Czech Railway Safety and Capacity Strengthened With EIB Loan Of CZK 13 Billion
Construction
The funding will improve TEN-T railway lines in the Czech Republic and enable the deployment of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). The project will be managed by Správa železnic, s.o., the national railway infrastructure administrator, under the authority of the Czech Ministry of Transport. The first part of the loan, CZK 24 billion, was signed in autumn 2023.
Správa železnic will use the latest round of financing to continue installing ERTMS, a rail traffic management system that not only is compulsory in the European Union but also greatly reduces the risks of human error and accidents. Other benefits of the system include higher capacity, potentially allowing for more travel options and lower operating and maintenance costs (from electricity savings in particular).
As regards safety, modern railroad crossings in the Czech Republic could avoid up to 180 incidents annually resulting in 30 to 40 deaths a year. Správa železnic plans to install barriers at level crossings or replace them with bridges or tunnels, so that cars, bikes and pedestrians can cross the railway lines without going on the tracks.
The project also includes works in railway stations and buildings to improve accessibility for people with reduced mobility and travellers with children. It consists of some 40 sub-projects scheduled to be finished by the end of 2028. Around a quarter of the upgrades will happen in the Prague region, but the vast majority are planned in areas that fall under EU cohesion policy. Once complete, the project will benefit approximately 90 million passengers annually and facilitate the transport of more than 8 million tonnes of freight.
The signed facility builds upon a 2022 Memorandum of Understanding to establish a partnership to modernise Czechia’s railway network. Under the memorandum, the EIB committed to providing financing of up to €7 billion and technical assistance to the Czech railway infrastructure administrator. Several of the current sub-projects were prepared with the support of JASPERS, a European Commission-EIB partnership to help project owners align with EU standards to improve their chances of securing EU funding.
Upgrading the railway lines will increase both maximum speeds and capacity on sections of the TEN-T network. The investment supports the transport policy of the Czech Republic for the period of 2021 to 2027. This framework envisages an energy-efficient and climate-resilient transport system with a neutral impact on the environment. Shifting passenger and freight transport from roads to rail would minimise noise, pollution and CO2 emissions.