UKRAINIAN Railways (UZ) has launched a Hryvnia 31.4bn ($US 1.18bn) tender for a fleet of 80 suburban and regional trains.

UZ plans to purchase 30 ac electric trains, 30 dc suburban electric trains and 20 ac regional trains. UZ says 60 trains will be used in the operator’s City Express project, with the other 20 to be launched on existing and new regional services. There are no details regarding the number of coaches each train will have.

UZ has invited Siemens, Stadler, Alstom, Pesa, Skoda and Kryukivka Carriage Plant to bid for the tender. The deadline for applications is November 1, with a UZ expected to be make its decision by the end of 2021. Delivery of the new trains is due to be completed by the end of 2026.

The operator says that more than 90% of its suburban electric fleet is life-expired.

As part of the cooperation with German Rail (DB), DB Regio has been involved in reviewing the technical specifications for the new trains.

UZ also plans to upgrade 45,000 wagons by 2028 through modernisation and purchasing new wagons through a Hryvnia 100bn scheme. The ambition is to reduce the average age of freight wagons operated by UZ from 23 years to seven.

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