Last Autumn for Tornado Trainsets, Older Trains Are Disappearing from Czech Railway Lines by Dozens

Railway fans and photographers who enjoy taking pictures of rolling stock are on high alert. Hundreds of older locomotives, units and carriages of České dráhy are disappearing from the Czech railway network. Only a few months are left to capture the electric units nicknamed “Tornado”. In Southern Moravia, passenger trains made up of classical carriages headed by an electric locomotive nicknamed “Plechac – Tin Man” have already virtually disappeared, and even the iconic 810 series rail cars nicknamed “Greenhouse” or “Regio Mouse” are disappearing from the local railway lines as well. The massive modernisation of the trains of České dráhy is taking place thanks to cooperation with the authorities ordering transport services, which have accepted offers consisting in provision of transport services through new trainsets, and within the framework of the public service obligation they have decided to co-finance the purchase of modern units. Dozens of new units have already been deployed this year, replacing older trainsets and classical passenger cars.

“No more steep stairs in the next few years, no more lack of space for legs in the carriages nicknamed ‘Honeckers’ and the gradual phasing out of carriages which do not allow you to charge your mobile phone or connect to the Internet via the on-board Wi-Fi network. The old days and the old regional trains operated by České dráhy are coming to an end on many railway lines across the country. In the South Moravian and Olomouc Regions alone, the need for classical carriages will be reduced by around 100 items during this year. By the spring of 2024, the older electric units of the 460 series, nicknamed ‘Tornado’, will run out and the need for 810 series rail cars will decrease by approximately forty to fifty units. Including all backups and provisions, we will need less than 70 of them,” says Michal Krapinec, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director General of České dráhy.

Already last year, most of the classical train sets with locomotives disappeared from regional transport on electrified railway lines in the Plzeň and South Bohemian Regions. Dozens of classical passenger carriages, mainly of the Bdt and Bdtmee classes, which were in service for about 30 to 35 years, were put out of operation. This year, the process of large-scale decommissioning of classical passenger carriages from regular operation continues in Vysočina (Highlands Region), Moravian-Silesian Region and especially in South Moravian and Olomouc Regions. The need of such carriages will decrease there by more than 100 items year-on-year. In the Olomouc Region, the last seven electric units of the 460 series are about to cease their operation soon. They will end their operation on the Olomouc – Vsetín railway line, where they should be replaced by the completely new RegioPanter units by spring 2024 at the latest. The unavoidable processes of decommissioning of the 810 series rail cars and their replacement with more modern barrier-free vehicles are also underway. For example, this June their regular operation was terminated in the Hradec Králové Region. From the original nearly 700 rail cars produced, the České dráhy’s turn-around requirement for these vehicles will drop to only tens of rail cars with the new timetable 2024.

“We will continue the large-scale decommissioning of older cars and locomotives next year as well. We want to replace regional trainsets made up of classical carriages mainly in the Hradec Králové and Zlín regions. Another part of the classical passenger carriages from the late 1980s and the early 1990s, including the very unpopular ‘Honeckers’, will disappear from daily operation on regional trains. In addition to the few remaining year-round performances for the last few dozen carriages of this class, they will still remain available as backup rolling stock for short-term seasonal performances, extraordinary situations or capacity extension means,” says Jiří Ješeta, Member of the Board of Directors and Deputy Director General of ČD for Passenger Transport, and reminds that the cancellation also affects a number of older locomotives: “In addition to the several hundred classical passenger cars which we are retiring from daily service in the current three years or so, the need for older locomotives is declining as well. The operational need for the 242 series, known as 'Plechac – Tin Man', has fallen by several dozen units. Today you can already hardly see such a locomotive at the head of a regional train. The 163 series is also disappearing from passenger service. Some of the 242 and 163 series locomotives will still find their place in freight transport. But this is not true of other types. The 150.2 and 151 series locomotives are put out of service permanently in the event of a major fault or mileage. The first locomotive of the 371 series, 371.201, has also been withdrawn from regular operation. All of these types will finish at the end of next year with the introduction of the ETCS system.”

Between 2024 and 2026, the delivery of 20 new ComfortJet units, representing 180 modern carriages intended for long-distance trains, will also result in the retirement of quite a large number of older conventional carriages for fast trains. They will be replaced on national trains by more modern, air-conditioned carriages with Wi-Fi, electrical outlets and other amenities for modern travelling. These carriages now run on EuroCity international trains or InterCity train services.

České dráhy offers some of the unneeded vehicles for sale. Currently, the vehicles on offer include, for example, older passenger carriages of various series, trailers to rail cars, as well as direct rail cars of the 810 or 854 series or older diesel and electric locomotives. A current overview of the vehicles on offer can be found here. The sold-off old trains continue to be used, for example, by railway societies, but they are also adapted as unusual restaurants, accommodation capacities, facilities for various purposes or as unusual artefacts for the decoration of public and private spaces.

Currently 109 decommissioned vehicles have also been sold for metal scrap and will be physically dismantled and scrapped. These are mainly electric units of the 560, 460 series and regional transport passenger carriages of the Bdt and Bdtmee series (nicknamed ‘Honecker’). These are the vehicles which České dráhy is currently removing from regular operation in regional transport in the number of tens to hundreds of vehicles.

The large phasing out of hundreds of passenger cars of several types, locomotives, rail cars and electric units is possible thanks to the purchase of 110 two-carriage and three-carriage RegioPanter units, 76 two-carriage RegioFox diesel units and 20 nine-carriage ComfortJet express train sets. During a few years, České dráhy will put at least 612 brand-new passenger vehicles into service, worth approximately CZK 35 billion. Dozens of locomotives will also be renewed. The obsolete locomotives are gradually being replaced by modern Siemens Vectron locomotives.