Skoda expands Czech rail fleet presence with new order

Skoda Group is to deliver 23 low-floor EMU electric trains to Czechia in a EUR 133mn order that it said will “substantially enhance both service quality and capacity”.

RegioJet, the largest private railway carrier in Central and Eastern Europe, will use the trains on suburban and regional services in north Czechia, planning to cover 3.3mn kilometres annually, over a 15-year period, with 15 2-carriage-trains and 8 3-carriage-trains. 

Electric multiple units (EMUs) are self-propelled carriages that use electricity, and require no separate locomotive, as traction motors are incorporated in their carriages. The customised EMUs will be delivered for use in the Usti nad Labem, north Czechia, by the end of 2026.

The EMUs will have top speeds of 160 km/h and include European Train Control System equipment, air-conditioning, Wi-Fi, 230V power sockets, USB sockets, barrier-free entrances, ergonomic seats, first-class compartments, and large storage areas.

Skoda electric trains and trams are already in widespread use in Czechia and the company has a total payroll of around 8,000 in the country and Finland. The country’s second-largest city, Brno, south-east Czechia, is currently modernising its tram fleet with 15 new Skoda vehicles.

Skoda communications head Jan Svehla said: “The largest private carrier in Central Europe has chosen (Skoda Group) for its lines in the Asti nad Labem region. We believe that this purchase is a fantastic symbol of rail transport’s continued growth as one of the most environmentally friendly ways to get around.”

RegioJet’s sole owner Radim Jancura said: “We plan to invest more than CZK 4.5bn (EUR 182.18mn) in our fleet this year and next.” The Czech service provider operates rail routes around Czechia and Slovakia and also runs train routes to other European cities, including Vienna.