The capital and the Central Bohemian Region are preparing tenders for carriers in public rail transport. With new carriers, new or modernized trains should hit the tracks. The new contracts should come into force from December 2029. The largest contract should be concluded for a period of 30 years, due to the exceptionally high investment in the vehicle fleet. It should now consist of more than fifty high-capacity electric units, each of them for up to 400 passengers (EMU 400). The other successful carriers will then ensure the operation of the remaining electric capacities for a period of 15 years, with units with a capacity of approx. 240 passengers as well as most of the existing CityElefant units. Details were presented by Zdeněk Hřib, deputy mayor City of Prague for transport, and Petr Borecký, Central Bohemian councilor for public transport.
Railway transport services in the territory of the Central Bohemian Region and the capital city of Prague will change significantly in December 2029. Both the region and the metropolis are already preparing tenders for railway carriers. At the same time, completely new, high-capacity, electric units for almost 400 passengers (EMU 400) should also be on the line. Both regions are thus reacting to the expected future fundamental changes in the transport infrastructure. This is primarily a change in the power supply system on the Prague – Beroun line from December 2029, which will make it impossible to operate the existing electric units of the 471 series (CityElefant). Furthermore, the gradual completion of the major modernization of the line between Prague and Kladno, including a new branch at Václav Havel Airport, is also planned, and in the early 1930s, the major modernization and completion of the line between Prague, Milovice and Mlada Boleslav. The competition will also include the new operator of part of the existing 471 electric units (CityElefant) and the carrier, which will ensure operation with units with a capacity of approximately 240 seats.
“Almost 300,000 people commute to Prague every working day. In order to cope with such a rush of traffic in the capital, it is absolutely essential for us that as many commuters as possible use suburban rail transport. It is therefore important to maintain its high quality, not only by increasing capacity, but also by increasing passenger comfort,” says the deputy mayor city of Prague for the area of transport Zdenek Hrib.
The investment for the acquisition of 54 new units is expected in the amount of approximately CZK 21.6 billion (in 2024 prices at the considered price of CZK 400 million per unit). “However, we are counting on the option for dozens more vehicles worth up to 24 billion crowns. Furthermore, it is necessary to calculate the price of interest and the costs of service and operation. The acquisition of new trains will therefore significantly affect the financial demands of providing public transport in the PID system in the next few decades. We will share the costs together with the Central Bohemian Region, roughly half and half,” Zdeněk Hřib calculates.
“It is the biggest competition of its kind in the modern history of our republic. The most significant change should be the deployment of fifty-four new, electric EMU 400 units, which would gradually replace the slowly aging and less-capacity CityElephants in operation, although they are expected to be in operation until the beginning of the forties. However, seventeen of these oldest vehicles should be completely phased out of the system by December 2029.” states Petr Boreckýcouncilor of the Central Bohemian Region for public transport. “At first glance, it looks like we are issuing a tender well in advance, however, the manufacturers of railway vehicles are able to deliver the first pieces of new technology only four years after the contract is signed. It is therefore high time to look not only for carriers, but also for manufacturers of new trains, which we want to deploy in our region and thus maintain the set trend of gradual transformation of the rolling stock and improvement of the quality of transportation.” adds Petr Borecký.
Based on the evaluation of all variants of vehicle procurement, the representatives of the region and the capital agreed that in the case of EMU 400, the carrier would provide the new trains within the framework of the contract for public services in the transport of passengers. “We expect that carriers will positively reflect the possibility of spreading investments over time and reducing the risks associated with a possible change of operator, which could otherwise occur after 15 years, in the resulting offers. Such a long period will ensure financial and operational stability for the winning carrier and the vehicle manufacturer, and we will gain the certainty of long-term fulfillment according to our quality requirements.” explains councilor Petr Borecký.
Prague and the Central Bohemian Region have already started preliminary market consultations with train manufacturers and carriers due to this competition. In addition, Transparency International was approached in advance to participate and monitor the course of the bidding process and confirm compliance with the principles of transparency and, of course, the final selection of the supplier. “Monitoring by Transparency International was already started during the preparation of the procurement documentation so that all aspects of this contract were covered. Considering the size of the order, it can be expected that the competition will be very tough. We therefore want to avoid any doubt as to how this contract is awarded. Our goal is to set realistic technical and contractual conditions for the entire competition so that they are not discriminatory and the competition is as transparent as possible. At the same time, as part of the consultations, we are looking for a variant of ensuring operation that is feasible in time,” concludes Zdeněk Hřib.
As part of preliminary market consultations, six leading European manufacturers of railway rolling stock and nine relevant carriers were approached, not only from the Czech Republic, but also from Austria, Poland, Slovakia and Germany. The qualification prerequisite for the carrier’s participation in the bidding process will be the established minimum range of previously implemented transport services, not only on routes in the Czech Republic, but also abroad.
Tenders for carriers are scheduled to be issued gradually from the second half of this year until the end of 2026. The competition for the EMU 400 operating unit will be announced first in 2024. The carrier should operate trains for the customer from 2029 for a period of 30 years, or 15 years in the case of competitions for other types of electrical units. The competition for the operation of the EMU 240 units should be announced in the middle of next year, and the contract should last from 2029 to 2044. The CityElefant units should be the last to see the competition in 2026, while again their operation should be carried out by the carrier also ensure until 2044.
“It still remains to decide on the form and period of the target form of the contractual provision of traffic on lines S3, S6, S8 and S54 (railway lines No. 070, 121, 122 and 210 with motor traffic). In this case, a whole series of negotiations are taking place between us and the Central Bohemian Region,” Zdeněk Hřib completes the current state of preparations.
Rail transport in the region and in the metropolitan area is mainly provided by České dráhy based on a direct contract from 2019, with the contract ending at the end of 2029. The Central Bohemian Region and Prague order passenger and express trains. Railway traffic in the region and in the Prague agglomeration is ensured by more than seventy CityElefant units, dozens of classic sets with electric and motor locomotives or motor cars, as well as dozens of motor cars of the 810, 814 series and the new RegioFox units. From May of this year, the fleet will be supplemented by RegioPanter electric units and, in the following years, additional RegioFox and RegioSpider motor units.
Photo: ČD archive
Tags: Prague Central Bohemian Region preparing major competition railway carrier
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