Last update for this page: 29 December 2006.
National railway system: České Dráhy (ČD). Since 1 January 2003 infrastructure has been managed by state organization Správa železniční dopravní cesty (SŽDC).
Language: Czech
Currency: Czech Koruna
UIC code: 54
Timetable: Traťové Jízdní Řády. Includes the ČD-owned funicular railways and cableways. Printed in Czech throughout but with general instructions in English, German and French. Timetable supplements are issued several times per year; these are generally only obtainable at major stations on presentation of the coupon in the timetable book. A fold-out, near-geographic route diagram is included in the timetable, and there are enlargements of the Praha, Brno and Ostrava areas. The diagrams show principal stations and distinguish privately-operated and electrified lines. On-line timetables are available at www.cd.cz/index.php?action=section&id=135. An English language on-line timetable is available at www.vlak.cz/ConnForm.asp?tt=c&cl=E5.
Gauge: Standard, except for the 760 mm gauge routes from Jindřichúv Hradec to Obrataň and Nová Bystřice and from Třemešná ve Slezsku to Osoblaha.
Electrification: Generally, lines to the north and east of Praha are electrified at 3 kV dc, whereas those to the west and south of Praha are electrified at 25 kV 50 Hz. The two systems meet at
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Beroun-Kralův Dvůr, on the line between Praha and Plzeň; |
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Benešov u Prahy, on the line between Praha and České Budějovice; |
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Klášterec nad Ohri, near Kadaň on the line between Chomutov and Karlovy Vary; |
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Kutná Hora, on the line between Kolín and Brno; |
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Svitavy-Lány, on the line between Česká Třebova and Brno; |
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Nezamyslice, on the line between Přerov and Brno; and |
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Nedakonice, on the line between Přerov and Břeclav. |
There is an isolated 1500 V dc branch in the south from Tábor to Bechyně.
Table 316 between Ostrava-Svinov and Opava Východ has been electrified with resumption of service, after staged long term closures, planned for 10 December 2006.
Electric services commenced between Kadaň and Karlovy Vary on 26 May 2006: at the same time this section was converted from left to right hand running.
The previously isolated 1500 V dc branch from Rybnik to Lipno nad Vltavou was converted in stages to 25 kV 50 Hz during 2004/05.
The line southwards from Ceské Budejovice was electrified at 25 kV 50 Hz to Horní Dvoríšté from 7 June 2001, then towards Summerau in Austria in December 2001; the electrification change to the Austrian standard 15 kV 16.7 Hz is at the border.
Rule of the road: Right-hand, except for Bohumín - Břeclav which is left-hand. At the eastern end of the Přerov avoiding line, the changeover is made by an unusual flyover arrangement. Most double-tracked routes are reversibly signalled and often used as such.
Other Railways: The following timetable routes are operated by, and where marked by * the railway infrastructure is owned by, private companies.
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045 - Trutnov hlavní n. - Svoboda nad Úpou |
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145 - Sokolov - Kraslice (the route onwards to Klingenthal in Germany is operated by Vogtlandbahn GmbH) |
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149 - Karlovy Vary – Mariánské Lázne |
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228 - Obrataň - Jindřichův Hradec * |
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229 - Jindřichův Hradec - Nová Bystřice * |
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293 - Šumperk - Petrov nad Desnou - Kouty nad Desnou and Petrov nad Desnou - Sobotin * |
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313 - Milotice nad Opavou - Vrbno pod Pradědem |
With the 2007 timetable, a number of services were withdrawn by ČD but summer only Private Operator services are timetabled, see Recent and future changes below.
Tourist Lines:
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Česká Kamenice - Kamenický Šenov - see ČD timetable 901. |
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Sázava u Žďáru, závod SaZ - Přibyslav - closed, last trains ran on 22 April 2006. |
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Muzeum Prumyslovych Železnic (MPŽ) - was listed previously as ČD timetable 904 but is not included in the 2007 timetable; information would be welcomed. |
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Velké Březno - Zubrnice: details, if services have commenced, would be appreciated. |
Metro: Praha.
