České dráhy (ČD) has launched the reconstruction of Olomouc maintenance centre under a CZK 400 million (EUR 16 million) investment in the first phase of the project, expected to be completed in June 2026.
The area of the current depot in U Podjezdu Street will undergo extensive modernisation with the reconstruction of the repair hall (Hall B) which is one of the largest investments not only within the Olomouc depot, but also within the entire maintenance network of the Czech Railways.
“Last year alone, České dráhy handed over a total of 114 new regional trains to passengers across the entire country. In the Olomouc Region, the latest second-generation RegioPanter trains were deployed on the electrified lines, which brought more than 7,000 new seats in total. The replacement of vehicles must go hand in hand with the modernisation of our maintenance plant network, which is key to high-quality and trouble-free railway operations,” the CEO of Czech Railways, Michal Krapinec, said.
The hall is currently connected to another adjacent hall (Hall A), and as part of the construction work, they will be separated by a partition.
The new equipment of the service hall will include a bridge crane with a lifting capacity of 12.5 tonnes, which will cover its entire length and will allow the movement of heavy and bulky components located on the roof of low-floor vehicles, such as air conditioning units, pantographs and other equipment.
In addition, fixed and mobile viewing platforms will be placed in the hall, which will allow technicians to safely access the parts on the roof and inspect them, or repair them on site. Thanks to the extension of the traction line on the access tracks, the handling of electric units will be accelerated. There will also be a fundamental improvement in working conditions for railway vehicle service employees. The hall will be insulated, equipped with new industrial floors and heating. New workshop and social equipment will also be added.
The project also involves the construction of a technical and hygienic maintenance area including a new three-track hall 150 metres long or an ecological railway vehicle wash. And the current reconstruction of Hall B and its extension is a necessary condition for the construction of the area, so that there is a place to carry out vehicle maintenance during its construction.
“The Olomouc region is currently preparing a project to purchase new battery trains so that people can travel by rail even more comfortably. And the investment of Czech Railways in the reconstruction of the repair hall in Olomouc is also great news, because no transport can do without quality facilities,” the Governor of the Olomouc Region, Ladislav Okleštěk, said.
The new RegioPanter EMUs will be serviced in the reconstructed hall. These are complete three-car units almost 80 metres long, which are not normally disconnected. Therefore, the hall must also be extended which requires the demolition of other older buildings in the area.
“The new trains have completely different requirements for service and maintenance. They are loaded with technology and electronics that require appropriate maintenance and diagnostics. Hall B will meet all these requirements after reconstruction. At the same time, it will be extended from the current 85 to 123 meters, so that the complete RegioPanter units can fit in it along their entire length,” Michal Kraus, the deputy director general of ČD, said.
The modernisation of Olomouc maintenance centre will significantly increase the quality of maintenance and the level of working conditions and is also related to the extensive replacement of the rolling stock. In the Olomouc region, this has been expanded by almost three dozen second-generation RegioPanter electric units. The new trains require appropriate facilities and the latest technologies in the field of service and maintenance.
Czech Railways is continuing to modernise the service infrastructure in other places primarily involving the construction of maintenance halls, car washes or sanitary tracks. Last year, they began the construction of new halls in Cheb and Havlíčkův Brod and similar investments are planned in the following period in České Budějovice, Česká Třebová or Prague.
Czech Railways plans to invest over CZK 12 billion (EUR 477 million) for the development of its service facilities by 2031.
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