Czech Republic plans major railway infrastructure upgrades

The Czech Ministry of Transport's central commission has approved a conceptual document to adapt major railway lines for 740-meter-long freight trains. This initiative involves significant infrastructure adjustments, including the extension of 57 sidings and the construction of 21.6 km of track crossings. The project aims to modernize various stations, such as Podivín, Rájec-Jestřebí, and Moravany, with total costs for certain variants estimated to exceed 118 billion CZK.

Separately, the Railway Administration (Správa železnic) is initiating a modernization of the line connecting Kostelec u Jihlavy, Telč, Dačice, and Slavonice. The first stage of this reconstruction, with a maximum tender price of 1.4 billion CZK, focuses on repairing tracks, bridges, and crossings. The project includes the creation of a new Slavonice škola stop and the installation of the European Train Control System (ETCS).

Once completed, the Kostelec–Slavonice modernization is expected to reduce travel times by up to 27 minutes. Work on this specific line is scheduled to begin in 2028, with subsequent stages planned through 2031.