ZSSK orders more class 660 units from Škoda for operation in east Slovakia
The units will be slightly modified compared to the first generation.
Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko (ZSSK) has exercised an option to the contract with Škoda Transportation and ŽOS Trnava for the supply of class 660 electric units called Panter. The company has ordered five more trains which will run on the Čierna nad Tisou – Košice – Prešov line.
ZSSK announced the signing of the contract in a press release. The original contract from September 2021 included an order for nine vehicles. ZSSK is to use money from the EU-funded Recovery and Resilience Facility under the new Recovery plan for Europe. This is the first project in Slovakia to be paid for by this program. The five units will cost EUR 42.3 million and are to be delivered in the first half of 2025.
The first Panter units are already in service in eastern Slovakia. ZSSK has ordered a four-car version with 343 seats known as class 660 in Slovakia. The units are dual-system, with a maximum speed of 160 km/h. Each unit has three driving bogies, which should facilitate operation especially in winter. The unit has undergone slight changes based on the first generation experience. More space for transporting bicycles and skis will be available and a vending machine will be installed.
Edited and translated by Lucie Trávníčková