Stadler will supply Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko (ZSSK) with up to four additional KISS double-deck electric multiple units from Stadler Rail. The new order, signed at the end of April 2025, is valued at up to EUR 100 million. Two trains are firm orders, while two more remain as options.
The KISS units are designed to increase passenger capacity on regional and intercity lines. With a total train length of 156 metres and 611 seats — including 30 in first class — each train offers space for up to 770 standing passengers. The vehicles are equipped with four toilets, including one adapted for passengers with reduced mobility.
Accessibility features include low-entry access (580 mm above top of rail), space for two wheelchairs, two push-chairs, and accommodation for up to 15 bicycles in multifunctional compartments. Passenger areas and cabs are fully air-conditioned, and onboard amenities include Wi-Fi, a modern passenger information system, and surveillance technology including pantograph monitoring cameras.
The KISS EMUs for ZSSK are powered via a 25 kV 50 Hz AC supply and deliver a total output of 6,000 kW. Each train reaches a maximum speed of 160 km/h and is fitted with Mirel VZ1 and ETCS Level 2 train control systems.
As with previous deliveries, the vehicle concept and design will be handled by Stadler Prague. Final manufacturing and assembly will be carried out at the Stadler Polska facility in Siedlce. The first of the two firm-ordered trains is expected to enter service by the end of 2026, with the second unit to follow in 2027.
Stadler previously supplied four KISS units to ZSSK in 2023 for use on regional lines between Bratislava and Nové Zámky, Trenčín, and Púchov. With the additional order, the number of KISS units in Slovakia will rise to eight.
Earlier deliveries from Stadler to Slovakia include multifunctional electric units for narrow-gauge operations in the High Tatras, supplied in 2001, 2003, and 2021. The expanded KISS fleet underlines the ongoing renewal of ZSSK’s rolling stock used in domestic regional operations.
