The Minister also said that Latvian Railways (Latvijas Dzelzcels) is entrusted with providing spare locomotives ready to haul the damaged trains away if they break.
Work is ongoing on the availability of replacement buses on all four electrified lines if the train cannot proceed. More operational passenger notifications on trains, stations, and social platforms will be ensured if the composition is delayed.
“Our technical specifications are for trains to operate between -40 and +40 degrees. Such problems, as we observe, were not intended and should not be tolerated.
“At the same time, the other requirements that we have set for trains – to be compatible with our infrastructure – are in line with all European standards. No specific stuff. We focused solely on the comfort and the needs our passengers need to provide. The final thing we want from them [Škoda Vagonka] is defect analyses, whether the actual defects are repetitive or not serial defects, whether they need to pay more and more in-depth attention so our passengers don't suffer,” said Rodžers Jānis Grigulis, head of Vivi.
The management of Škoda said that they have increased the number of specialists in Latvia, and now more than 20 experts are working. Test runs performed very well, with no significant problems. At the same time, they admitted that they did not perform test trips with passengers in Latvia, as they do in the Czech Republic.
As reported, several trains have been canceled Tuesday allegedly due to the cold weather although the weather is mild on January 9. This only continues the streak of delays and cancellations which began shortly after the new year.
