The construction of the new repair hall at the Maintenance Centre of České dráhy in Cheb continues according to the time schedule. In less than 9 months of construction works, the builders have managed to complete the demolition of the existing building facilities, to finish the foundation of the new hall and of the administrative building and to erect the steel bearing structure of the hall, including the cladding and the roof. The work activities will now move to the interior of the 176 metre long three-track hall. The construction is expected to be completed and handed over in the middle of 2026. The modern maintenance centre, costing more than CZK 755 million (VAT exclusive), will provide servicing for both regional and long-distance trains.
“Cheb represents the only ČD Maintenance Centre in the Karlovy Vary Region. Thanks to the capital expenditures aimed at the new hall, maintenance will be concentrated in one place, which will significantly improve the effectiveness of the maintenance process and reduce the costs incurred. Trains will return to operation faster and in top condition. At today’s inspection day, we confirmed with the contractor that the work is going on according to the plan, and I believe that the first České dráhy’s trains will be able to enter the new transit hall by mid-2026 at the latest,” says Michal Kraus, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of České dráhy and Deputy Director General for Servicing.
During the past months, the builders have focused on the rapid erection of the shell construction of the hall and administrative building. This was preceded by the demolition of previous buildings, including the north rotunda of the historical depot. Work will gradually move into the future interiors of the modern repair facility as the new year begins, with the construction of repair ducts, technological workplaces, distribution lines for individual technologies, workshop background facilities, storage areas, as well as new offices and staff changing rooms. The installation of utilities – water supply, sewerage and gas connections – will continue as well. Subsequently, the construction of the railway substructure and superstructure will begin and the overhead catenary line will be completed. The overall completion of the construction is planned for mid-2026.
“I am extremely pleased that we have managed to achieve an important milestone in the construction, namely the completion of the load-bearing structures and cladding of the building. We will strive to continue the fast pace we have set up and to complete the entire repair centre in the time we have committed to,” stated Petr Heiland, representative of the implementation consortium consisting of the TSS GRADE and BERGER BOHEMIA companies.
The hall will be equipped also with modern technologies which can help to improve its energy performance.
Photovoltaic panels and technologies to collect and reuse rainwater will be installed on the roof. Heating of the hall will be provided by an efficient combination of a gas boiler plant and heat pumps. In addition to the vehicle servicing area itself, the maintenance centre employees can look forward, for example, to new decent sanitary facilities or workshops for mechanics and electricians.
Main characteristics of the new hall
- Three tracks, each of them featuring a useful length of 165 metres for the maintenance of complete train sets,
- Installation and mounting channels in all tracks,
- A gantry crane with a load bearing capacity of at least 12.5 tonnes along the entire length of the hall to enable the replacement of components placed on the roof of vehicles,
- A drop pit lifting jack facilitating repair and installation works for bogies or wheelsets,
- 5 sets of jacks making it possible to lift up to five train sets or units at a time,
- Mounting platforms for access to vehicle roofs,
- Equipment for emptying closed toilets of rolling stock,
- Compressed air distribution system,
- Water distribution system for vehicle equipment,
- Workshops, sanitary facilities, storage areas.
České dráhy will continue to modernise its servicing infrastructure also at other locations in the Czech Republic. These include mainly the construction of maintenance halls, carriage washing facilities or sanitary tracks. Last year, in addition to Cheb, České dráhy also started the construction of a new repair hall at the Maintenance Centre in Havlíčkův Brod. Similar capital expenditure projects are planned for the next period in České Budějovice, Olomouc or Prague. České dráhy plans to invest over CZK 12 billion in the development of its service facilities by 2031.
Author: Tiskové oddělení Českých drah
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