THE inaugural Chinese-built passenger train to enter service in the European Union made its first trip on February 5.
The train, built by Chinese railway engineering conglomerate CRRC and operated by private company Regiojet, is one of the two Chinese built‘Sirius’EMUs which are in the Czech Republic as a result of a now cancelled contract from the other major Czech private operator Leo Express.
Initially only one train was used, on a trial basis for three to four months, to operate some semi fast regional trains on the Ústí nad Labem to Kolín route where Regiojet holds a Czech government contract to operate trains.
The 160kph (99mph) dual voltage (3kV DC/25kV AC) Class 665 trains were ordered from CRRC Zhuzhou by Leo Express in 2016 with three trains initially planned plus options for 30 more. While the first train arrived in
