None of the three electric motor trains (EMV) of the Spanish manufacturer CAF, purchased 12 years ago for 13,55 million euros, are in operation, the Railway Transport of Montenegro (ŽPCG) confirmed to the daily newspaper "Dan".
The trains were purchased in mid-2013, while the Prime Minister was Milo Đukanović, the Minister of Transport was Ivan Brajović, and the President of the Board of Directors of ŽPCG was Rešad Nuhodžić.
"Unfavorable decisions by previous decision-makers in the past have led to complex maintenance challenges, since EMVs from this manufacturer are not used in the region. This has resulted in difficult access to spare parts, which are very expensive and inaccessible, as well as a lack of specialized repair capacities, which further complicates the maintenance process. We have been waiting for certain key components and parts for more than six months, which directly affects the maintenance process and operational readiness of these trains," stated the ŽPCG and the Ministry of Transport (MS) in joint responses to questions from "Dan".
They emphasized that their engineers and expert teams are dedicated to maintaining the fleet at the highest level, but that in a situation where certain components are not available or there is no adequate support from the manufacturer, repairs are significantly more difficult or impossible.
"Three-part CAF electric trains were delivered to ŽPCG and put into service on July 13, 2013. The total price for the three trains, spare parts, diagnostic equipment and support during the warranty period was 13.550.000 euros, and the funds were provided through a loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), with a guarantee from the Government of Montenegro. Although this is a quality manufacturer, experience has shown that choosing a manufacturer present in the region would be much more practical and sustainable in the long term, thus avoiding the challenges we face today," ŽPCG and MS pointed out.
"Dan" writes that ŽPCG will soon need to purchase new trains, more precisely, it will receive a loan of around 30 million euros from the EBRD for the purchase of electric trains.
"We are currently in the final phase of selecting a consultant for the new procurement of rolling stock. We expect that the tender for the procurement of EMVs will be announced in the second quarter of this year, in full cooperation with the Ministry of Transport and the EBRD. Our goal this time is to select a manufacturer whose EMVs fully meet the needs of ŽPCG for the next 30 years. Since the procurement will be the subject of an international tender, we cannot specify at this time which manufacturer will be selected. However, we are certain that the future rolling stock will be more modern, more efficient and sustainable in the long term," ŽPCG and MS responded to "Dan".
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