Czech Republic - General Information
National railway system
České Dráhy (ČD). Since 1 January 2003 infrastructure has been managed by state organization Správa železniční dopravní cesty (SŽDC).
Language
Czech
Currency
Czech Koruna
UIC code
numeric 54, alpha CZ
Timetable
Journey Planner
Downloadable Timetable
www.cd.cz/vnitrostatni-cestovani/jizdni-rad/tratove-jizdni-rady/-3546/
Printed Timetable
Traťové Jízdní Řády. Includes the ČD-owned funicular railways and cableways. Printed in Czech throughout but with general instructions in English, German and French. Timetable supplements are issued and obtained at major stations on presentation of the coupons in the timetable book. A fold-out, near-geographic route diagram is included in the timetable, and there are enlargements of the Praha, Brno and Ostrava areas. The diagrams show principal stations and distinguish privately-operated and electrified lines.
Engineering Information
Maps
Quail Map Co publishes a Czech Republic and Slovakia Railway map, which includes details of electrification, tram systems and some historical information. The "Atlas Drah, Ceské Republiky 2006-2007” is a hard backed very detailed 1:200000 map by Zdenék Hudec, ISBN 80-87047-00-1, costing 599CZK or €38 and now generally available in large CD station bookstalls and Information Offices. This new edition also contains Tram and Trolley bus system maps, but the indexed key of numbered highlights from each page is only now in Czech. The map is very detailed and shows numerous freight only lines not displayed on the Quail map.
Gauge
Standard, except for the 760 mm gauge routes from Jindřichúv Hradec to Obrataň and Nová Bystřice, and from Třemešná ve Slezsku to Osoblaha.
Electrification
Generally, lines to the north and east of Praha are electrified at 3 kV dc, whereas those to the west and south of Praha are electrified at 25 kV 50 Hz. The two systems meet at
- Beroun-Kralův Dvůr, on the line between Praha and Plzeň;
- Benešov u Prahy, on the line between Praha and České Budějovice;
- Klášterec nad Ohri, near Kadaň on the line between Chomutov and Karlovy Vary;
- Kutná Hora, on the line between Kolín and Brno;
- Svitavy-Lány, on the line between Česká Třebova and Brno;
- Nezamyslice, on the line between Přerov and Brno; and
- Nedakonice, on the line between Přerov and Břeclav.
There is an isolated 1500 V dc branch in the south from Tábor to Bechyně.
Rule of the road
Right-hand, except for Bohumín - Břeclav which is left-hand. At the eastern end of the Přerov avoiding line, the changeover is made by an unusual flyover arrangement. Most double-tracked routes are reversibly signalled and often used as such.
Other Railways
The following timetable routes are operated by, and where marked by (*) the railway infrastructure is owned by, private companies.
- 045 - Trutnov hlavní n. - Svoboda nad Úpou
- 145 - Sokolov - Kraslice (the route onwards to Klingenthal in Germany is operated by Vogtlandbahn GmbH)
- 149 - Karlovy Vary – Mariánské Lázne
- 228 - Obrataň - Jindřichův Hradec (*)
- 229 - Jindřichův Hradec - Nová Bystřice (*)
- 293 - Šumperk - Petrov nad Desnou - Kouty nad Desnou and Petrov nad Desnou - Sobotin (*)
- 313 - Milotice nad Opavou - Vrbno pod Pradědem
With the 2007 timetable, a number of services were withdrawn by ČD but summer only Private Operator services are timetabled, see #Recent and future changes below.
Tourist Lines
- Česká Kamenice - Kamenický Šenov - see ČD timetable 901.
- Muzeum Prumyslovych Železnic (MPŽ) - this 600mm line was listed previously as ČD timetable 904 but now simply has an advertisement giving operating dates and contact details.
- Velké Březno - Zubrnice: details, if services have commenced, would be appreciated.
Metro
Praha.
Trams
Brno, Liberec, Most-Litvinov, Olomouc, Ostrava, Plzeň, Praha.
Recent and future changes
There are plans to reopen from Harrachov to Szklarska Poreba Górna in Poland where the Polish section to the Czech border was transferred to the ownership of the Lower Silesian Regional Authority on 29 January 2008. A joint application for EU Funds by Polish and Czech organisations and Regional Authorities for 85% of the reconstruction costs was made in October 2008 but the outcome is not yet known. If funds are approved there should be a speedy commencement of works with reopening around a year later.
It is hoped that the Královec - Lubawka (- Jelenia Gora) cross-border line [043] will be reopened in summer 2009 if Viamont resolve funding difficulties with the Polish regional authorities.
There is a plan to close the existing Brno hlavni nadrazi station and the main line running through it, replacing it with a new station on the existing freight freight line between odb. Cernovice and Horni Herspice, approximately where Brno dolni nadrazi is located. A new light railway (tram) would be built into Brno city centre. There is considerable opposition to this plan and it is unlikely to occur for at least ten years.
