The funding is part of a package of approximately €1 billion approved by the EIB in 2023 to support the improvement of the Czech railways. Transport Minister Martin Kupka (ODS), Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura (ODS) and EIB Vice President Kyriacos Kakouris signed the loan agreement today, the Czech News Agency has informed.
According to Czech Transport Minister Martin Kupka, the funds from the loan will be directed to railway modernisation projects. The money will also be invested in the further development of the European Train Control System ETCS, he told reporters today.
"Thanks to the loan, Správa železnic (Railway Administration) will be able to obtain subsidies for individual projects from the European Fair Transition Mechanism, which will further increase the effectiveness of this financing method," added Czech Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura.
The support will also go to the reconstruction of eight railway stations in three coal regions in the Karlovy Vary, Ústí nad Labem and Ostrava regions. The reconstruction should improve passenger comfort and safety, improve accessibility for people with disabilities and ensure greater energy efficiency of the buildings. Some of these buildings will be converted into new office or retail space.
"By modernising the rail network, we are improving the quality of rail services, but we are also contributing to a greener and more sustainable future," EIB Vice President Kyriacos Kakouris said.
The Czech railway network consists of almost 9,500 kilometres of main lines, about one third of which are electrified. In the first three quarters of last year, trains in the Czech Republic carried nearly 142 million passengers and 62.9 million tons of freight, the Czech News Agency concluded.
