The Czech rail infrastructure manager, Správa železnic, has completed the ETCS installation on Brno – Zastávka railway, another busy line of the country’s rail network.
The Czech rail infrastructure manager, Správa železnic, has completed the ETCS installation on Brno – Zastávka railway, adding another busy line to the country’s modernised rail network.
Správa železnic will now oversee train movements between Brno and Zastávka u Brna, with the ETCS launch planned for mid-December.
The deployment of ETCS on the 20 km Brno–Horní Heršpice – Zastávka u Brna line follows a full reconstruction programme carried out between 2020 and 2024, for which Správa železnic recently received an award in the prestigious Construction of the Year competition.
“The modernisation included the addition of a second track between Střelice and Zastávka, followed by the electrification of the entire 20 km section. Trains now operate here at short intervals, and the completion of the ETCS installation will allow them to take full advantage of the permitted line speeds,” said Mojmír Nejezchleb, Deputy Director General of Správa železnic for Line Modernisation.
The upgraded line has been fitted with base-station masts equipped with antennas for receiving GSM-R radio signals, together with radio block centres and the required software. Communication between the trackside and on-board ETCS equipment is provided by balises installed directly in the track. AŽD delivered both the construction design and the implementation. Total project costs amount to CZK 495 million (EUR 20.5 million).
The ETCS installation on Brno – Zastávka railway builds on the recent modernisation and electrification of the whole section, with construction work on the signalling upgrade under way since 2023.
The project is co-financed by the European Union’s Cohesion Fund under the Transport Programme 2021–2027. Eligible costs total CZK 421.4 million (EUR 17.5 million), with the EU covering 85%—a maximum contribution of CZK 358.2 million (EUR 14.9 million). Additional financing is provided through a European Investment Bank loan under the Czech Rail TEN-T and Safety project, with national funding from the State Transport Infrastructure Fund.
In January 2025, Správa železnic commissioned ETCS on 622 km of the main Czech railway network and aims to equip the entire 5,200 km TEN-T network by 2030. In February, the infrastructure manager also reported key findings from ETCS-only operations, showing 99% reliability.
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