As reported earlier by LSM, it was found on Tuesday, January 2, that five of the total seventeen electric trains delivered to Latvia by Skoda Vagonka had different deficiencies. The defects on one of the trains resulted in a three-hour standstill on the Rīga-Skulte line, and on Wednesday, although issues were said to have been fixed on three trains, traffic was still delayed by up to an hour on the same line due to the same reasons.
Officials in charge of train services have repeatedly stressed in recent days that “the introduction of any new technology after the most thorough testing should take into account various unexpected defects in the initial period.” But passenger frustration is growing as people want to get to their destination on time rather than serve as lab rats.
The purpose of Wednesday's meeting was therefore to ask the manufacturer “Skoda Vagonka” for solutions to correct the newly discovered defects as soon as possible so that trains can start running at normal rhythm.
“Skoda promised us four specific things. First, it is the presence of additional specialists in Rīga: 24/7 availability and strengthening of the team in Rīga on the ground,“ the Transport Minister said.
These specialists will also conduct in-depth fault analysis, and train Latvian drivers. Similarly, Skoda is committed to improving crisis communication and coordination. Skoda's communication team has avoided the repeated questions of LTV to explain what exactly is going on with the trains.
Latvian traffic representatives are also planning how to improve the situation so that passengers are informed of their train delays as soon as possible.
“We have a meeting planned with representatives of the Road Transport Administration and rail representatives and tomorrow [Thursday] at the Ministry. So of course we will discuss,” said Rodžers Jānis Grigulis, chairman of the board of “Pasazieru Vilciens”, operating under the Vivi brand.
But what should passengers do while they're on a standing train while officials debate?
“You can see those delays in the app as notifications. As a result, I would urge all to download the Vivi app. It's the safest solution. Those who use “Twitter” can search there. But if you're on the train already, ask our staff [..],” Grigulis said.
