bulky luggage including skis. There is space for up to four passengers using wheelchairs with an escort. For blind and partially-sighted passengers, one of the driving coach’s doors is fitted with a remote control blind transmitter and an acoustic beacon.
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