The European Investment Bank (EIB) has under appraisal Czech TEN-T and regional rail lines modernisation projects with a proposed finance of CZK 45000 million (EUR 1.78 billion).
CZK 9 billion (EUR 3.56 billion) is the total cost of the programme to be evaluated by the European Investment Bank.
Besides the modernisation of important rail connections, the EIB financing will also support the acquisition and modernisation of various maintenance vehicles and equipment used by the rail infrastructure manager, Správa železnic (SZ).
In the autumn of 2023, the European Investment Bank signed a contract to provide the Czech Republic a loan of CZK 24 billion (EUR 970.8 million) for the modernisation and renewal of Czech TEN-T and regional rail lines. In June 2024, the bank and country’s Ministry of Finance signed a EUR 527 million loan agreement – as the first tranche of for the projects covering the modernisation of Czechia’s railway network, as well as the deployment of the ERTMS across the lines.
The programme is expected to increase the quality of rail services provided in the country, as well as promote travel by rail, reducing the use of road transport and the associated negative impacts on the local environment, road safety and greenhouse gas emissions and, thereby, contribute to the sustainable transport, in line with the EU objectives. Being mostly located in EIB Cohesion Priority Regions and facilitating access to them, the project also promotes regional development.
In November 2022 the EIB and Czech Ministers of Transport and Finance signed an agreement under which will explore the ways for a EUR 7 billion financing to support the modernisation of the railway infrastructure.
Under the third CEF call for proposals, the Czech Republic secured EUR 467.7 million co-financing, of which Správa železnic obtained EUR 465 million for ten infrastructure projects and Arriva vlaky, EUR 2.57 million to retrofit 848 passenger trains with ETCS Baseline 3.
In 2023, SŽ launched a tender of almost EUR 500 million to install the ETCS on a railway line towards the border with Germany.
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