Electrification works are in progress on the following routes:
- 199 České Budějovice - Gmund [OBB]
- 232 Lysá nad Labem - Milovice
- 248 Znojmo - Retz [OBB]
- 291 Zábřeh nad Morave - Šumperk
Changes with the timetable commencing 14 December 2008
Closures
- 253 Vranovice - Pohořelice
Other significant changes
- 040 The two hourly Trutnov - Chlumec fast services are extended through to Kolín giving a booked service over the short curve at Velký Osek;
- 122 Services resumed running through to Praha hl. n. thus reopening the short section north of Praha Smíchov severní nástupiště;
- 160 Žatec avoiding line back in use with 1 train pair on 6 days a week;
- 831 Reopening of the cross border line from Lichkov to Miedzylesie after electrification with two Praha - Wroclaw pairs plus two local services to and from Stíty.
The northern exits from Praha hl n have been undergoing total reconstruction since December 2005 as there had been just two separate single-track routes between Praha hl.n. and the Kolín line via Praha-Libeň. These were either a steeply-graded line leading to the former Praha-Hrabovka station at the eastern end of the Masarykovo station layout or via a tunnel and Praha-Vítkov, this second route shared with services to Praha-Holešovice and Praha-Vysočany which was a major operating constraint. The new northern route involving tunnels and flyovers came into use on 11 September 2008 and is believed to be as described in Today's Railways issue 105 (September 2004). An additional part of these works was a grade separated connection allowing a direct Praha Masarykovo - Lysá nad Labem - Kolín service which avoids the previously required reversal near Praha-Libeň. This is believed to have been used with effect from a timetable revision on 4 October 2008.
The cross-border line from Královec to Lubawka in Poland re-opened on 5 July 2008 with a Summer weekend only service using PKP DMUs and, as a consequence, the branch service on 043 from Královec to Žacléř was withdrawn. Services were popular, with the operating season extended until 12 October 2008 when it was suddenly withdrawn following an objection from the Polish Regional Authorities that the units whose purchase they had subsidised were now operating services into the Czech Republic.
An internal Viamont weekend only service ran to Královec (4 – 5 October) and then to Žacléř from 1 November until 7 March 2009 when the Hradec Kralove region withdrew funding. A timetable revision issued on 8 March 2009 shows trains between Trutnov and Lubawka on 8 days in the year.
Changes during the timetable period ending 13 December 2008
Closures
- 090/130 Ústí nad Labem západ avoiding curve
- 113 Čížkovice - Obrnice
- 114/126 Postolprty avoiding curve. The one train a week via the curve between Březno u. Postoloprt and Louny předměsti was not shown in an amendment issued on 3 March 2008, so is assumed to have run for the last time on Friday 29 February 2008.
- 122 Services terminated at Praha Smíchov severní nástupiště, resulting in closure from there to the junction north of Smíchov main station
- 132 Děčín hl.n. - Oldrichov u Duchcova [apart from 2 return workings Děčín hl.n to Telnice on 1 day a year]
- 320 Dětmarovice avoiding line
- 847 Sudoměřice nad Moravou - Skalica na Slovensku [Slovakia]
Other significant changes
- 063 Kopidlno - Dolni Bousov reduced to SSuO
- 072/087 Limited dated service via the Velke Zernoseky - Zalhostice curve
- 088 Jirikov station had 1 pair of trains on 17.05.2007
- 095 2km section from Straskov to Racineves reopened
- 120 Žatec - Milostin lost all local services, leaving just 4/5 pairs of non-stop R trains on this section
- 137 Chomutov - Vejprty reduced to two pairs SSuO
- 164 Kadaň předmĕstí to Kaštice reopened for a summer weekend service
- 165 from the junction at Vilémov to Radonice reopened for a summer weekend service
- 171 Limited service between Praha Vršovice and Smíchov via the previously non-passenger curve west of Vršovice
Changes during the timetable period ending December 2007
Closures
- 088 (part). The short section into Jiřikov station closed when daily local services were withdrawn, leaving only weekend cross border services to Ebersbach (DB)
- 095 (part) Straškov - Libochovice
- 120/160 Žatec avoiding line
- 164 Kadaň předmĕstí - Kaštice [leaving just a stub of table 164 from the now renamed main line junction station of Kadaň-Prunéřov]
- 165 Vilémov - Kadaňský Rohozec
In addition the following had all ČD regular services withdrawn but still appeared in the timetable with Private Operator summer only services:-
- 013 Bošice - Bečváry (by KZC vintage railcar marketed as “Podlipanský Motoraček” on all weekends in July and August, partly by direct trains to/from Kouřim and Uhlirské Janovice)
- 125 Krupá - Kolešovice (KHKD vintage services on Saturdays in August using steam traction)
- 233 Čelákovice - Mochov (trains can be ordered from KZC on weekends in summer)
Reopenings
- 090 Dolní Zálezly - Ústí nad Labem západ curve
- 121 Hostivice - Středokluky - Podlešin reopened to passengers on 31 March 2007 with a summer SSuO service aimed at Cyclists. Hostivice – Středokluky had previously closed to all traffic due to condition of track on 1 January 1993 and Podlešin – Středokluky closed to passengers on 11 December 2004.
