Škoda Group Unveils New Four-Car Metro Train for Sofia

The Škoda Group has unveiled a new four-car metro train for use in Sofia at its production site in Pilsen.

Produced as part of an eight-vehicle, 66 million EUR contract with local operator Metropoliten EAD, the vehicles have been manufactured across Škoda’s sites in both Pilsen and Ostrava.

The 80-metre metro trains have been specifically designed to operate both above and under ground, and have been equipped with an automatic speed control system.

Each unit is powered by three phase-asynchronous traction motors and feature regenerative braking, air conditioning, a maximum design speed of 90 km/h and can accommodate more than 580 passengers (roughly 120 seated).

Zdeněk Sváta, Member of the Board of Directors and COO of Škoda Group, said:

The unveiling of the new metro train shows that the project is progressing according to plan. The first vehicle will be transported to Sofia in November, and we aim to complete the entire order in the first half of next year.

We are proud to contribute to the modernisation of public transport in the Bulgarian capital and to provide passengers with greater comfort and capacity thanks to the new metro trains.

Testing is now underway for the first metro, which is underground type and test runs at the Velim test circuit. The second metro has been completed and is undergoing Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), with the third and fourth now actively in production.

Transportation of the first metro to Sofia is planned for early November 2025, with completion of the project expected between March and April 2026.

The new trains are set to begin operation on Sofia’s metro across lines 1, 2 and 4. They offer four double-leaf doors on each side and barrier-free boarding, as well as two spaces for wheelchair users.