On 11 December 2025, a contract was signed for the purchase of nine battery electric multiple units (battery-powered trains). The contract amount is €89,409,387. The battery trains will be acquired with funding from the European Union Cohesion Fund and national sources. Delivery of the battery trains is scheduled by 2029.
Following the contract with "Škoda Group", State LLC “Autotransporta Direkcija” (ATD) has established a multi-level project supervision structure, which also includes representatives from the Ministry of Transport, "Latvijas Dzelzceļš", and "Pasažieru Vilciens". "Škoda Group" has delegated representatives to participate in the project working groups created by ATD, which aim to provide comprehensive supervision of the train production process and monitor contract implementation from an administrative perspective.
Battery-powered trains are electric trains additionally equipped with batteries to operate on non-electrified railway sections. They can charge both while running on electrified lines and at dedicated charging stations. These new battery trains will primarily serve the Daugavpils and Cēsis routes, where the necessary charging infrastructure will be established.
The new battery-powered trains will be similar in design to the electric trains already in service. Each train will consist of two carriages, feature a low floor, and provide 188 seats, including 24 first-class seats. The trains have a design speed of up to 160 km/h, while in battery mode they can reach 120 km/h. With significantly better acceleration compared to existing diesel trains, they will make full use of the 120 km/h railway infrastructure and could reduce travel times by 15–25 minutes. This will make train travel a competitive alternative to private cars.