Trams: Brno, Liberec, Most-Litvinov, Olomouc, Ostrava, Plzeň, Praha.
Trolleybuses: Brno, České Budějovice, Chomutov, Jihlava, Hradec Králové, Mariánské Lázně, Opava, Ostrava, Pardubice, Plzeň, Teplice v Čechach, Ústí nad Labem, Zlín.
Recent and future changes:
Due to future brown coal excavation, a significantly new route is under construction in the Chomutov area as has happened on many previous occasions in this mining area. Part of this new line for Table 140 involves a tunnel but there have been significant geological difficulties. The current planned opening of this new section from Brezno u Chomutova. to the former Výhybna Sporice [2006/07 Atlas Drah page 18] is 1 April 2007, but it could be delayed as works on a service shaft may not be completed. The formations at either end have been in situ for a considerable period of time.
Głuchołazy [PKP] station appears as a calling point on table 292 with a note “opening announced separately”, but formalities were completed in time for the new timetable. In addition it has been announced that there will be two pairs of cross border trains from 26 January 2007 connecting Ostružná and Jesenik via Głuchołazy to Nysa and Opole in Poland on odd dates. [See Border Crossings section for details]
The following services were withdrawn on 9 December 2006:
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Table 088 (part) When local services were withdrawn, the short section into Jiřikov station closed as only weekend cross border services to Ebersbach (DB) still run |
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Table 095 (part) Straškov – Libochovice |
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Table 164 Kadaň předmĕstí – Kaštice [leaving just a stub of table 164 from the now renamed main line junction station of Kadaň–Prunéřov] |
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Table 165 Vilémov – Kadaňský Rohozec |
In addition the following had all CD regular services withdrawn but still appear in the timetable with Private Operator summer only services
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Table 013 Bošice – Bečváry (by KZC vintage railcar marketed as “Podlipanský Motoraček” on all weekends in July and August, partly by direct trains to/from Kouřim and Uhlirské Janovice) |
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Table 125 Krupá – Kolešovice (KHKD vintage services on Saturdays in August using steam traction) |
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Table 233 Čelákovice – Mochov (trains can be ordered from KZC on weekends in summer) |
Further significant changes in the 2007 timetable against 2006
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Table 042 All trains except one working days evening and weekend morning pair cutback to terminate at Jablonec n.Jizerou rather than Rokytnice |
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Table 122 Hostivice – Rudná u Prahy only retains 3 pairs of SSuO services |
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Table 135 Most – Moldava: on working days only two pairs remain (off season) |
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Table 137 Chomutov – Vejprty: three pairs on working days |
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Table 143 Chodov – Nova Rolé increased from one train one way to 3 pairs plus 1 extra northbound |
The following sections reopened on 10 December 2006
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Table 090: Dolní Zálezly – Ústí nad Labem západ curve |
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Table 144 Loket – Loket předměstí [one station reinstatement of part of a line closed in May 1997) |
The peculiar arrangements east of Česká Trebová on table 270 where east and westbound took totally separate routes and crossed over each other twice ended in August 2005, when the previously single eastbound track was doubled. Other significant cut-offs with new tunnels were planned to open in 2006 on the section to Zábreh na Moravé
Until December 2005, there were two separate single-track routes for trains between Praha hl.n. and the Kolín line via Praha-Liben: a steeply-graded route direct to the former Praha-Hrabovka station at the eastern end of the Masarykovo station layout, and CZ07/1, via a tunnel and the former Praha-Vítkov station. Both were reversibly signalled, but the "Vítkov" route was less used because of pathing constraints: much of this route is shared with the routes to Praha-Holešovice and Praha-Vysocany.
Long term engineering operations for the Nové spojení (New Connection) project started in early 2002, and will continue until 2010. The project involves the complete reconstruction of the approaches to Praha hl. n. and Masarykovo n. from the Liben, Vysocany and Holešovice directions - see Today's Railways issue 105 (September 2004). In due course, the existing "Vítkov" route will also be closed.
