Offers were received from Alstom Ferroviaria, Siemens Mobility and CRRC Qingdao Sifang.

The winning bidder will maintain the fleet for 15 years. The contract will include an option for 40 additional trains.

The base order, which is worth an estimated Leu 1.7bn ($US 400m), is being financed by the European Union through the Large Infrastructure Operational Programme 2014-2020.