The refurbished railway service in South Moravia, Czech Republic, one of the largest EU-funded investments in the Czech Republic, was inaugurated on Thursday. The project involved the purchase of 37 new electric units with EU funds and will help ease rush-hour traffic congestion in the busy Southern Moravia railway area, which carries around 22 million passengers every year.
The project was approved in December 2019 and received EUR 223 million in funding from the Cohesion Policy of the 2014-2020 programming period, out of a total budget of €265 million, according to a European Commission press release.
The consolidated railway system provides new and modern rolling stock covering services on the two busiest regional railway lines around the regional capital Brno.
A green, modern and reliable railway with EU funds
New electric and energy-efficient trains with more than 10 000 seats replace old and outdated vehicles, offering passengers safer, faster and more comfortable journeys. More people are expected to feel motivated to take the train. Each unit is named after a wine variety typical of the South Moravian region. A modern European ETCS train safety system is installed and the train will reach speeds of up to 160 km/h.
In the period 2014-2020, the Czech Republic received funding from the Cohesion Policy of EUR 25.7 billion. The renovation of the railway was financed through the Transport Operational Programme, which is funded from the Cohesion Fund (EUR 3.5 billion) and the European Regional Development Fund financial envelope (EUR 900 million).
For the 2021-2027 programming period, EUR 21 billion of Cohesion Policy funds have been made available to the Czech Republic to implement common EU priorities such as balanced territorial development and a fair climate and digital transition, while supporting an innovative and inclusive social market economy.
Cohesion policy will also continue to support sustainable and smart mobility development in the Czech Republic.
The new transport programme will improve transport infrastructure in the Czech Republic, including sustainable and safer mobility in Czech cities, with a budget of more than EUR 4.8 billion. Under this programme, the Cohesion Fund will provide EUR 800 million for sustainable urban mobility. This will also include the construction or renovation of tram and trolleybus lines in major Czech conurbations.
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