According to the Railway Transport of Montenegro (ŽPCG), none of the three electric motor trains (EMV) from the Spanish manufacturer CAF, bought 12 years ago for 13.55 million euros, are currently operational, as confirmed to the daily newspaper “Dan”.

The trains were acquired in mid-2013, during the tenure of Prime Minister Milo Đukanović, Transport Minister Ivan Brajović, and the Chairman of the ŽPCG Board of Directors, Rešad Nuhodžić.

ŽPCG explained, “Unfavorable decisions made by former leaders have created complex maintenance problems, as EMVs from this manufacturer are not utilized in our region. Consequently, obtaining spare parts has become a challenge, with costs being high and accessibility limited, coupled with a shortage of specialized repair capacities, further complicating maintenance. We have been waiting over six months for certain key components, affecting both maintenance and operational readiness of these trains.” This statement was provided jointly by ŽPCG and the Ministry of Transport (MS) in response to inquiries from “Dan”.

They stressed that their engineers and expert teams are committed to maintaining the fleet at an optimal level, but that the unavailability of certain components or lack of adequate support from the manufacturer renders repairs significantly more difficult or even impossible.

The three-part CAF electric trains were delivered to ŽPCG and officially entered service on July 13, 2013. The total cost for the three trains, including spare parts, diagnostic equipment, and warranty support, amounted to 13,550,000 euros, funded through a loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) with a guarantee from the Government of Montenegro. While the manufacturer is reputable, experience has shown that selecting a manufacturer that operates in the region would have been far more practical and sustainable, thus avoiding the predicaments encountered today,” noted ŽPCG and the MS.

According to “Dan,” ŽPCG is soon expected to procure new trains and will be receiving a loan of approximately 30 million euros from the EBRD for this purpose.

“We are currently in the final stages of selecting a consultant for the upcoming procurement of rolling stock. We anticipate the tender for acquiring EMVs to be announced in the second quarter of this year, working closely with the Ministry of Transport and the EBRD. Our aim is to select a manufacturer whose EMVs will comprehensively meet ŽPCG’s needs for the next 30 years. Since this procurement will undergo international tendering, we cannot specify the manufacturer at this moment. However, we are confident that the future rolling stock will be more modern, efficient, and sustainably viable in the long run,” responded ŽPCG and the MS to “Dan”.

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