Czech Railways (České dráhy) is upgrading all services on its flagship international Ex5 Berliner route between Prague, Berlin, and Hamburg to its most modern long-distance trains, the ComfortJet fleet. From the end of July, the new trains will operate exclusively on this line, replacing the previous rolling stock, which will be reassigned to domestic services.
“The modernisation of our long-distance fleet continues successfully. All passengers on the route to Germany will now be able to enjoy the comfort of our newest ComfortJet trains,” said Michal Krapinec, Chairman and CEO of České dráhy. “From 26 July, we’ll operate three nine-car and three eight-car ComfortJet sets to Berlin, where trains will terminate for the next nine months due to the Berlin–Hamburg line closure. These will still be supplemented by the original restaurant carriages.”
Trains previously used on the Ex5 service are not being retired. Instead, they will be moved to selected domestic express routes. “We’re transferring them to improve comfort for passengers across the country,” Krapinec added.
ComfortJet deployment and service timetable
The eight-car ComfortJet formations, operating temporarily with the original WRmz815 restaurant cars, will run on three key train pairs:
- From Prague: EC 378 (10:28), EC 170 (16:28), and EC 258 (20:28)
- From Berlin: EC 171 (07:15), EC 379 (11:16), and EC 259 (00:16 from Gesundbrunnen)
All other trains on the Prague–Berlin route, except EC 172/173 Hungaria operated by Hungarian rolling stock, will be served by nine-car ComfortJet units.
Redeployment of existing rolling stock
Czech Railways plans to relocate existing EuroCity-compliant coaches to domestic long-distance routes. Notable examples include:
- R18 Slovácký expres (Prague–Luhačovice): Upgraded with Bmz232 second-class compartment coaches
- R20 Labe (Prague–Děčín): Introducing new Aee140 first-class carriages
- WRmz815 restaurant cars will be based in Bohumín and deployed on the Ex1 line (Prague–Ostrava–Bohumín)
Expansion of ComfortJet services
Czech Railways views the ComfortJet as the future backbone of its international long-distance operations. Beyond Berlin, the trains will operate to Villach in Austria, Bratislava, Budapest, and—starting mid-2025—to Copenhagen.
The operator has ordered 20 ComfortJet trainsets from the Siemens–Škoda consortium. So far, it has received seven nine-car and five eight-car units. Each complete nine-car train accommodates 555 passengers, including 99 in first class and 18 in the restaurant car. Trains are approximately 237 metres long and capable of reaching 230 km/h when hauled by modified Siemens Vectron locomotives.
Maximum speeds will be achieved on high-speed corridors such as Berlin–Hamburg and Austria’s new Koralmbahn.
Passenger amenities
ComfortJet trains offer modern amenities including:
- Air-conditioned interiors
- Restaurant car
- Accessible seating for passengers with reduced mobility
- Family zones, stroller and bike storage
- Onboard Wi-Fi
- Special windows optimised for mobile signal
- 230V power sockets and USB ports
In the current timetable, Czech Railways operates 148 regular international services and four seasonal trains to Poland, connecting over 120 destinations in eight European countries: Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Switzerland, and—via PKP Intercity’s Adriatic Express—Slovenia and Croatia.
Share on:
