The agreement, signed at the end of June 2025, will cover a 15-year period and involves the acquisition and deployment of new rolling stock.
New trains for Western Express and Berounka services
The awarded contract covers the Western Express services between Prague and Cheb and the Berounka fast trains between Prague and Klatovy. Arriva will introduce 22, so far unspecified, new electric trains for these routes. The trains will be designed for maximum speeds of up to 200 km/h.
The company currently operates electric units on a regional line in the Pilsen region. The upcoming purchase will build on this experience, extending Arriva's operations to long-distance high-speed trains. The investment is valued at CZK 7.4 billion, which corresponds to approximately EUR 300 million.
Procurement process underway
Arriva has launched negotiations with manufacturers capable of supplying the new electric trains, which will have large capacity and low-floor access. The supplier selection is expected to be finalised during the summer of 2025. The delivery timeline includes a three-and-a-half-year period allocated for the development, production, and approval of the trains for operation on the Czech railway network.
Start of operation in December 2028
Arriva is scheduled to take over the Western Express and Berounka services in December 2028. Preparations are ongoing to support the introduction of the new trains and the start of the long-term operation under the recently signed contract.
Arriva, owned by American private equity firm I Squared Capital, operates several contracts in Czechia at the moment. They include diesel fast trains connecting Prague with northern Czechia, and regional diesel contracts in southern Moravia and Zlín region, as well as electric regional operations in the Pilsen region in the western part of country.
