He said that the process of accepting the 31st train is currently underway, which will be completed in the near future, while the 32nd train is in the assembly stage.
Commenting on possible contractual penalties for the Czech company for delays in deliveries, Nešpors said that the contract and its execution are still ongoing, as the last train has not yet been accepted.
"It is also necessary to understand the impact caused by the war in Ukraine, which continues. Therefore, we cannot deny that there have been delays. Skoda Vagonka has submitted its reasons for the delays, why they have occurred," Nešpors said, adding that the relevant arguments have yet to be evaluated .
He expressed confidence that the trains will be ready to operate even in Latvia's harsh winter conditions, following problems last winter.
The contract for the delivery of 32 new electric trains was signed by Pasažieru vilciens and Škoda Vagonka with much fanfare in the middle of 2019, provided that all the trains would be delivered by the end of 2023.
The first train was received only at the end of June 2022, and passenger transportation with the new trains began on December 15, 2023. Before that, the trains were tested on Latvian railway infrastructure, but, despite this, the new trains were hit by various problems last winter .
The total cost of the entire project is estimated at 257.889 million euros.
An agreement was then concluded between Latvian state rail company JSC "Pasažieru vilciens" (Passenger train) and the Czech company "Škoda Vagonka" for the purchase of 32 new electric trains in 2019, though that came off the back of a tender that started all the way back in 2015. First the Covid pandemic and then the war in Ukraine delayed delivery.
Before that, Latvia had opted for trains worth €225 million from Spanish Patentes Talgo S.L., but the procurement watchdog discovered deficiencies in the tender after Škoda Vagonka and Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles S.A. appealed.
