Rail modernisation
As of 1 January 2003, pursuant to Act No. 77/2002 Coll., Správa železnic assumed the obligation to modernize the railway infrastructure owned by the Czech Republic. Rail modernization refers to all investments involving the acquisition or appreciation of assets constituting the railway infrastructure.
Priorities for Správa železnic in rail modernization:
- Modernization of four railway corridors
- Modernization of selected railway junctions
- Interoperability of selected railway networks
- Continuing with the electrification of selected railway lines
- Regional projects
- Rationalization of selected lines and railway stations
- Investments in railway infrastructure assets to sustain its operability
- Safety improvements on level crossings
- Preparation for high-speed lines implementation on the Czech territory with the aim of connecting crucial agglomerations to the European system of high-speed lines
As of 1 May 2004, the Czech Republic became a member of the European Union. The European Parliament and the Council of the EU adopted guidelines on the Interoperability of the trans-European high-speed and conventional railway system with a view to improving interconnection of the national railway network. The selected railway network in the Czech Republic, representing a part of the European Railway System, must comply with requirements for the interoperability according to the Regulation No. 352/2004 Coll. on Operational and Technical interconnection of the European Railway System, the Government Regulation on technical requirements for operational and technical interconnection of the European Railway System No. 133/2005 Coll. and related Technical Specifications of Interoperability.
In order to define a uniform concept and a technical solution of the railway infrastructure there are “Principles of modernization and optimization of the selected railway network of the Czech Republic“, as amended by the Directive of Správa železnic Director General No. 16/2005 considering legislative changes effective as of the effective day of this directive that have impact on the concept and technical solution of the railway infrastructure.
Basic principles of modernization and optimizations of the selected railway network in the Czech Republic:
- implementing higher line speed on sufficiently long sections in order to effectively utilize the enhanced speed
- achieving track load class D4 UIC for the level of track speed of 120 km/h including (i.e. 22.5 t/axle and at the same time 8 t/common metre of vehicle length)
- implementing structural gauge for loading gauge UIC GC and broader vehicles according to ČSN 73 6320, i.e. basic diameter Z-GC with the effect of broader vehicles
- providing requested path capacity at the currently defined optimized scope of the railway infrastructure
- equipping lines with such a technological device that shall provide full operation safety at the track speed of up to 160 km/h
- equipping railway stations with platforms in compliance with Regulations No. 177/1995 Coll. and 369/2001 Coll.
- achieving sufficient effective length of rails at railway stations
- improving the condition of level crossings of railway lines with roads
In addition to that, the Directive No. 32/2007 issued „Principles of regional rail reconstruction“. The basic goals of the regional rail reconstruction are:
- enhancing operation safety
- enhancing safety for passengers moving in the yard
- providing necessary technical conditions of the infrastructure in compliance with valid laws, regulations, and standards
- minimizing costs of railway infrastructure operability
- minimizing costs of railway infrastructure operation
- enhancing travel speed