The numbers are out: the state subsidizes some express trains with hundreds of millions a year
For the first time ever, the Ministry of Transport has published specific data on railway line subsidies. The Office basically pushed RegioJet owner Radim Jančura to do so. The most lossy express line in the Czech Republic is the Ostrava – Krnov – Olomouc line. The state pays 225 CZK for each kilometer traveled, a total of 157 million crowns per year. However, the state subsidizes the long-distance line Germany – Děčín – Prague – Brno – Břeclav – Austria, where the total subsidy reaches 625 million crowns per year.
But the railways are preparing legal action against the ministry’s move. They consider the data on the distribution of subsidies to be trade secrets, the disclosure of which they have stubbornly opposed and tried to defend in court. The Ministry of Transport (MD) previously published only the total subsidy for ČD, which amounted to four billion crowns, and the railways have so far claimed that they receive an average of 120 crowns per kilometer on subsidies.
Data on individual lines (relating to 2010) but finally acquired by RegioJet owner Radim Jančura, from the former Minister of Transport Pavel Dobeš on the basis of the Act on Free Access to Information. Jančura wanted to publish information about the subsidies on Monday, but MD is already published on its website.
The most lossy express connections in the Czech Republic in 2010:
Order | Line route | Loss per 1 km of train running (in crowns) | Absolute loss of the line in 2010 (in millions of crowns) |
---|---|---|---|
1. | Ostrava – Opava – Krnov – Olomouc | 225 | 157 |
2. | Prague – Kladno – Rakovník | 186 | 74 |
3. | Prague – Mladá Boleslav – Turnov – Tanvald | 165 | 101 |
4. | Prague – Beroun – Pribram – Pisek – Ceske Budejovice | 160 | 154 |
5. | Kolín – Mladá Boleslav – Česká Lípa – Rumburk | 159 | 92 |
6. | Pardubice – Jihlava | 153 | 27 |
7. | Ústí nad Labem – Česká Lípa – Liberec | 140 | 89 |
8. | (Germany-) Děčín – Ústí nad Labem – Prague – Pardubice – Brno – Břeclav (-Austria / Slovakia) | 139 | 625 |
9. | Brno – Jihlava – Ceske Budejovice – Plzen | 139 | 290 |
10. | (Austria / Slovakia -) Břeclav – Otrokovice – Přerov – Ostrava (- Poland) | 138 | 105 |
Source: Ministry of Transport, Czech Railways
“It is information about how much the Ministry of Transport paid from citizens’ taxes to cover losses for the operation of trains on individual lines. For example, in Slovakia, where we operate regional trains from Bratislava to Komárno, this information – including the entire contract between us and the Ministry – is a publicly accessible document on the Internet, “argues Jančura.
At the same time, Jančura announced today that he wants to from Czech Railways to fully take over the railway connection from Prague to Brno.
Will there be a court?
Czech Railways wants to defend itself against the ministry’s action through legal means. “We are seriously concerned about the state of protection of the economic rights of state-owned companies and the fact that the Ministry of Transport has handed over competing companies and subsequently published trade secrets and strategic economic data of the state-owned company on its website. Czech Railways is taking all steps to protect its business interests and protect state-owned property, “said Petr Šťáhlavský, a spokesman for ČTK drahy. The state is a 100% owner of ČD.
So far, the Ministry has stated that it pays an average of CZK 120 per kilometer to Czech Railways. Former Minister of Transport Pavel Dobeš decided to release the information. “We are obliged to publish the data provided on the basis of Act No. 106/1999 Coll. That is why all decisions are published on our website, “said Martin Novák, a spokesman for the Ministry of Transport.
The railway connection between Ostrava and Olomouc via Krnov is the first domestic line for the operation of which the Ministry of Transport has announced a proper tender. Currently, the last connection is to serve as a pilot project, according to which other railways will be liberalized. Carriers are interested in the tender RegioJet and British Arriva. The ministry chose this line because it is a degree of isolated potential and complications that could arise after the new carrier could appear in the rest of the rail network.
The conditions of the tender are currently being examined by the Office for the Protection of Competition (ÚOHS) on the basis of a complaint from Czech Railways, which, after the entry of competing carriers, fears the disintegration of the network character of passenger rail transport. Until his decision, the ministry may not conclude a contract with the winner of the tender for the operation of the line.
The state subsidizes most of the express lines operated by Czech Railways. An exception is the Prague – Ostrava line, ČD also operates at its own commercial risk connections operated by Pendolino trains and new D1 Express connections between Prague and Brno.