CZECH private operator RegioJet has commenced trial operation of CRRC Zhuzhou-built Sirius EMUs on the Czech railway network.
The trials are expected to last for four months and are taking place on express services between Kolín and Ústí nad Labem via Lisá nad Labem and Mělník, which RegioJet operates under a PSO contract.
One train – 665 002 – is operating two return services per day on the route. A second set – 665 001 – is not yet in use but may be used as an alternative.
The class 665 EMUs were originally ordered by fellow Czech private operator Leo Express in 2016. However, delays with delivery, certification and authorisation of the three six-car sets prompted Leo Express to cancel the contract in 2022, which included an option for another 30 trains.
Two trains were shipped to Europe and CRRC Zhuzhou has continued to work to obtain the Authorisation to Place on the Market (APOM) for the new fleet since the order was cancelled An APOM is required under European Union (EU) legislation and is granted by the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA).
The CRRC EMUs are currently operating under a temporary permit as the APOM has not yet been granted.
The 160km/h,111.5m-long trains have capacity for 266 passengers and are equipped to take traction current at both 3kV dc and 25kV 50Hz ac.
Since arriving in Europe in 2019, the trains have predominantly remained at the Velim test circuit in the Czech Republic, with some testing taking place on the Czech and Slovak networks.
CRRC has so far had limited success in obtaining multiple unit orders from European operators. The Serbian Ministry of Transport confirmed an order for five 200km/h EMUs from CRRC Changchun to operate on the Belgrade – Budapest line in October 2023. Austrian private operator Westbahn announced plans to lease four six-car double-deck EMUs from CRRC Zhuzhou in 2021. North Macedonia launched operation of six multiple units in 2015. However, the fleet has suffered from reliability problems.
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