Prague Objects to Older, Unair-Conditioned Trains Returning to the Benešov Line

Prague's transport councillor Jaromír Beránek has objected to České dráhy's plan to move three old, unair-conditioned loco-hauled sets from the Beroun line S7 onto line S9 between Prague and Benešov from December. Zdopravy.cz reported the objection, and the operator's and ROPID's replies to it, on 4 September.

The sets — nicknamed syslograf after their Bfhpvee295 driving trailer — would partly displace the newer class 471 CityElefant units on the busiest stretch, Prague to Strančice. The reason is technical rather than commercial: exclusive ETCS operation starts on Corridor IV in December, and the oldest 471 units, which have no onboard ETCS equipment, will not be allowed onto the line.

We are still negotiating the final arrangement with representatives of IDSK and ROPID. For Prague it is unacceptable to increase output on main lines with unsuitable vehicles.

— Jaromír Beránek, Prague councillor for transport

Beránek told Zdopravy.cz he is looking for a partial solution that would not worsen quality on what he called the second busiest suburban railway in Prague. One option under discussion is shifting three ETCS-fitted 471 units from another line, so the older sets could stay on the Beroun route.

The swap is not available

ROPID's answer is that there is nothing to move. Spokesman Filip Drápal said the fitted units are needed where ETCS is already in exclusive operation, and that the Beroun line has a fixed allocation:

Sixteen units are and will be assigned to the Beroun line, and fitting them with ETCS is not planned.

— Filip Drápal, spokesman for ROPID

Talks with České dráhy about other forms of adequate capacity replacement are running, Drápal added, so far without concrete results.

Beránek's other route out — persuading Správa železnic to extend non-exclusive ETCS running between Prague and Strančice past the December timetable change — also looks unlikely. Správa železnic is bound by a ministry of transport decision on implementing exclusive operation, and has already told carriers that it will apply from December along the whole corridor section.

What ČD says it is doing

České dráhy defends the choice on operating grounds: acceptable gradients on the section and a relatively short journey time of about 36 minutes end to end. Its justification, as quoted by Zdopravy.cz, also promises the change will be contained:

All other services on line S9 will continue to be operated by fully air-conditioned, more modern class 471 electric units, so passengers will be able to choose their service according to the rolling stock. No two consecutive services will be operated by a set with older carriages.

— from České dráhy' justification

The loco-hauled sets would work 16 pairs of trains on the short Prague–Strančice relation and would no longer appear on the longer Milovice–Prague–Benešov or Prague–Benešov runs. They have been on the Benešov line before, temporarily, when ČD was short of serviceable 471s during ETCS fitting, anti-graffiti wrapping or periodic overhauls.

The bigger argument is about scrapping

With the 2026/2027 timetable, every main electrified corridor into Prague will be under exclusive ETCS except line 171 to Beroun and line 232 to Lysá nad Labem. The 16 oldest CityElefant units, the 2000–2005 series, are the ones without the equipment, and they are earmarked for withdrawal in 2029.

Prague does not accept that either. Beránek said there is no agreement to send those 16 units for scrap, and that "the present state is unfortunately the result of a series of wrong decisions in the past." He puts the cost of fitting an onboard ETCS unit at CZK 20m. That figure is disputed: the Central Bohemian councillor for transport, Petr Borecký, has estimated CZK 100m per unit including the interior reconstruction and technical modifications he considers necessary. The two numbers cover different scopes, and neither side has published a reconciliation.

At a time when demand here is still unmet and 40-year-old trains are running, it seems to me a waste to send 25-year-old Elefants for scrap.

— Jaromír Beránek, Prague councillor for transport

Zdopravy.cz notes that Beránek leads the Pirates' list in the Uhříněves district in the coming municipal elections.