OSTRAVA has become the first city in the Czech Republic to gain a dedicated airport rail link with the inauguration of a new connection to Leoš Janáček International Airport on April 13.
THE regional public transport authority of South Bohemia, Czech Republic, has awarded a 15-year regional passenger services operations contract worth Koruna 2.25bn ($US 87m) to GW Train Regio (GWTR).
The test circuit at Velim in the Czech Republic has been a fixture of research, development and certification for rail vehicles and infrastructure components for more than half a century. Quintus Vosman looks at how this unique facility is adapting to meet the changing needs of the industry and the rigorous demands of modern authorisation processes.
The opening of the Czech long-distance market has resulted in a three-way battle for market share on the country's busiest inter-city line, with two new entrants vying for business with incumbent Czech Railways (CD). However with huge pressure to offer the lowest fares, ridership growth has not translated into profitability, as Keith Barrow and Quintus Vosman discover.
THE Czech Republic's minister of transport, Ing Antonín Prachar, has dismissed the CEO of Czech Railways (CD), Mr Daniel Kurucz, after serving only nine months in office. CD's new CEO is Mr Pavel Krtek who was previously chief financial officer.
CZECH Railways (CD) and Slovakian Railways (ZSSK) have announced plans to shave almost an hour off the fastest journey times between the Czech capital and eastern Slovakia with the introduction of tilting trains on the Prague – Košice route.
CZECH Railways (CD) has awarded Škoda Transportation a Koruna 2.6bn ($US 125m) contract to supply 14 additional RegioPanter EMUs for inter-city services.
CZECH Railways (ČD) launched trial passenger operation of its new fleet of Siemens Railjet long-distance trains on May 6, when the first set entered service on the international Prague – Vienna – Graz route.
SIEMENS presented the first set of Railjet long-distance coaches for Czech Railways (CD) to the press at its Simmering facility in Vienna on February 12.
CZECH open-access operator RegioJet has announced it intends to seek Koruna 270m ($US 14m) in damages from Czech Railways (CD), which it accuses of engaging in anticompetitive practices on the Prague – Ostrava route.