en.Wedoany.com Reported - Czech railway operator Leo Express has launched a procurement tender for new Electric Multiple Units (EMU) and Battery Electric Multiple Units (BEMU), with the framework agreement valued at approximately €1.65 billion (CZK 40 billion). This is the company's largest fleet renewal program to date, covering firm orders for 44 BEMUs and 21 EMUs, with options for up to 28 additional units. The bid submission deadline is June 29, 2026.

The framework agreement is divided into four regional lots, corresponding to the Olomouc, Zlín, Hradec Králové, and Vysočina regions, aiming to replace aging rolling stock on partially electrified corridors. Each lot has specific firm and optional allocations, with firm orders including 44 BEMUs and 21 EMUs, while each lot allows up to four additional options per type, potentially increasing BEMUs by 16 and EMUs by 12. BEMU specifications require 121 to 151 seats, a maximum speed of 120 km/h in battery mode, and 160 km/h under catenary power. EMUs have 121 to 150 seats and can reach 160 km/h on 25 kV AC or 3 kV DC infrastructure. In the evaluation criteria, price accounts for 70% weight, maintenance costs 22%, and energy consumption 8%.

The €1.65 billion tender scale makes Leo Express's procurement one of the larger regional rolling stock acquisition projects in Central Europe. For comparison, incumbent operator Czech Railways (České dráhy) signed a framework agreement with Škoda Transportation in 2024 for up to 200 EMUs, valued at approximately €2.4 billion; Arriva Czech Republic ordered 5 BEMUs from Stadler in 2023, worth about €34 million. This tender reflects the operator's rapid growth, with passenger numbers increasing 19.2% year-on-year in 2025 to 4.565 million. All lots include BEMUs, marking a strategic shift toward battery traction on partially electrified regional lines, aligning with EU-supported long-term railway investment priorities, as emphasized by the European Parliament in recent budget discussions (Source: Global Railway Review, 2025). The exact delivery schedule and financing structure have not yet been disclosed.

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