CROATIA: National passenger operator HŽPP has signed a €62·4m firm contract for Končar KEV to supply six suburban and six regional 160 km/h low-floor electric multiple-units.
The order signed on April 29 is being financed with loans from Eurofima (€57·2m) and the International Bank for Reconstruction & Development (€5·2m).
Končar began developing its multiple-units in 2008, with a prototype sold to Bosnian operator ŽFBH and two regional and suburban prototypes delivered to HŽPP in 2011.
In January 2014 HŽPP signed an €213m agreement to buy 44 diesel and electric multiple-units.
Of these, 10 regional EMUs, 10 suburban EMUs and one DMU were delivered in 2015-16, financed through the Croatian Bank for Reconstruction & Development. A further four DMUs were delivered in 2019-20, financed with an IBRD loan.
However, production of the remaining 19 units was stopped because of financial difficulties at HŽPP.
‘We still need to secure funding for the remaining seven DMUs from the original contract’, said HŽPP CEO Željko Ukić when the latest agreement was signed. ‘But with the new trains we will significantly increase the passenger comfort and the quality of our service.’
Tenders have also been called for 21 EMUs, which would be funded from EU sources.
