Wedoany.com Report-Dec 31, The transition follows years of preparation, including extensive testing, staff training, and collaboration with transport operators.

Starting in January 2025, exclusive operation under the European Train Control System (ETCS) will commence on approximately 622 kilometers of railway lines in the Czech Republic.

The rollout aligns with the National Implementation Plan set by the Czech government and is part of the country's commitment to the European Commission's decision on ETCS adoption. The transition to exclusive ETCS operation will occur in stages over four weeks in January:

Česká Třebová – Olomouc – Dluhonice – Prosenice/Přerov (from January 1, 2025)

Břeclav – Bohumín (from January 8, 2025)

Česká Třebová – Adamov, Modřice – Břeclav (from January 15, 2025)

Praha-Běchovice – Pardubice – Česká Třebová (from January 22, 2025)

ETCS is designed to manage train operations more effectively by ensuring consistent communication between onboard and trackside systems. The infrastructure consists of stationary components, such as eurobalises, which relay critical route data to onboard units. These onboard systems then calculate safe speed limits and braking distances based on train-specific parameters.

In addition to operational improvements, ETCS contributes to interoperability across European rail networks, reducing the need for locomotive changes at national borders. From January 2025, approximately 50,000 train journeys per month will fall under ETCS supervision, representing over 42% of operational outputs on the Czech railway network managed by Správa železnic, the Czech rail infrastructure manager.

Preparations for the ETCS transition included training over 1,000 train drivers and 500 dispatchers, who will operate from central dispatch centers in Prague and Přerov, as well as regional stations. Testing phases recorded over 100,000 ETCS-supervised journeys in the second half of 2024, with connection failures reduced to just 1.3% by November.

The exclusive ETCS operation is expected to streamline traffic management, provide greater operational transparency, and improve rail safety on key corridors. Over time, ETCS will also extend to regional lines, with simplified versions of the system tailored for routes with lower traffic volumes.

While the upcoming January implementation represents a major step in the ETCS deployment, further expansions and refinements are anticipated across the Czech railway network in subsequent years.