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“According to our plans, the first two trains will be delivered in December 2020, and another 10 trains will follow shortly, at the beginning of the following year. According to the plan, all [32] trains should be delivered by 2023,” the head of the railway company said.

Grigulis also indicated that the current train procurement procedure significantly differs from the previous, failed ones. “Previously, there had been lease options or something else, but this time we want to buy the trains in an open, transparent procedure in which there are four bidders. We will hold talks to find out which bidder offers the best price. As we assess the prices, we will not only determine which offer is the best in terms of the price, but also throughout the lifecycle,” Grigulis said.

Asked which stage the train purchase process has reached already, Grigulis said: “We are five minutes to midnight”.

He also projected that the purchase of the new passenger trains might cost up to EUR 200 mln, but that the exact price would become clear after the bids are assessed.

As reported, Pasazieru Vilciens plans to conclude the train purchase contract in the first half of this year.

Pasazieru Vilciens has received technical offers from Spain's Patentes Talgo S.L (Talgo), Swiss company Stadler's subsidiary in Poland, Stadler Polska Sp. z o.o. (Stadler), Spanish company Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles S.A. (CAF), and Czech company Skoda Vagonka a.s.

Pasazieru Vilciens plans to purchase 32 electric passenger trains to replace its obsolete rolling stock, which is incompatible with the new public transport system developed by the Road Transport Administration and no longer meets passengers’ requirements.

Pasazieru Vilciens was established in 2001 to separate domestic passenger services from other functions performed by the state-owned Latvijas Dzelzcels (Latvian Railway). Although initially Pasazieru Vilciens was a 100% owned subsidiary of Latvian Railway, in October 2008 it was transformed into an independent state-owned company.