Czech public transport vehicle manufacturer Škoda Group is considering opening a vehicle service and maintenance center in Latvia, Škoda Group CEO Petr Novotný said in an interview with LETA.
Taking into account the growing number of orders for Škoda vehicles in the Baltic region, the company could establish a service and maintenance center in Latvia not only for regular servicing, but also for repairs, Novotný noted.
He added that the center would provide maintenance services for trains as well as store important spare parts for other vehicles.
According to the Škoda CEO, the idea is currently under discussion, and a decision could be made next year.
Škoda currently cooperates with all three Baltic countries; therefore, setting up such a center in Latvia would be a logical step. “Škoda trains from Estonia or, for example, Škoda trolleybuses from Lithuania could then be repaired in Latvia,” Novotný said.
Škoda’s partner company in Latvia is L-Ekspresis, which modernizes and repairs rolling stock. Novotný indicated that it would be possible to expand the company’s capacity through investment in establishing a service center.
As reported, the Road Transport Administration on Thursday signed a contract with Czech train maker Škoda Transportation – Škoda Vagonka for the purchase of nine battery-electric multiple units (BEMU) for EUR 89.409 million.
The battery trains are scheduled for delivery by 2029 and will be purchased with co-funding from the European Union’s Cohesion Fund and the Latvian state budget.
The contract includes an option to buy seven additional trains if the necessary funding is secured.
The new battery trains are primarily intended to operate on the Daugavpils and Cēsis lines, where the required infrastructure will be built. If the additional trains are also purchased, it will be possible to replace most diesel trains and serve additional destinations such as Rēzekne and Valmiera.
Source: BNS
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