Správa železnic tested speed of 200 km/h in Ejpovice tunnel

The Ejpovice tunnel was built by force of a tunnel-boring machine with a smaller diameter, a fixed track was made in its tubes. In such environment where the train set is a "piston", the overhead line equipment behaves differently than in a double-track tunnel or on a plain line. Seeing that the method of construction of the Ejpovice tunnel proved to be highly effective, its use by designing and construction of new railway tunnels is presumed. The actual trial runs were carried out with an ÖBB measuring unit consisting of two locomotives of the 1116 Taurus series, equipped with a measuring pantograph, between which a car for traction line diagnostics was placed.

“The measuring unit reached the speed of 200 km/h in four runs, exactly as planned. We will further analyse the diagnostic data obtained during the test runs and use them for the optimal design of overhead line equipment structures when introducing higher speeds on the lines of Správa železnic,” said Jiří Svoboda, Director General of Správa železnic. Currently, 207 kilometres of various line sections are being prepared, on which speeds of up to 200 km/h could be driven in the future.

These include, in particular, the 15.5-kilometer-long section between Choceň and Uhersko, where it should be possible to drive at the speed of 200 km/h from mid-2025. There are also 17 kilometres of line between Sudoměřice u Tábora and Votice (since the beginning of 2026) or eight kilometres of line between Soběslav and Doubí (again since the beginning of 2026).

Part of the new line between Pilsen and Domažlice is being designed for the speed of 200 km/h. The trains on the new-building between Brno and Přerov or between Nemanice and Ševětín will reach the same speed. Správa železnic is also preparing adjustments for the necessary speed increase on the Břeclav – Šakvice line, where trial runs took place this year.

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