SOFIA’s public transport authority, Metropolitan Electric Transport (EAD), has launched a tender for 40 new LRVs with a guide price of €102.3m. The authority expects to launch another tender for a further 38 LRVs at a similar price for the Bulgarian capital’s 1009mm-gauge network.
The new low-floor vehicles will allow EAD to retire the oldest members of its fleet. The authority previously procured 63 Swing LRVs from Polish manufacturer Pesa in four separate transactions, with the most recent delivery taking place in 2023.
The deadline for bids for the current tender is March 27. Delivery of the new vehicles is scheduled within 36 months of contract signing.
Sofia’s Municipal Council expects to purchase the vehicles with loans totalling approximately €200m and confirms that it is in talks with the European Investment Bank (EIB), but is also considering other options to finance the procurement.
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