A Visit To Stadler Siedlce (5)

The Siedlce plant is also involved in production of the new Slovenian trains. On 17 April 2018 Stadler won its first major new train contract in Slovenia. A framework contract was signed with state operator Slovenske Železnice for 26 trains of three types: ten three-car KISS EMUs, 11 four-car FLIRT EMUs and five three-car FLIRT DMUs. 

Now Stadler Siedlce works is assembling the five three-car FLIRT DMUs. The first of them, designated 610/615 001, was completed in November 2019 and subjected to testing. It was subsequently on 9 March 2020 sent to Slovenia for testing on the domestic infrastructure, near Ljubljana at the first stage, arriving there on 11 March.

610/615 002 is since January 2020 at the running dynamic behavior tests Austria. It will be soon returned to Siedlce for final touches prior its delivery to SŽ. 610/615 003 is currently being tested at Żmigród. The remaining two DMUs of the first batch are at present finished at Siedlce. The FLIRT DMUs will be sent to Ljubljana depot.

The April 2018 contract also includes 11 triple-voltage (3, 15 and 25 kV) FLIRT EMUs and 10 single-voltage (3 kV DC) KISS EMUs. But these are produced at the Stadler Minsk works. The Siedlce plant, which, unlike the Minsk one, is on the 1,435 mm gauge network, will provide test runs for both types of trains coming from Belarus. There were scheduled delivery times for 2020, but on account of the dynamic situation with the coronavirus, Stadler cannot give exact dates right now. The EMUs will also be located in Ljubljana depot.

In late May 2019 SŽ took up an option, worth over 150 million EUR, including warranty and associated services, for 26 more FLIRTs - sixteen 140 km/h three-car DMUs and ten 160 km/h triple-voltage (3 kV DC and 15 and 25 kV AC) four-car EMUs, intended for international services to Croatia and Austria. This means that authorisation for these two countries will also have to be sought - as is the case for the DMUs and EMUs in the first batch.

These latest FLIRTs to be ordered are scheduled for putting in service starting in October 2021, bringing the operator’s entire Stadler-built fleet up to 52 trains.
SŽ will be able to run the single deck trains in multiple, or alternatively run mixed single and double deck formations, this giving the greatest possible operating flexibility.