The introduction of the European Train Control System has improved safety, but has not yet led to faster service or increased track capacity
PRESS RELEASE ON AUDIT NO 25/05 – 15 June 2026
Unlike in many other EU countries, the railway signalling systems in the Czech Republic were outdated and did not allow for the control of train movements or the ability to intervene in their operation. The ongoing gradual integration of the European Train Control System (ETCS) onto Czech railways is expected to bring about a positive change. The introduction of ETCS is expected to improve safety and reliability, increase track capacity, speed up operations, and reduce travel times on the rail network. The Supreme Audit Office (SAO) examined how the Ministry of Transport (MoT) and the Railway Administration (RA) managed the funds allocated for the implementation of the trackside subsystem of ETCS. The audit revealed that only one of the planned benefits of so-called exclusive operation* was achieved: safety and reliability of operations on the trans-European rail network’s lines increased. The other benefits were not realised. According to the SAO, the current status of ETCS implementation is therefore insufficient.
The RA has deployed ETCS in exclusive operation mode starting in February 2025 on 622 km of track, most of which is part of the trans-European rail network (see the Interactive Annex for details). The RA has spent nearly two billion crowns to achieve exclusive operation on 40% of the approximately 1,500 km of main railway lines of the trans-European rail network in the Czech Republic. It has committed to equipping the remaining 900 km of these railway lines with ETCS technology by 2030. And by 2033, according to a government-approved plan, the system is to be expanded to approximately 5,000 km of railway lines, most of which are outside the trans-European rail network and consist primarily of regional lines. The RA estimates the cost at CZK 48.8 billion.
The SAO found that, with the ETCS system fully operational, no trains ran past a “STOP” signal on railway lines with exclusive ETCS operation during the period from its introduction in February 2025 through the end of August 2025. It can therefore be confirmed that the introduction of the system contributed to greater safety and reliability in railway operations.
The RA had not managed to achieve the other expected benefits — “higher track capacity” and “faster operation and shorter travel times”— by the time the audit was completed. In order for more trains to run on the tracks simultaneously and at higher speeds, it is necessary to change the existing train control system and implement the most technically advanced system currently available. The RA has not yet implemented this change to the train control system.
The implementation of ETCS and the associated costs are directly influenced by the overall modernisation of the Czech railway network. While the installation of ETCS on key corridor railway lines has not yet been completed (including the Kralupy nad Vltavou–Děčín section, which connects Prague with Dresden), the system has already been implemented on some less significant regional lines.
During its audit, the SAO found that the implementation of ETCS is behind schedule. Of the 99 ongoing investment projects, 44 will be completed after the deadlines set by the RA. More than half of these 44 projects involve railway lines of the trans-European rail network in the Czech Republic.
The audit also revealed that the documentation provided by the RA to the MoT did not include information on the progress of ETCS implementation. As a result, the MoT did not have complete and reliable information on which to base decisions regarding the development of ETCS on the railway infrastructure. At the same time, the Ministry did not require the development of alternative solutions for ETCS safety levels on railway lines outside the trans-European railway network, even though the costs of the individual alternatives may vary significantly depending on the current state of existing safety systems.
The SAO recommends thoroughly assessing the total costs and the potential benefits of ETCS on railway lines outside the trans-European rail network and prioritising specific line sections.
Communication Department
Supreme Audit Office