The European Investment Bank (EIB) will provide free advisory services to Správa železnic (SŽo), the Czech Republic’s national railway infrastructure manager, via the InvestEU Advisory Hub, to support the preparation and procurement of three major railway infrastructure projects—including a rail link to Prague Airport and high-speed connections in the Moravia region.

The agreement supports the Czech Government’s broader strategy to develop a high-speed rail (HSR) network aligned with EU Regulation 2024/1679 on the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) and the national “Rapid Rail Services Development Programme” approved in 2018. The initiative is also supported by the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) through funding for feasibility studies and project preparation. The EIB’s advisory support will focus on three strategic rail corridors to be procured through a first set of Czech rail PPPs:

• A €2.2 billion (US$ 2.5 billion) upgrade investment from the centre of Prague to the nearby city of Kladno with a new branch to Vaclav Havel Airport, about 20 km to the northwest of the city centre, with the PPP covering a €1.1 billion (US$ 1.2 billion) section from Prague Veleslavín station to the airport, including rounding to the Praha – Kladno track.
• Investments in the new €7 billion 150 km TEN-T High Speed Moravian corridor between Brno and Ostrava, with the PPP covering:

• The 50 km Brno–Nezamyslice stage of the 200 km/hr upgrade section between Brno and Přerov
• The 74 km new HSL of 320 km/hr Eastern Moravia section between Přerov–Ostrava, with 17 km of additional connector lines

The airport link is essential for sustainably and comfortably connecting air passengers to the centre of Prague and long-distance rail. The Moravian corridor is part of the priority Dresden–Prague–Brno–Vienna/Ostrava–Katowice TEN-T high-speed rail corridors, with a total investment expected to exceed €20 billion (US$23 billion). The Moravian sections are the most advanced of the high-speed investments, with completion currently anticipated after 2030. The advisory engagement will span 27 months, offering technical support in areas such as:

• Risk allocation

• Output-focused performance requirements

• Preparation of tender documents and contract structuring

• Oversight of PPP concession agreements

Financed entirely through the InvestEU Advisory Hub, the EIB advisory team will work closely with Správa železnic’s PPP unit, coordinating with its transaction advisers throughout the procurement phase. A key priority will be to strengthen Správa železnic’s long-term expertise and capabilities in managing public-private partnership (PPP) projects.