First Estonian RegioPanter in Latvia

On the night of 5/6 April 2024, the first Type 21Ev EMU for Elron set off on its journey from Ostrava to Riga. The transport took place on road, this RegioPanter carrying the operator's inv. number 3340. This is the second unit in the 16strong batch, its first two cars (an intermediate 857 006 and an end car 857 004) arrived in Riga on 9 April. The second end car, 857 005, arrived on 16 April.

The definitive final assembly will take place in the Vagonu parks depot, as is the case with the Class 16EV RegioPanters for Pasažieru vilciens, which is a consequence of the war in Ukraine, when it is not possible to send the finished trains on rails from Ostrava, but they must be transported partially dismantled on trailers. After assembly in Riga, unit 3340 will be transported by rail to the Pääsküla depot, southwest of Tallinn. 

The first RegioPanter built is 3339 and has been in testing at the Plzeň works since January. At the end of April, on this unit also started training of the first Elron drivers for the new type of vehicle. The plan is to have both trains ready for testing on the Estonian network by the beginning of summer.

The Type 21Ev EMUs are dual-voltage (3 kV DC + 25 kV 50 Hz), have a maximum speed of 160 km/h and a rated power of 2,200 kW. The axle arrangement is 2'Bo' + 2'2'+ Bo '2. The EVNs for the unit  3340, for each car, are:
- EE-EL 94 26 0 857 004-3 for the powered end car,
- EE-EL 94 26 0 857 006-8 for the intermediate non-powered car, 
- EE-EL 94 26 0 857 005-0 for the powered end car.

The inventory numbers are therefore in the order 004 and 005 for the end cars and 006 for the intermediate car. Thus, for the first unit 3339, the end cars are designated 857 001 and 857 002, and the intermediate car 857 003.

Regarding the four-digit designation of the RegioPanters, the numer 39 contained in 3339 follows the existing Elron fleet, which operates 38 units, which are FLIRT EMUs and DMUs. These were ordered from Stadler in August 2010 by the operator, then called Elektriraudtee, with the following formations: 12 three- and six four-car EMUs and six two-, eight three- and six four-car DMUs. As a reminder, this order gave birth to the FLIRT DMUs, which are fitted with a PowerPack traction module placed between the cars. 

Since the beginning of 2014, FLIRTs have then completely replaced the post-Soviet fleet of EMUs of the Estonian state operator, which in October 2013 switched from the name "Elektriraudtee" ("Electric Railway") to the new name Elron, which stands for Eesti Liinirongid, i. e. "Estonian Railway Lines".

For the FLIRTs, the operator then chose a four-digit class designation, with the EMUs starting with the "1" and the DMUs with "2". The second digit on both versions indicates the number of cars (without PowerPacks). The last pair are inventory numbers, but these do not indicate the number of units of a given type, but the order of delivery (xx01 first to xx38 last unit), regardless of whether it is a EMU or DMU. 

Thus, for example, the six four-car electric FLIRTs are designated 1401, 1402, 1403, 1406, 1407 and 1408. For the diesel FLIRTs, the numbering starts with the four-car unit 2404, continues with the three-car unit 2305, whereupon the ninth in the sequence was the three-car unit 1309 (following on from the above-mentioned four-car 1409), and so on.

Thus, for the RegioPanters, Elron continues the inventory numbers from 39 up to 55, but introduces new groups "3" for long-distance trains (Pikamaarongid) and "4" for regional trains (Regionaalrongid). The first two units 3339 and 3340 therefore represent long-distance versions. The numbering of the fleet will be 3339 - 3347 and 3349 - 3350 for long distance units, and 4348 and 4351 - 4354 for regional units.