Estonia has begun testing the dual-system electric trains produced by Skoda, this is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

The Czech company Skoda Group, in collaboration with the Estonian operator Eesti Liinirongid (Elron), is testing the new 21Ev electric train model.

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The train is expected to cover 6,000 km on electrified sections of the Pärnu–Paldiski and Pärnu–Turbas routes.

These tests are conducted in a trial mode. Subsequently, during a monitoring period, the 21Ev will need to cover 5,000 km with passengers on board.

The entire process includes over 70 different tests for each of the 16 electric trains.

The 21Ev electric trains, consisting of three cars, are capable of operating on 3 kV DC and 25 kV AC overhead lines. Their maximum speed reaches 160 km/h, and the operating temperature range is from -40 to +35 °C.

The cars are equipped with air conditioning, modern information systems, Wi-Fi, a passenger counting system, and are designed to work with the European Train Control System (ETCS).

In 2021, the consortium of Czech companies Skoda Vagonka and Skoda Transportation won a tender to supply 16 21Ev electric trains to the Estonian carrier Elron for €56.2 million.

Of these, 11 trains are intended for long-distance travel and can accommodate 236 passengers.

The remaining 5 trains are designed for suburban routes with a capacity of up to 262 passengers.

The extensive testing of the new trains in Estonia may be influenced by recent issues with Skoda 16Ev electric trains in Latvia.

In January of this year, after a month of operation, 17 Skoda 16Ev trains on the Latvian rail network were found to have 26 defects, making their further use impossible.

As a result, the management of the Latvian carrier AS Pasažieru vilciens resigned.

In March, Skoda reported that all identified defects had been resolved and the trains were returned to service.

Photo, video: Elron

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