For better signal on Czech trains: Carriers modified almost 400 carriages, reports CTU

Train travel in the Czech Republic should finally be more pleasant even for those who need to work or make calls during the journey. The Czech Telecommunication Office announced that carriers have completed projects from a grant call focused on improving mobile signal in railway carriages. Specifically, 384 carriages underwent modifications, exceeding the original goal by 34 units.

České dráhy: repeaters and special windows

The largest volume of work fell to České dráhy. The national carrier equipped 151 carriages with mobile signal repeaters across a total of 27 train sets – specifically, these are Pendolino, Railjet, and InterPanter sets. These trains primarily operate on main corridors and should now function as a “train office” with a high-quality connection.

Another 208 carriages underwent laser modification of windows, which improves the permeability of mobile signals. The modification applies to 41 compartment carriages, 24 dining cars, and 143 open-plan carriages.

Leo Express invested 24 million

Private carrier Leo Express installed repeaters in 5 five-car Stadler Flirt units, totaling 25 carriages. According to press spokesman Emil Sedlařík, the company invested 24 million Czech crowns in 5G repeaters, and in combination with improved WiFi, internet coverage on trains has increased from 60% to almost 100%.

Funding from the National Recovery Plan

Total costs for the installation of technical equipment exceeded 180 million Czech crowns without VAT. The funds come from a CTU grant call financed through the National Recovery Plan. This was historically the first grant call under the purview of the telecommunication office.

The modifications primarily target carriages operating on TEN-T railway corridors, i.e., the main routes connecting the Czech Republic with the European network. Passengers should experience improvement not only with 5G but also with older generations of mobile networks.

Have you noticed an improvement in mobile signal on trains?

Source: PR/CTU