Łódzka Kolej Aglomeracyjna signed a contract with Newag S.A. for the delivery of 14 trains including their maintenance. The train operator from Łódź is the first carrier in Poland to receive IMPULS II trains — new generation EMUs. The trains will operate on new routes in the Łódzkie Province. The first trains will be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2018.
The Nowy Sącz manufacturer offered a winning bid in the proceedings for “ The delivery of electric multiple units including their maintenance” within the project called “ The Construction of Łódzka Kolej Aglomeracyjna [Łódź Metropolitan Train Service] – Stage II.” The carrier has ordered fourteen three-unit EMUs. The Supplier will also be responsible for providing maintenance services for the period of 12 years.
Łódzka Kolej Aglomeracyjna –ŁKA, as the first carrier in Poland, will receive the flagship product of the Nowy Sącz manufacturer in a new version. The main features of IMPULS II will be its lower weight, bigger capacity and higher reliability.
In accordance with the tender documentation, the trains will feature free wi-fi, air-conditioning, electric sockets and monitors. They will be adapted to the needs of disabled passengers and compliant with the latest European safety standards. The trains will travel at an operational speed of 160 km/h. Each train will have a seating capacity of 160 including 154 permanent seats.
According to the delivery schedule, the first four trains will have been delivered by 28 October 2018 with the remaining ten to be delivered a year later. The new trains will enable the carrier to develop the rail network serviced by the Łódź Metropolitan Train Service. The carrier plans to launch new train services from Skierniewice to Kutno via Łowicz, from Łodź to Piotrków Trybunalski and Radomsko and from Łódź to Tomaszów Mazowiecki, and after the electrification of Line 25, also to Opoczno. The new trains will also run on the present ŁKA routes to Skierniewice, Sieradz, Kutno, Łowicz with more frequent services being introduced.
NEWAG – the supplier of the trains was selected based on four tender criteria: train price, maintenance costs, cost efficiency ratio and the number of permanent seats. The gross value of the contract is PLN 266,968,762.35. Łódzka Kolej Aglomeracyjna received a grant to the tune of PLN 182,010,500 from the Regional Operational Programme for the Łódzkie Province to implement this project.
Before the contract was signed, the tender proceedings had been reviewed by the Head of the Public Procurement Office which did not raise any objections pertaining to the conduct of the tender proceedings.