Czech authorities sign 165 billion CZK rail contract

The Central Bohemian Region, the City of Prague, and the national rail operator České dráhy (ČD) have signed a major contract worth 165 billion CZK (approximately 6.78 billion EUR) to operate passenger rail services in the Prague metropolitan area and Central Bohemia.

The agreement, described as one of the largest in the history of Central European public transport, focuses on modernizing the regional fleet. Starting in 2030, over 60 new electric trains will be progressively introduced, with the potential to expand to 133 units. These new trains will replace aging CityElefant units and feature amenities such as wireless phone charging, real-time occupancy information, and improved mobile signal reception. Each set will offer at least 380 seats.

The new services will primarily serve routes from Prague to Beroun, Kolín, and Kladno, with future plans to include connections to Václav Havel Airport and potentially Mladá Boleslav. The contract was awarded following a competitive tender process designed to open the market to European manufacturers. RegioJet was also a bidder with a proposal of 183.65 billion CZK. The VUZ Velim testing center will be used for the testing and homologation of the new units.