Wedoany.com Report on Mar 3rd, Polish ED250 Pendolino high-speed trains will enter service in the Czech Republic, marking the first time this model will operate regular commercial services outside Poland. Czech Railways (ČD), in cooperation with Polish PKP Intercity, plans to run SuperCity SC 511/516 trains on the Prague–Bohumín route from March 9 to June 17, 2026, offering passengers the opportunity to experience Polish high-speed trains on Czech tracks.
According to a statement from Czech Railways, after completing technical tests in October 2025, the Polish ED250 Pendolino trains are expected to carry passengers over approximately 60,000 kilometers on Czech infrastructure. The trains will operate along the Bohumín–Ostrava–Olomouc–Pardubice–Prague route, following standard SuperCity rules, including mandatory reservations for travel between Bohumín and Prague.
The Polish ED250 Pendolino trains will run as part of the SuperCity SC 511/516 service on the Prague–Bohumín route, connecting key cities such as Ostrava, Olomouc, and Pardubice. This initiative, jointly promoted by Czech Railways and PKP Intercity, aims to accumulate operational mileage under regular service conditions while maintaining reservation and passenger access rules consistent with existing routes.
The ED250 series Pendolino trains were manufactured by Alstom and acquired by PKP Intercity between 2011 and 2014. The trains are equipped with air conditioning, Wi-Fi, modern passenger information systems, and accessibility features, and include a small buffet car operated by the Polish company WARS. Technical specifications include a maximum design speed of 250 km/h, an operational speed of 200 km/h in Poland, and an authorized speed of 160 km/h in the Czech Republic. The train set consists of seven carriages, is 187.4 meters long, offers 402 seats, and is equipped with the ETCS system, compatible with both 25 kV AC and 3 kV DC power supplies.
Czech Railways CEO Michal Krapinec stated, "The introduction of the ED250 trains is a further step in strengthening cooperation between the two national railway companies." PKP Intercity board member Adam Wawrzyniak emphasized, "Over the past decade, Pendolino has become a symbol of modern rail transport in Poland." The operation of Polish ED250 Pendolino trains in the Czech Republic is seen as a significant step in regional railway cooperation.
