Coradia Stream for Bulgaria

On 25 April 2025, the BULEMU consortium headed by Alstom, has signed a contract with the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Bulgaria, for the delivery of 35 Coradia Stream interregional EMUs including 15 years of maintenance. The total value of the contract amounts to 720 million EUR, of which Alstom’s share is 600 million EUR. The BULEMU consortium is formed by Alstom and the local company RVP Invest, which will provide the maintenance facility.

The 35 inter-regional EMUs will be the first provided by Alstom for passenger operation in Bulgaria, they will be used to service passenger and intercity trains with journey times of up to 4 - 5 hours. The  160 km/h trains will have six cars, a total capacity of over 320 seats and 100 % low floor. There will be two entry doors on each side of the middle cars and one door on each side of the end cars. The passenger information system will include both audio and dynamic visual displays. Each car in the train will be equipped with large luggage racks.

These Coradia Stream interregional trains will also be equipped with a digital passenger counting system with high-precision sensors, as well as sockets for charging of electronic devices. Each train will have four modern controlled emission toilets, evenly distributed along the entire length of the train, with one designed for people with reduced mobility. There will be designated spaces for bicycles and strollers. The final configuration, colours and finishes will be fully customised according to the requirements of the Contracting Authority during the design stage.

Together with RVP Invest, Alstom will ensure the trains for Bulgaria operate safely and reliably through comprehensive maintenance services. The maintenance programme includes preventive maintenance activities, scheduled repairs and overhauls, as well as emergency repairs over a period of 15 years. Alstom’s FlexCare portfolio of solutions takes rail assets to the next level with tailored and flexible services for every stage of their lifecycle. From train operations and maintenance to parts supply, overhauls, and modernisation, Alstom supports asset owners in achieving the highest fleet performance.

Twelve of the trains will be financed by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan worth 363 million leva, and 23 trains worth over 696 million leva will be included in the Social Climate Plan of the Republic of Bulgaria. In Bulgaria, Alstom is providing maintenance services to the fleet of the national passenger rail operator BDZ, as well as railway infrastructure modernisation in several ongoing projects, of which one is already completed and in warranty phase.

It is to be noted that one year ago, Bulgaria ordered the KISS EMUs, however, the contract was cancelled later. Previous efforts by the BDZ have also ended without result. The recent order for new EMUs is that for RegioPanters.