Bulgarian RegioPanters in passenger service
posted on 14th Aug 2026 18:12
On 14 August 2026, the first of the BDZ Class 34 EMUs, built for suburban and regional transport, entered service with passengers. All 20 units were handed over to the customer - the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Bulgaria - by 5 August. After passing tests on the local infrastructure, they received type approval and APOM from the Bulgarian agency RAEA.
On 7 August, all RegioPanters were registered in the European Vehicle Register (EVR) and from that moment on they can be operated on the territory of Bulgaria. Since 10 August, some of the Class 34s have been prepared for the start of regular service, including runs without passengers on selected lines. The 25 kV RegioPanters have a maximum speed of 160 km/h and are equipped with the AURIGA ETCS Level 2 OBU from CAF Signalling.
In November 2024, Škoda Group signed a contract with the Bulgarian Ministry of Transport for five more RegioPanters, which formed an option to the basic contract from September 2024 and whose production will start soon. The contract also includes 15 years of comprehensive service, which the manufacturer will provide directly in Bulgaria.
