From mid-September, České dráhy will start to put its latest Siemens Vectron electric locomotives into operation. At first, they will be used to pull trains on domestic long-distance lines, such as the R18 Slovácký expres Prague – Staré Město u Uherského Hradiště line. Subsequently, after the delivery of additional locomotives and the issuing of approvals for their operation, they will also be used abroad by the end of this year at the latest.
The manufacturer has already delivered eight of these high-speed locomotives to the Czech Republic. By the end of this year, a total of twenty locomotives will be added to the carrier’s locomotive fleet, and from January 2026, four locomotives per month will roll off the production line in Munich-Allach. České dráhy has ordered altogether 50 high-speed locomotives with a maximum operational speed of 230 km/h.
“Although České dráhy is the first carrier to include the new generation of high-speed Vectrons in its locomotive fleet, we are following a path of proven quality in this case. Our experience with the existing Vectron locomotives has been very good, and I am convinced that the new ones will also provide many years and millions of kilometres of good service in our locomotive fleet. With a maximum speed of 230 km/h, they move us into a higher level among European railway carriers and at the same time they represent an important intermediate step for us towards the operation of even faster trains on Czech and foreign high-speed lines,” says Michal Krapinec, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director General of České dráhy, adding: “Following completion of deliveries in the course of next year, we will have 111 Vectron locomotives at our disposal, which will also enable us to continue with the standardisation of our locomotive fleet.”
The first three locomotives arrived at the ČD depot in the Prague district of Vršovice on August 12. The locomotive drivers as well as the workshop staff then underwent training on the new machines, which were also given special ČD corporate decals. Representatives of the Austrian carrier “ÖBB” and the German carrier “Deutsche Bahn” also participated in the training sessions, as the locomotives are expected to be used on international routes, including new lines from Prague to Villach, Austria, and Copenhagen, Denmark. The first locomotives delivered will operate in the Czech Republic within the framework of standard trial operations approved by the Rail Authority. On September 4, another five locomotives arrived at the depot in the Prague district of Vršovice.
“Thanks to the optimised aerodynamics and improved bogies, the new Vectron locomotives can reach speeds of up to 230 km/h. This makes them ideal for operation on railway lines in Germany, such as the Berlin – Hamburg route, the new Koralmbahn high-speed railway in Austria and, in the future, the planned high-speed railway lines in the Czech Republic,” adds Roman Kokšal, CEO of Siemens Mobility, s.r.o., continuing: “These modern locomotives are designed, among other things, to operate with ComfortJet units, which are popular with passengers and will contribute to further speeding up train connections between European capitals. Thanks to the servicing agreement, České dráhy has access to comprehensive support from the Czech Siemens Mobility technical assistance team, which will ensure the high reliability of these locomotives in their everyday operation.”
The contract for the delivery of 50 Siemens Vectron MS multi-system locomotives with a maximum speed of 230 km/h was entered into by České dráhy and Siemens Mobility in 2022. The contract also includes the provision of comprehensive servicing for the new locomotives over the next 15 years. The Siemens Vectron locomotives are among the most popular electric locomotives in Europe. More than 2,290 of these modern locomotives were ordered by the end of July 2025.
Author: Petr Pošta
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