CZ/SK verze

Poland and Czech Republic Forge Cross-Border Railway Agreement

Poland and Czech Republic Forge Cross-Border Railway Agreement
photo: Czech Ministry of Transport/Poland and Czech Republic Forge Cross-Border Railway Agreement
30 / 08 / 2023

In mid-August, the Polish Railway Transport Authority and the Czech Railway Authority signed an agreement on cooperation in the cross-border rail transport field. The agreement's content is to ensure joint supervision of railway undertakings and railway operators with cross-border activities and to establish rules for access to border stations of both countries. At the same time, under the deal, the existing stations located on passenger railways were redefined as border stations.

"The contract with Poland is the second cooperation agreement concluded by the Railway Authority after Slovakia. Intensive negotiations are also underway with Germany and Austria. The main purpose of the agreements is to promote railway safety and interoperability and to simplify the movement of railway vehicles for carriers when entering the border areas of neighboring countries," says Jiří Kolář, Director of the Czech Railway Authority.

The conclusion of cooperation agreements with the national safety authorities of neighboring countries follows the European Union directives on railway safety and interoperability of the railway system in the EU following the introduction of the 4th railway package. The agreements list specific defined sections affected by cross-border traffic.

If a carrier has been issued a single safety certificate for the Czech Republic or Poland or is currently applying for one, it shall also apply for an extension of its area of operation to the border stations listed in the agreement. Although the request for extension is made in the standard way via the One-Stop Shop portal, approval is handled only by the national railway authorities according to the terms of the agreement. Single Safety Certificates issued before the entry into force of the Agreement are valid by the conditions at the time of their issue, and any extension request will only add to them.

The cooperation agreement with Poland also addresses joint supervision, which entails the establishment of a joint state supervision plan and the exchange of information related to railway safety.

According to the agreement with Poland, the defined sections are Chałupki - Bohumín os. n., Chałupki-Bohumín - Vrbice, Cieszyn - Český Těšín, Głuchołazy - Jindřichov ve Slezsku, Głuchołazy - Mikulovice, Kamienna Góra - Královec, Międzylesie - Lichkov, Mieroszów - Meziměstí, Szklarska Poręba Górna - Harrachov, Zawidów - Višňová, Zebrzydowice - Český Těšín, Zebrzydowice - Petrovice u Karviné, Hrádek nad Nisou - Žitava - Varnsdorf - Hrádek nad Nisou.

Source: Czech Railway Authority Press Release

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