The contract signed in Sofia also includes an option for three additional vehicles, 15 years of fleet maintenance and training for the operator's staff. This is Stadler's first order in Bulgaria and another significant sales success in the Balkans. With this contract, Stadler vehicles will be operating in 48 countries. To date, a total of around 630 KISS double-decker vehicles have been sold worldwide.
The contract includes the basic order of seven vehicles and an option for a further three units. The four-car trains will reach a speed of 160 km/h and have a capacity of at least 300 seats. The first vehicle is to be delivered to the operator within 26 months of the contract being signed.
The Minister of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Bulgaria, Georgi Gvozdeykov, explained that the procurement of new trains is the answer to the need to replace the existing rolling stock and is related to the realisation of the country's sustainable mobility goals: "The contract we are signing today is the first order for new trains in Bulgaria in 20 years. With the procurement of state-of-the-art zero-emission double-decker vehicles from Stadler, we will not only significantly improve the comfort of rail transport for our passengers, but above all make a significant contribution to the realisation of current sustainable mobility goals. This is currently an extremely important challenge for European countries. Together with the manufacturer that won the public tender, we will ensure the efficient operation of new vehicles for many years to come."
“We are proud that we were able to sign the contract for the delivery of our KISS trains with the Bulgarian Ministry today. The vehicles set new standards in terms of performance, reliability, safety, comfort and state-of-the-art technology. We are convinced that they will make a significant contribution to improving public transport in Bulgaria. We also hope to continue the partnership we have started with further rail vehicle replacement projects in Bulgaria”, said Philipp Brunner, Member of the Executive Board of Stadler, Vice President of Division Central Europe.
The modern double-decker trains are designed for operation with a track gauge of 1435mm and are equipped with a 25 kV/50 Hz power supply system. At least 10% of the seats in each unit and in each class will be prioritised for use by people with reduced mobility. The zero-emission electric vehicles will comply with the TSI requirements for conventional trains, the European standards and the regulations and standards for the movement and operation of railway vehicles on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria and the regulations of the International Union of Railways (UIC).
The KISS vehicles for Bulgaria are produced at the Stadler Polska plant in Siedlce, which belongs to the Central Europe division within the Stadler Group. The plant in Siedlce has been in operation since 2006 and employs over 1,000 people. To date, around 950 vehicles have been produced for operators from 17 European countries. These include, in particular, the Balkan countries such as Slovenia, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Stadler Polska has already successfully introduced KISS trains in Slovenia and Slovakia.