The Slovak Railway Company (ZSSK) concluded a contract for the supply of 16 new battery electric units worth approximately EUR 144 million excluding VAT. The framework contract was signed on Wednesday in Bratislava. They should also ride in Záhorí. The trains will be delivered by the Škoda Group – ŽOS Trnava consortium. Trains will be able to use battery power on non-electrified lines. ZSSK informed about it on its website.
The contract also allows for an option for another 20 units. The state carrier wants to finance the order from European funds, according to the ZSSK, the contract is to come into effect only after their approval. These are the first battery trains in Slovakia, which are supposed to gradually replace outdated diesel trains and enable ecological operation even where an electrified railway network has not been built.
The State Secretary of the Ministry of Transport of the Slovak Republic, Denisa Žiláková, called the project groundbreaking. “Finance from European funds for battery electric units is an important milestone on the way to modern and ecological rail transport in Slovakia. It is a project that connects innovative technologies with sustainable mobility and effectively uses European resources,” she explained.
Slovak versions will be able to drive at a speed of 160 kilometers per hour (km/h) under traction control and 120 km/h on batteries, while the energy storage will enable a range of at least 80 kilometers on non-electrified tracks. The capacity of the trains will be 157 seats and they will be equipped with the modern European security system ETCS Level 2.
ZSSK plans to put the first battery units into regional operation in 2028. Priority areas are Nitriansky, Trenčiansky, Trnavský and Žilinský. According to the feasibility study, the most likely routes include several important regional connections. The route Kúty – Skalica is especially crucial for Záhoriewhich has been served by diesel trains for a long time and electrification is not planned. In the past, the deployment of battery units was also considered on the route Kúty – Senica, Trnava, which would mean a significant increase in comfort for local passengers.
Other sections are also being considered, especially Nitra – Trnava – Bratislava, Nové Zámky – Nitra or Myjava – Trenčín. These are tracks where switching to battery packs would bring immediate ecological and economic benefits. According to ZSSK, the arrival of battery trains should also be an important step in the field of environmental protection. Reducing the number of diesel sets will bring lower local emissions and less noise.
The Škoda Group – ŽOS Trnava consortium was the only bidder in the tender for new hybrid units. The result was already known in the summer, but the contract will come into effect only after the final approval of the financing. Similar battery units have been running in the Czech Republic, Austria and Germany for a year.
