The first diesel-electric multiple unit for regional transport, delivered by Končar – Electric Vehicles to HŽ Passenger Transport, was put into regular service on Monday, on the route Zagreb Main Station – Varaždin.
The maximum speed of the train is 120 kilometers per hour, with 167 seating and 175 standing places. It is equipped with four pairs of double-leaf entrance doors, two ramps for the entry and exit of persons in wheelchairs, a space for bicycles, and the entire passenger area is under video surveillance. It will operate on the route Zagreb Main Station – Zabok – Varaždin and vice versa, on which, according to data from HŽ Passenger Transport, approximately two million passengers are transported annually.
The company Končar – Electric Vehicles is producing 32 electric multiple units for HŽ Passenger Transport – 16 for urban-suburban and 16 for regional transport, as well as 12 diesel-electric multiple units. The total value of this contract is 1.63 billion kuna. So far, 10 electric multiple units for regional and 8 electric multiple units for urban-suburban transport have been delivered. By the beginning of March, the delivery of two more urban-suburban trains is planned.
At the first regular ride of the new train were the Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Oleg Butković, as well as the heads of HŽ Passenger Transport and Končar, Dražen Ratković and Darinko Bago. Minister Butković stated that the new train is a significant development for HŽ Passenger Transport and the passengers who will use it. When asked how he intends to improve the operations of Croatian Railways, he pointed out that the number of passengers and the volume of freight transported by rail are declining, but that major infrastructure projects will primarily be in railways. According to him, in the transport sector this year, 1.1 billion euros will be collected, and by 2020, 5.5 billion euros, mostly in the road sector.
