State-owned operator České dráhy (ČD) published its 2026 timetable on 11 December 2025. The new schedule, which takes effect this Sunday (14 December), expands the network to a record 8 723 scheduled trains a day and promises noticeably better connectivity for both domestic commuters and international business travellers. Among the headline additions are three daily ComfortJet services from Prague to Villach via Vienna and Klagenfurt, the re-launch of a direct Prague–Copenhagen daytime train from May, and a new overnight connection to Przemyśl on the Polish-Ukrainian border.
ČD is also increasing the share of barrier-free rolling stock to 85 % of all services and is pushing its premium Railjet brand harder: 51 trains will now carry the Railjet label, up from 21 last year. Inside the Czech Republic, more RegioFox and RegioPanter EMUs will replace ageing diesel units on secondary lines, particularly in Central Bohemia and the Hradec Králové Region, cutting noise and emissions while adding Wi-Fi and power sockets.
![Czech Railways unveils 2026 timetable with new direct links to Austria, Poland and Denmark]()
For corporate mobility managers the biggest win is predictability. Long-distance trains on the busy Prague–Ostrava corridor become compulsory-reservation across the board, ending capacity crunches at peak times. ČD is also raising the compensation it pays for missing amenities—Wi-Fi, climate control, plug points—from CZK 30 to CZK 70, effectively doubling the penalty for sub-standard service and giving travellers a stronger customer-rights framework.
Internationally-minded employees will notice shorter door-to-door journeys. The Prague–Villach extension opens same-day rail access to southern Austria and northern Italy, while the revived Copenhagen train reconnects the Czech capital with Scandinavia—an important growth market for Czech exporters and tech firms. The new night link to Przemyśl, meanwhile, dovetails with Czechia’s large Ukrainian community and the ongoing reconstruction boom in western Ukraine, giving contractors a rail alternative to congested border roads.
Looking ahead, ČD says additional ComfortJet sets on order will allow further timetable acceleration in 2027-28 and may unlock new Prague-Amsterdam and Prague-Zürich corridors. Combined with the EU’s push for modal shift from air to rail on short-haul routes, the 2026 schedule positions Czechia as a Central European hub for low-carbon business travel.
ČD is also increasing the share of barrier-free rolling stock to 85 % of all services and is pushing its premium Railjet brand harder: 51 trains will now carry the Railjet label, up from 21 last year. Inside the Czech Republic, more RegioFox and RegioPanter EMUs will replace ageing diesel units on secondary lines, particularly in Central Bohemia and the Hradec Králové Region, cutting noise and emissions while adding Wi-Fi and power sockets.
For corporate mobility managers the biggest win is predictability. Long-distance trains on the busy Prague–Ostrava corridor become compulsory-reservation across the board, ending capacity crunches at peak times. ČD is also raising the compensation it pays for missing amenities—Wi-Fi, climate control, plug points—from CZK 30 to CZK 70, effectively doubling the penalty for sub-standard service and giving travellers a stronger customer-rights framework.
Internationally-minded employees will notice shorter door-to-door journeys. The Prague–Villach extension opens same-day rail access to southern Austria and northern Italy, while the revived Copenhagen train reconnects the Czech capital with Scandinavia—an important growth market for Czech exporters and tech firms. The new night link to Przemyśl, meanwhile, dovetails with Czechia’s large Ukrainian community and the ongoing reconstruction boom in western Ukraine, giving contractors a rail alternative to congested border roads.
Looking ahead, ČD says additional ComfortJet sets on order will allow further timetable acceleration in 2027-28 and may unlock new Prague-Amsterdam and Prague-Zürich corridors. Combined with the EU’s push for modal shift from air to rail on short-haul routes, the 2026 schedule positions Czechia as a Central European hub for low-carbon business travel.
