photo: RAILTARGET/RBD 2026
Rail Business Days 2026 has officially opened in Ostrava, accompanied by a closely watched conference on the current state of rail transport in the Czech Republic. Leading politicians, railway executives and industry representatives gathered to discuss the sector’s key challenges and priorities. RAILTARGET is on site providing live coverage from the event.
Alongside the opening of this year’s Rail Business Days exhibition in Ostrava, the event’s professional conference also got underway. Senior representatives from government institutions, railway companies and industry associations outlined their views on the current state of Czech railways and the challenges ahead.
The opening remarks were delivered by Minister of Transport Ivan Bednárik, who reflected on the current situation in the sector. "It is still too early for a full assessment after only six months, but I believe we can be proud of Czech railways," he said. He was followed by Martin Kolovratník, Member of Parliament and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Czech Railway Infrastructure Administration (Správa železnic). "On ETCS, we have moved ahead and neighbouring countries may well envy us. We are in a good position, but many challenges still lie ahead," Kolovratník stated.
Michal Krapinec, CEO of Czech Railways (ČD), highlighted the company’s extensive fleet renewal programme. "Over the past ten years, Czech Railways has undergone a huge wave of modernisation. Czech railways have nothing to be ashamed of. We compare well even with countries further west," Krapinec said in Ostrava.
The transformation of the infrastructure manager was addressed by Tomáš Tóth, Director General of Správa železnic. "Správa železnic is changing, and we are implementing cost-saving measures," he explained.
Regional Perspective and Transport Decarbonisation
Representing the host region of Moravia-Silesia were Regional Governor Josef Bělica and Deputy Governor for Transport Radek Podstawka. Both pointed out the region’s focus on sustainability and strategic infrastructure projects.
"We have an important transport hub at Mošnov that we want to continue developing. Since introducing the first battery-powered trains, passenger numbers have increased by 20%. I would be very pleased to see hydrogen trains introduced into long-distance services as well," Bělica said.
Podstawka stressed the need to complete major projects already underway. "I would like to see ongoing projects brought to completion, including the Ostrava rail node, electrification towards Frýdek-Místek and Krnov, and others," he stated.
The discussion on sustainability was joined by Zdeněk Chrdle, CEO of AŽD, who argued that rail transport must also be viewed through an economic lens.
"We should not look at railways only from the perspective of modernisation, but also economics. We cannot remain dependent solely on subsidies, which may not always be available. I welcome zero-emission rail transport, but we should remember that rail is not the transport mode that places the greatest burden on the environment. We must also focus decarbonisation efforts on road and air transport," Chrdle said.
Panel Discussion: Infrastructure Projects to 2030
The opening speeches were followed by a panel discussion entitled ‘Key Czech Railway Infrastructure Projects to 2030’. Joining Bednárik, Kolovratník and Tóth were Martin Hořínek, President of ŽESNAD CZ, and Petr Moravec, Executive Director of SVOD Bohemia.
Has Freight Rail Been Forgotten?
"The problem lies in decarbonisation, because we forgot that freight transport exists. In Brussels, we hammered many nails into the coffin of rail freight, and it will take a long time to pull them back out," Bednárik remarked.
Hořínek echoed these concerns. "We used to travel to Brussels and explain to the Director-General of DG MOVE that freight transport needs support. I am therefore pleased that we have the Minister’s support in this area," he said, adding that the intermodal transport segment continues to grow.
What Next for High-Speed Rail?
The moderator then turned the discussion to the future of high-speed rail (HSR) projects in the Czech Republic.
"When you became Minister, there was talk that high-speed rail projects would be halted. What is your vision for HSR?" the moderator asked.
"An additional CZK 100 billion every year for ten years solely for high-speed rail is impossible," Bednárik replied candidly.
"I need to wait and see what can be negotiated in Brussels regarding international high-speed rail connections. Once I know that we can secure co-financing of perhaps 50% or even 70%, we can move forward. For now, we have postponed sections that do not connect further abroad," he said, adding that public-private partnerships cannot finance everything.
However, Správa železnic CEO Tomáš Tóth confirmed that preparations for major projects continue.
"Next year we will launch the largest construction project for freight rail transport. We are continuing with projects that improve links with neighbouring countries, such as the Ore Mountains Tunnel. Although it has its drawbacks, it will be an important dual-use tunnel for both passenger and freight traffic," Tóth explained. "The target speed of 320 km/h remains unchanged. There is no reason to slow down when these high-speed lines will serve the country for the next 50 or even 100 years."
Petr Moravec agreed, praising what he described as a more realistic approach to financing. "Under the previous Minister, it sometimes appeared that there was money for everything and that whatever was missing would be covered by PPP projects. I am pleased that the discussion has become more realistic. The Via Vindobona project continues, which is important, and the Moravian Gate project has not been abandoned either. What we lack is capacity – both for freight and passenger transport."
Moravec also defended the planned design speed of the future network. "A train reaches 320 km/h only after 24 to 36 kilometres, depending on gradients, and braking takes another eight kilometres. We should build for 320 km/h. Our predecessors built railways for 160 km/h even when their rolling stock could not yet reach those speeds."
Budget Challenges and the Future of Local Lines
The moderator then asked Martin Kolovratník how stable long-term funding for Správa železnic could be secured. "It all comes down to political decisions. Since 2014, there has been money for everything, but this year we have seen the first real gap between what is planned and what can actually be afforded. Discussions are already taking place regarding next year’s budget. At the moment, we are talking about CZK 82 billion and more for Správa železnic," Kolovratník said.
Finally, he was asked about the preservation of local branch lines, a policy he had strongly supported in the past. "Perhaps I was naïve. Today I know there are other ways to address the issue, for example through tram-train concepts or autonomous solutions. It is simply not possible to preserve every local railway line across the country," he concluded.