The state is preparing express trains to Pilsen and Munich, and will assign them to Czech Railways
The Ministry of Transport has recently seen two-tier rail transport. This means that in addition to the traditional express trains, it wants to send more improved and faster express trains to the modernized corridors, which will serve only the largest cities on the route. Such express trains will depart from Prague in the south to České Budějovice and Linz from mid-December.
The latest plan of the ministry then speaks of expanding this model as well on the route from Prague via Pilsen to Munich and Cheb. This follows from the material that the Ministry of Transport wants to submit to the government by the end of November.
“Specifically, it means that the express trains of the new Ex6 line will be operated alternately on the Prague-Munich and Prague-Cheb routes, while these trains will run without stopping in the entire Prague-Pilsen section,” the document says, which is currently undergoing interdepartmental proceedings.
According to the office’s spokesman Tomáš Neřold, the Pilsen express trains will be launched in December. I am counting on a direct assignment to Czech Railways. At the same time, it is not yet clear how much the state will pay for the news in subsidies.
“The price will depend on the final scope of transport, this issue will be resolved by the affected regional customers,” said Neřold. It will be about ten million crowns. For this year’s introduction of eight pairs of express trains from Prague to the south of Bohemia, the state will cost the railways 85 million crowns.
The tracks should have a certain Pilsen order by December 2024. On the other hand, the state on the line will maintain i express trains on the Prague-Pilsen-Klatovy line. They will also serve smaller cities on the route, such as Beroun, Zdice or Rokycany. At the same time, the state wants to enter express trains on the basis of an open competition.
It may happen that Czech Railways’ express trains will cross with the express cars of a competing carrier on the same line.