Czech Railways Buys 11 More Stadler RS1 Cars

Eleven Stadler RS1 multiple units will expand the fleet of České dráhy (ČD) trains. The Czech national railway carrier purchased these first-generation cars for EUR 12.995 million (approximately CZK 320 million). The units previously operated on German lines.

The number of RegioSpider carriages will grow on Czech railways. Czech Railways has acquired eleven cars, which were previously running for German carriers.

"We have acquired eleven railcars for just under 13 million euros. The intention to buy the motor units is part of the current investment plan," says Jiří Ješeta, a member of the Board of Directors and Deputy Director General of ČD for Passenger Transport. "With the purchase of the vehicles, we are responding to the current and future contractual customers' requirements for transport services under public service obligations for the DMU70 vehicle category, where the need for ETCS equipment arises after 2025," he added.

All eleven vehicles will undergo periodic refurbishment by the dealer, during which wheelchair-accessible toilets will be installed. In agreement with the customer, the vehicles will be equipped with Wi-Fi, electrical sockets, and an information system, and the paintwork will also be modified. Due to these changes and the approval process in the Czech Republic, it is expected to start operations in the first half of 2024.
The assumption is that the vehicles will be deployed in the Ústí nad Labem and Central Bohemia regions and deployment on specific lines is currently under discussion. However, there is also interest in operating this type of vehicle elsewhere, for example, in the Liberec Region.

The fleet of Stadler RS1 low-floor railcars, also known as RegioSpider, owned by České dráhy will thus grow to 67 units.

Source: České dráhy