Passengers in the Czech Republic will be able to travel on the Polish ED250 Pendolino high-speed train for the first time. Between March 9 and June 17, 2026, the national operator České dráhy (ČD), in collaboration with PKP Intercity, will introduce the Polish unit on the SuperCity SC 511/516 domestic trains on the Prague–Bohumín route.
This will be the first time that a Polish Pendolino will run in regular commercial operation outside Poland.
Passenger tests on the Prague–Bohumín route
The operation is part of the process of authorizing the train for operation in the Czech Republic. After technical tests carried out in October 2025, the ED250 unit will travel approximately 60,000 km on Czech infrastructure with passengers.
The train will run on the Bohumín – Ostrava – Olomouc – Pardubice – Prague route, and the commercial conditions will be identical to those of SuperCity services, including mandatory reservations between Bohumín and Prague.
Technical characteristics
The ED250 series Pendolino, manufactured by Alstom, is part of the PKP Intercity fleet purchased between 2011 and 2014.
Main features: The trains offer air conditioning, Wi-Fi, a modern passenger information system, access for people with reduced mobility, and a bistro car operated by the Polish company WARS.
- maximum design speed: 250 km/h;
- maximum speed in Poland: 200 km/h;
- authorized speed in the Czech Republic: 160 km/h;
- 7 carriages, 187.4 meters long;
- 402 seats;
- equipped with ETCS;
- compatible with 25 kV AC and 3 kV DC.
Regional cooperation
ČD CEO Michal Krapinec said that the introduction of the ED250 unit represents a further step in strengthening cooperation between the two national railway companies.
Adam Wawrzyniak, member of the board of PKP Intercity, emphasized that Pendolino has become a symbol of modern rail transport in Poland over the last decade.
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