Bulgarian capital acquires metro units from Škoda

On 14 July 2023 the Škoda Group has won an order to supply eight four-car metro units to Sofia for Metropoliten EAD. The value of the contract exceeds 67 million EUR. 

The Sofia units are conceptually linked to the Varsovia units for Warszawa, now being built, but unlike them they will be equipped with air conditioning, as the Sofia metro is partly on the surface. In view of the region's climate, the trains will be equipped with powerful air conditioning to ensure high comfort even during the warm summer months. The trains will also be fitted with two compartments for wheelchair users.

The trains with a 1,435 mm gauge, a maximum speed of 90 km/h and a length of 80 m will be powered via a third rail with 750 V DC. The units will have three-phase asynchronous traction equipment, and will use regenerative braking. The trains will be equipped with a signalling system with automatic speed control. 

Production will take place in Škoda‘s Ostrava and Plzeň works. The new vehicles are scheduled to enter service in 2026 and will run on lines 1, 2 and 4. The Sofia metro carries more than one million passengers a day. This is not the first time Škoda has delivered vehicles to Bulgaria: since 2010, it has delivered 210 trolleybuses to five Bulgarian cities.