TESTING of the first Siemens Vectron for Czech rail freight operator ČD Cargo began on the Czech mainline network on May 31, when the locomotive ran under its own power between Pořičany and Velím on the Prague - Kolín line.

CONTROL of almost all railway stations in the Czech Republic will pass to infrastructure manager SŽDC by August 1 after the steering committee of Czech Railways (ČD) approved the transfer on May 25.

ALSTOM has received approval for its Coradia Lint 41 EMUs to operate in Poland. With certification already granted in the Czech Republic, the trains can be operated on cross-border services between these two countries and Germany.

ŠKODA Transportation handed over the last of 14 class 660/661 InterPanter EMUs for Czech Railways (ČD) at its Ostrava plant on May 5.

CZECH open-access passenger operator Regiojet is planning to launch a new service between Prague and the Slovakian capital Bratislava.

CZECH Railways (ČD) announced on April 14 that it has launched three international tenders for new rolling stock with a total value of around Koruna 10.8bn ($US 451m).

CZECH Railways (ČD) announced on April 13 that it will equip 663 vehicles of 33 different types with ETCS Level 2 as deployment of the system continues under infrastructure manager SŽDC's ERTMS National Implementation Plan.

SIEMENS has received contracts to supply a total of 11 multi-system Vectron electric locomotives for two European freight operators.

Funding and soft loans from European Union facilities and affiliated organisations promise to deliver long-awaited Eastern European rail infrastructure improvements over the next decade or so. Artur Perchel, manager, Central Eastern Europe & Israel at the International Association of Public Transport (UITP), assesses the impact.

ARRIVA is due to begin operation of a new semi-fast service between Prague main station, Czech Republic, and Benešov u Prahy on February 29.