The following services ceased on 10 December 2005:
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Table 026 (part) Broumov – Otovice zastávka (the last 4km of the branch). |
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Table 120 The one train pair using the curve avoiding Praha Masarykovo to reach Praha Hl n with a reversal were withdrawn |
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Table 140 (part) The normally freight only Chodov avoiding line was used by just one eastbound service in the 2005 timetable |
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Table 314 (part) Svobodne Hermanice – Jakartovice (the last 4km of the branch, previously with a very restricted service). |
The summer SSuO pair using the Ceská Lípa avoiding line connecting Tables 080 & 086 from Vlcí Dul-Dobranov – Srní u Ceské Lípy did not appear in the 2006 timetable, so last trains ran on 28 August 2005.
The following lines or routes closed with no services shown in the new timetable from 12 December 2004:
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Table 046: Hnĕvčeves – Smiřice |
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Table 090: Dolní Zálezly – Ústí nad Labem západ curve (but re-instated on 10 Decemebr 2006) |
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Table 121: Podlešín – Středokluky |
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Table 257: Mutĕnice – Kyjov |
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Table 332: Hodonín – Holíč nad Moravou [Slovakia] |
The line and station at Mladá Boleslav Mesto on table 064 was dropped from street level into a cutting on a slightly new alignment opening in September 2003, avoiding a busy level crossing.
Corridor Trains
There are three routes outside the Czech Republic that are used by domestic ČD services running between one part of the country and another. All ČD tickets are valid.
Hrádek nad Nisou - Varnsdorf via Zittau (DB) [ČD table 089]: Passengers are allowed to board or alight from trains at Zittau but are subject to border and customs controls. Between Hrádek nad Nisou and Zittau the line passes through Poland before entering Germany.
Vojtanov - Plesná [ČD table 147]: This route crosses the border between the Czech Republic and Germany border twice.
Mikulovice - Jindřichov ve Slezsku [ČD table 292]: This route reverses in the PKP station Głuchołazy on the PKP branch from Nowy Świętów to Głuchołazy Zdrój. Alighting and boarding, not previously permitted, is allowed from the 2007 timetable. Some maps show a curve avoiding Głuchołazy but this has never existed.
Special Notes:
Many of the diesel routes are worked by railcars with trailers: some of these workings divide en route but may not be clearly marked. At busy junctions in the country areas it can be difficult to ascertain which is which train; often a notice placed on the ground near the train is the only clue. Sometimes a plate on the side of the railcar will show the train's destination, but these are not always correct; also, beware of some vehicles, especially un-powered coaches, terminating short of the final destination.
The Czech timetable retains the useful routing markings in the centre of the train timings column: a straight line indicates that the train runs through the listed stations, whereas a wavy line shows that the train runs via a different route.
Ticket machines offering zonal fares for journeys up to 100km are installed at larger stations, and particularly near Praha. These machines take coins or prepaid smart cards.
At the following locations trains on the indicated route make a reversal manoeuvre away from the main station area:
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041 Turnov (twice) |
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074 Neratovice |
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076 Mladá Boleslav |
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132 Děčín hlavní n. (at the former station Děčín západni n.) |
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143 Chodov |
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164 Kaštice (service withdrawn on 9 December 2006) |
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235 Kutná Hora hlavní n. |
Maps: Quail Map Co publishes a Czech Republic and Slovakia Railway map, which includes details of electrification, tram systems and some historical information. The "Atlas Drah, Ceské Republiky 2006-2007” is a hard backed very detailed 1:200000 map by Zdenék Hudec, ISBN 80-87047-00-1, costing 599CZK or €38 and now generally available in large CD station bookstalls and Information Offices. This new edition also contains Tram and Trolley bus system maps, but the indexed key of numbered highlights from each page is only now in Czech. The map is very detailed and shows numerous freight only lines not displayed on the Quail map.
Last complete update 29 December 2006.
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