First RegioPanter for Bulgaria complete
posted on 25th Nov 2025 11:43
On 24 November 2025, Škoda Group presented the first Type 18Ev2 EMU for Bulgarian railways at its Plzeň works. The contract with the Bulgarian Ministry of Transport and Communications was concluded in September 2024 for the delivery of 20 four-car units and in November 2024 for five optional ones and also includes the provision of complete maintentace by the manufacturer for 15 years.
Grozdan Karadzhov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications, thanked the manufacturer and emphasized that the implementation is proceeding exactly according to schedule: “Just 14 months after signing the contract, we already have the first completed train. Another eleven are in an advanced stage and are expected to be completed in the coming months. We will receive what we paid for without delay - and what Bulgarian citizens deserve.”
The fact that regional EMUs will operate in long-distance transport on the routes Sofia - Burgas (418 km), Sofia - Varna (514/543 km, depending on the direction of travel) and Sofia - Ruse (411 km) follows from the fact that the long distance 200 km/h non-traction multiple units were originally planned here. However, after the failure of the tender for them, this was cancelled and the plan changed to EMUs. As indicated by EVN of the first RegioPanter, it is intended for BDZ.