- 144 Loket - Loket předměstí [reinstatement of 1 km of a line closed in May 1997]
Other significant changes
- 042 All trains except one weekday evening and weekend morning pair cut back to terminate at Jablonec n.Jizerou rather than Rokytnice
- 085 Krásná Lípa - Panský became summer weekends only
- 124 In the Chomutov area a completely new route 7km long opened on 1 April 2007 from Brezno u Chomutova to the former Výhybna Sporice [2006/07 Atlas Drah page 18] due to future brown coal excavation under the now closed old route. This new route includes the longest tunnel on the Czech network (1758 m). See www.sudop.cz/en/references/stavby/zel_brezno.php.
- 125 Kolešovice lost its daily services apart from a dated summer steam shuttle
- 292 Trains started calling at Głuchołazy [PKP] station. In addition from 26 January 2007 two pairs of cross border weekend-only trains commenced connecting Ostružná and Jesenik via Głuchołazy to Nysa and Opole in Poland
- 316 Electric services commenced between Ostrava-Svinov and Opava-Východ
Changes during the timetable period ending December 2006
Closures
- 026 (part) Broumov - Otovice zastávka (the last 4km of the branch)
- 120 The one train pair using the curve avoiding Praha Masarykovo to reach Praha Hl n with a reversal was withdrawn
- 140 (part) The normally freight only Chodov avoiding line was used by one eastbound service in the 2005 timetable
- 314 (part) Svobodné Heřmanice - Jakartovice (the last 4km of the branch, previously with a very restricted service)
Other significant changes
- 140 Electric services commenced between Kadaň and Karlovy Vary on 26 May 2006: at the same time this section was converted from left to right hand running
Previous year events
The peculiar arrangements east of Česká Trebová on table 270 where east and westbound took totally separate routes and crossed over each other twice ended in August 2005, when the previously single eastbound track was doubled. Other significant cut-offs with new tunnels opened in 2006 on the section to Zábreh na Moravé.
The summer SSuO pair using the Ceská Lípa avoiding line connecting tables 080 & 086 from Vlcí Dul-Dobranov to Srní u Ceské Lípy did not appear in the 2006 timetable, so the last trains ran on 28 August 2005.
The previously isolated 1500 V dc branch from Rybnik to Lipno nad Vltavou was converted in stages to 25 kV 50 Hz during 2004/05.
The following lines or routes closed with no services from 12 December 2004:
- 046: Hnĕvčeves - Smiřice
- 090: Dolní Zálezly - Ústí nad Labem západ curve (but reinstated on 10 December 2006)
- 121: Podlešín - Středokluky
- 257: Mutĕnice - Kyjov
- 332: Hodonín - Holíč nad Moravou [Slovakia]
The line and station at Mladá Boleslav Mesto on table 064 was dropped from street level into a cutting on a slightly new alignment of 1.6km in length in September 2003 to avoid lengthy blockages of a busy level crossing. See www.sudop.cz/en/references/stavby/zahloubeni.php.
The line southwards from Ceské Budejovice was electrified at 25 kV 50 Hz to Horní Dvoríšté from 7 June 2001, then towards Summerau in Austria in December 2001; the electrification change to the Austrian standard 15 kV 16.7 Hz is at the border.
Special Notes
Many of the diesel routes are worked by railcars with trailers: some of these workings divide en route but may not be clearly marked. At busy junctions in the country areas it can be difficult to ascertain which is which train; often a notice placed on the ground near the train is the only clue. Sometimes a plate on the side of the railcar will show the train's destination, but these are not always correct; also, beware of some vehicles, especially un-powered coaches, terminating short of the final destination.
The Czech timetable retains the useful routing markings in the centre of the train timings column: a straight line indicates that the train runs through the listed stations, whereas a wavy line shows that the train runs via a different route.
Ticket machines offering zonal fares for journeys up to 100km are installed at larger stations, and particularly near Praha. These machines take coins or prepaid smart cards.
At the following locations trains on the indicated route make a reversal manoeuvre away from the main station area:
- 041 Turnov (twice)
- 074 Neratovice
- 076 Mladá Boleslav
- 132 Děčín hlavní n. (at the former station Děčín západni n.)
- 143 Chodov
- 164 Kaštice
- 235 Kutná Hora hlavní n.
