Russian manufacturing plant Metrovagonmash has completed and shipped to Bulgaria its last two sets of subway cars for the Sofia Metro ahead of schedule, Russian media reported.

The new cars for the Sofia Metropolitan company, a total of 54, were assigned to Metrovagonmash, which is based near Moscow, under a contract from the summer of 2011.

The cars in question are type "Rusich", model 81-740.2B/741.2B, metalinfo.ru reported Friday.

Metrovagonmash won the tender for supplying subway cars for the Sofia Metro back in March 2011.

It was contracted to produce 18 trains with three cars each for the price of a total of EUR 77 M provided to Bulgaria under EU Operational Program Transport.

The first two Russian-made trains were provided to Sofia Metropolitan Jsc back in April 2012.

The brand-new Russian subway trains are said to have a number of improvements compared to the other cars in the Sofia Metro.

All trains in the subway of the Bulgarian capital have been produced by Metrovagonmash, the oldest ones being made back in 1990, still carrying "Made in USSR" signs.

Metrovagonmash and the Sofia Metropolitan company have been partnering since the launch of the Sofia subway back in 1998.

The new Rusich cars of the Russian company that have been provided to Sofia are also in use in the subways of the Russian capital Moscow and the Russian city of Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan.

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