THE Czech region of Karlovy Vary published a prior information notice in the Official Journal of the European Union on September 7 for a contract to operate regional services around Karlovy Vary and Cheb.

CZECH infrastructure manager SŽDC awarded Strabag, Austria, a €34m contract on August 9 to renovate the 46km Okříšky - Zastávka u Brna line in southern Czech Republic.

CZECH private passenger operator GW Train Regio has been directly awarded a 10-year contract by the Czech Ministry of Transport to operate express services on the Plzen - Most line.

CZ Loko, Czech Republic unveiled its prototype EffiLiner 3000 electric locomotive at the Czech Raildays exhibition in Ostrava on June 14.

CZECH municipally-owned infrastructure manager Železnice Desná (ŽD), which owns two branch lines totalling 22km in Moravia, has completed a project electrify and modernise the 19km Šumperk - Kouty nad Desnou line.

ŠKODA Transportation, Czech Republic, is to set up a subsidiary company in the United States with a view to selling light rail vehicles and trains in North America.

TESTING of the first Siemens Vectron for Czech rail freight operator ČD Cargo began on the Czech mainline network on May 31, when the locomotive ran under its own power between Pořičany and Velím on the Prague - Kolín line.

CONTROL of almost all railway stations in the Czech Republic will pass to infrastructure manager SŽDC by August 1 after the steering committee of Czech Railways (ČD) approved the transfer on May 25.

ALSTOM has received approval for its Coradia Lint 41 EMUs to operate in Poland. With certification already granted in the Czech Republic, the trains can be operated on cross-border services between these two countries and Germany.