Czech Railways orders 180 passenger cars from Siemens Mobility and Škoda Transportation

Credit: Siemens Mobility

The national carrier Czech Railways (ČD) continues to modernise its fleet, which serves both long-distance domestic and international lines. As a result of this, the consortium of Siemens Mobility and Škoda Transportation has won the tender for 20 Viaggio Comfort nine-car non-traction units including control cars, designed for a maximum operating speed of 230 km/h. The cars will be delivered from 2024 to 2026 and the order is valued at around half a billion euros.

“We are pleased that ČD is once again relying on our successful Viaggio passenger cars for expanding and modernising its services”, says Gerhard Greiter, CEO of Region North-East Europe at Siemens Mobility. “These new cars will bear the mark of our Czech engineering department. They, for example, score points with barrier-free access for all passengers and quiet travel conditions at high speeds for comfortable journeys. Our state-of-the-art cars will help to make sustainable rail transportation in the Czech Republic even more attractive.”

“The Czech Republic is planning to increase the speed limit on its conventional rail lines to 200 km/h and build high-speed lines, enabling trains to run faster than the current limit of 160 km/h. That’s why we must continue with our planned investments in new trains that meet the standards for vehicles operating on both conventional and high-speed networks in Central Europe. This will strengthen our long-term strategic partnerships in international transport, as well as our position in long-distance transport”, explains Ivan Bednárik, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of Czech Railways, adding: “The units will be equipped with the most advanced features available on the current European market and will offer passengers the highest level of comfort.”

The new 180 cars are intended for ČD passenger transport, and two additional cars are supposed to be purchased by the Czech Railway infrastructure provider for the purpose of rail testing. The new train cars have a number of innovative features.

Passengers will appreciate adjustable seats in first and second class, charging sockets for e-bikes and a state-of-the-art bistro area. Wi-Fi connections, frequency-transparent windows for improved mobile phone reception, and an on-board information and electronic reservation system will be standard. The nine-car trains will also be equipped with wireless mobile phone chargers in first class, a children’s cinema and storage space for 12 bicycles.

The cars will be approved for operation in the Czech Republic and neighbouring European countries, such as Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland. The interoperability of the vehicles will be ensured by meeting the respective regional specifications. The control cars will be equipped with an on-board unit of the European Train Control System (ETCS), as well as national train protection systems.