In 2026, the Czech railway infrastructure will receive a record budget of approximately EUR 3 billion, the largest allocation in history for this sector. This high level of funding confirms the increasingly important role of rail transport in the national strategy for mobility and sustainable development.

The investments are focused on modernizing and maintaining the network, with an emphasis on improving travel conditions and increasing the system’s reliability. Approximately EUR 800 million will be used for infrastructure maintenance work, while about EUR 30 million are allocated to enhancing safety at level crossings. At the same time, several stations will be modernized through substantial projects costing hundreds of millions of crowns.

The investment program for Czech railway infrastructure also includes electrification projects, increasing travel speeds, and eliminating bottlenecks in the network. These measures will help reduce travel times, increase capacity, and strengthen the position of rail transport as an efficient and sustainable alternative to road transport.

Prague – Kladno, one of the most important projects

One of the most important projects is the extension of the Prague – Airport – Kladno line, which will involve modernisation, track doubling, and electrification, enabling speeds of 145 km/h. The project is one of the most significant modernisations of the Czech railway infrastructure and has as its main objective the direct connection of downtown Prague with Václav Havel Airport and the city of Kladno, located 30 km northwest of the capital and 16 km northwest of the airport.

The project is divided into more than ten sections, with work having begun in 2017 with the reconstruction of the Negrelli Viaduct, and in 2022 with the reconstruction of the line between Kladno and Kladno-Ostrovec.

The project involves the modernisation of the railway line between Praha-Veleslavin and Praha-Ruzyně, the construction of a new line between Praha-Ruzyně and the Václav Havel Prague Airport railway station, including the construction of the station, as well as the creation of a connecting railway link from the airport to the main Prague–Kladno line.

In addition to a new parallel line, the modernisation and reconstruction of the existing line, and electrification, the project also includes the construction of a tunnel between the Praha-Dejvice and Praha-Veleslavín stations, which is scheduled for completion in 2027.

The total cost of the project exceeds EUR 1.6 billion.

To date, a series of contracts have been signed, and recently, the Czech railway infrastructure manager, Správa železnic, signed another contract that will cost less than initially estimated, with the winning bid falling significantly below the estimated value.

The contract, worth 8.279 billion Czech koruna (EUR 337.4 million ), was awarded to a consortium consisting of Subterra, OHLA ŽS, Elektrizace železnic Praha, and Swietelsky. The bid submitted by this consortium is over 500 million crowns (EUR 20.4 million) lower than the estimated value.

“The project will significantly improve transport between the capital and Kladno, while also facilitating commuting from surrounding areas to Prague. The project will increase train speeds and line capacity and integrate stations with Park & Ride facilities. This represents the longest phase of the strategic Prague–Airport–Kladno project,” said Správa železnic CEO Tomáš Tóth.

Ongoing priority projects

Another ongoing project is the modernisation of the Hradec Králové railway hub, which will become fully accessible and benefit from increased train speeds, serving approximately 20,000 passengers daily. For this project, in October 2025 Správa železnic signed a contract with a consortium consisting of OHLA ŽS, Subterra, and Elektrizace železnic for reconstruction work, with a contract value of 10 billion crowns (EUR 407.5 million).

Additionally, the modernisation of the Kutná Hora–Kolín line will eliminate one of the network’s main bottlenecks, and train speeds will reach up to 160 km/h. Also this year, electrification will begin on a 52-km line between České Velenice and Veselí nad Lužnicí, marking the first tender organized by specialized categories to stimulate competition and reduce costs.

Other projects include the electrification of the Nýřany–Heřmanova Huť commuter line, the modernisation of station buildings in Cheb and Tábor, and the improvement of energy reliability through the modernisation of a substation in Břeclav.

A major cross-border project involves the connection to Germany. In this context, the line from Pilsen via Nýřany to Chotěšov will be modernized, becoming part of the modern line from the West Bohemian metropolis to Bavaria. Recently, the consortium of Porr, Elektrizace železnic Praha, and Berger Bohemia was selected to modernize 20 km of track under a bid of 4.489 billion crowns (EUR 179.6 million), below the estimated value of 4.640 billion crowns (EUR 185.6 million).

Plzeň – Nýřany – Chotěšov will be part of the future connection to Bavaria. It should be noted that this year, Bayerische Eisenbahngesellschaft (BEG), the Bavarian State Railways, and the Czech Ministry of Transport launched a tender for cross-border services on the Munich – Regensburg – Prague route. The operator will have a 15-year contract, running from 2031 to 2046.

A major ongoing project is the modernisation of the Brno–Přerov line, which will be upgraded to double track and allow speeds of up to 200 km/h, becoming part of the Czech Republic’s future high-speed network. For three sections of this line, the EBRD has selected a consortium comprising PricewaterhouseCoopers, White & Case, and Setec International to provide consulting services to the operator Správa železnic for the implementation of the high-speed line.

Lower costs for rail infrastructure projects

Správa železnic is undergoing a period of transformation, both structurally and operationally, by accelerating infrastructure modernisation projects, digitizing traffic management processes, and increasing the capacity of the rail network to meet the growing demand for mobility. At the same time, the institution is able to secure lower costs in public tenders, thanks to intense competition among bidders and better project optimization, which allows for major investments to be carried out at prices below initial estimates.

“Every cost saving achieved in public procurement is a benefit for the state and taxpayers. Contracts for the Prague–Kladno line and for the first section of the modernisation toward Bavaria were awarded for hundreds of millions of crowns below the estimated value, demonstrating the effectiveness of open tenders and high competition,” stated Transport Minister Ivan Bednárik.

In March, Správa železnic announced that railway infrastructure maintenance work would incur lower costs than initially estimated, as numerous bidders submitted significantly more competitive bids for several projects.

This development is the result of both the company’s internal transformation process and recent changes in public procurement legislation, which have stimulated competition and increased the transparency of tender procedures. Overall, these changes contribute to a more efficient use of public funds and a more effective operation of the railway infrastructure