Czech Railways suburban rail service and infrastructure

Czech Railways (České dráhy) has secured a 30-year public-service contract for suburban rail lines serving the Central Bohemian Region and Prague. The contract, valued at approximately 165 billion CZK, was awarded after the state operator submitted a bid roughly 18 billion CZK lower than competitor RegioJet. Scheduled to begin in December 2030, the agreement includes the procurement of up to 133 new two-level electric multiple unit vehicles from Škoda Transportation.

While the operator has already modernized its fleet with over 1,400 low-floor vehicles to improve accessibility, transport experts note that rolling stock upgrades alone are insufficient to resolve systemic issues. The Association of Passenger Rail Operators (SVOD Bohemia) has highlighted significant infrastructure bottlenecks, particularly within the Prague railway node and on lines connecting Prague to Kolín, Beroun, Všetaty, and Mladá Boleslav. Experts warn that capacity constraints and two-track limitations continue to cause delays, with major reconstruction projects in the Prague node not expected to commence before 2035.