Collection of loans totaling 132 million KM to begin: What is the problem with activating the forgotten Talgo trains

It has been announced that the almost forgotten Talgo trains could be back on the tracks and start transporting passengers in the Federation of BiH. These are six trainsets that are supposed to be put into service on domestic tracks after six years, writes the Patria News Agency.

Although there was talk of buying nine such trainsets, there are six in the hangars and on the rails. The Talgo trains were manufactured by a Spanish company. The wagons were acquired through an expensive loan for which the Federation of BiH was the guarantor, and they have never been used. In the spring of next year, 2017, the first installment of the 132 million mark loan will be due. More than six years of grace period have passed, and these wagons have not earned a single mark.

Before purchasing the Talgo trains, a Končar low-floor train costing 10.5 million marks was bought, which broke down during the first test runs.

However, the problem with activating the Talgo trains is deeper than what has been reported to the public so far. Their potential speed is 240 kilometers per hour, but this will not happen due to the poor railway infrastructure in BiH. The average speed of trains in BiH is 25 to 30 kilometers per hour.

The homologation of these wagons, i.e., certification for the local tracks and conditions, took too long. The Talgo trainsets must be operated by old, domestic locomotives. An original Talgo locomotive costs almost as much as all six purchased Talgo trainsets.

Twice, attempts were made to lease the wagons to Italy, then to Turkey, but both countries rejected the offers. The high cost of maintenance is cited as a possible reason for not using the Talgo trainsets in BiH.

The annual maintenance cost is around 5 million KM, which the railways, as huge losers, cannot bear alone, without the support of the Government of the Federation. The problem of putting these trainsets into use also includes the urgently needed corrections that would enable their use, and this work would cost 10 million marks.

When the Talgo trains were purchased, there was talk of their use for inter-entity and international transport.