Rolling stock manufacturer Škoda Transportation and national operator Czech Railways (CD) have unveiled the first of 14 long-distance electric multiple units (EMUs) at the Velim test circuit.
Czech Railways had ordered the fleet of ten five-car and four three-car electric units for interregional and long-distance transport last year.
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Czech Railways general manager and chairman of the board of directors Pavel Krtek said: "Present-day customers expect fast and comfortable travel from railway companies.
"Trains must be wheelchair-accessible, air-conditioned; passengers want to be able to recharge their laptop or other electronics during the journey, they want to be connected to the internet via Wi-Fi, they expect fast and comprehensive information about the train route and schedule and naturally they also rely on a high level of railway safety.
"Hundreds of local and long-distance train connections of Czech Railways already offer this level of travelling, and we are now also going to offer this to passengers on another two express train lines, where the new InterPanter units will be used."
Named InterPanter, the dual-system aluminium-bodied EMU shares basic dimensions and key components with the RegioPanter single-floor units designed for regional transportation.
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By GlobalDataŠkoda Transportation general manager Tomáš Ignacák said: "Besides the CityElefant and RegioPanter units, passengers will soon be able to travel in a new modern InterPanter train.
"This is connected to the long tradition of manufacturing of electric units, which have been used both here in the Czech Republic and in Lithuania, Ukraine, Slovakia, and soon also in Germany."
The vehicles are designed for electrified tracks with traction voltages of 25kV, 50Hz and 3kV for a maximum speed of 160km/h.
Image: The latest InterPanter electrical unit from Škoda Vagonka. Photo: © Škoda.
