Daugavpils receives first EVO-1 tram

In the south-eastern part of Latvia, the city of Daugavpils has a largely Russian-speaking population of 82 600. The public transport system is owned and operated by the municipal corporation Daugavpils Satiksme, and has operated trams since November 1946, when a Russian-gauge system (1524mm) was installed. 

 

Today there are four lines operating over a 25km system. Although some Tatra trams second-hand from Schwerin, Germany, are operated, the undertaking has always purchased its new trams from Russian factories, the latest being eight 100% low-floor 71-911 TVZ (Tver) City Star in 2019/20. There are 42 trams in the fleet. 

 

In September 2020 the city council earmarked EUR 24 000 was allocated to start the construction of a new tramline, that was eventually supported by a EU grant of EUR 96M for infrastructure improvement. Some of this was spent on diverting an existing line to serve the hospital. More is allocated to a 3.25km link between two outer termini(Stropu ewers and Butjerova vela, while much of the existing infrastructure was refurbished during a month-long closure in October 2023. 

 

Four new trams were needed and eyebrows were raised when the order for 100% low-floor cars was placed with the local railway workshop Daugavpils Locomotive Repair Plant (DLRR) for EUR 7.4M, a plant that had never built a tram. In fact this was a political gesture to help address local unemployment, and the DLRR component was little more than fitting the seats and painting the finished products. This was because DLRR agreed with the Czech Pragoimex company to buy four 15m EVO-1 trams of the type already delivered to the Czech city of Most. 

 

The first two trams were christened with Russian sparkling wine on 17 October; the other two will arrive before the end of the year.