Comfortable seats, air-conditioning, a modern bar lounge — these are the standards provided to passengers by FLIRT 3 trains. The Stadler– Newag Consortium and PKP-Intercity presented the interior of the train which will be carrying passengers starting in December.
Rich interiors will ensure high comfort of travelling. Passengers will be able to choose between first and second class compartments and will have a bar lounge available to them. The trains will be fitted with ergonomic seats, modern toilets and air-conditioning. There will be an electric socket fitted next to each seat. Traditional information boards will be replaced by electronic monitors displaying information concerning the route. A modern Passenger Information System will be also available. The trains will be adjusted to the needs of disabled passengers: they will be equipped with special ramps enabling train boarding from each side. The new rolling stock will be able to travel with a speed of up to 160km/h.
“The modern FLIRT 3 trains constitute part of our programme, worth more than PLN 5 billion, of replacing rolling stock. Thanks to this programme, the majority of trains will be new or modernised,” said Jacek Leonkiewicz, President of PKP Intercity. “We are convinced that our investment in enhancing comfort of travelling will encourage passengers to choose PKP Intercity,” he added.
FLIRT 3 trains will start operating in December this year. They will service the routes: Warszawa — Bydgoszcz, Olsztyn — Kraków (via Warszawa and Kielce), Gdynia — Katowice (via Łódź and Bydgoszcz) and Kraków — Szczecin (via Łódź, Kutno and Poznań). Owing to the investment in the infrastructure by PKP PLK, travel times on some routes serviced by FLIRT 3 will be improved. The new timetable will bring a reduction by 20 minutes of travel times on the routes: Katowice — Koluszki — Łódź, Szczecin — Poznań and Olsztyn – Warszawa.
***
The Consortium Stadler-NEWAG is manufacturing 20 modern Electric Multiple Units for PKP Intercity. The project value is PLN 1 billion 621 million. Apart from the supply of the trains, the contract also provides for providing the train maintenance services for the next 15 years.