On Monday 31 July, the European Commission announced that it had authorised the reintroduction of a Czech aid measure worth around €380 million (CZK 9 billion) to modernise the country’s rail sector.
The measure was authorised under EU state aid rules and, in particular, Article 93 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU concerning transport coordination, as well as the 2008 guidelines on state aid to rail transport.
This Czech scheme was initially approved in April 2017 and partially extended in February 2020 until 31 December 2022.
The Czech Republic has notified the Commission of its intention to reintroduce the scheme until 31 July 2028.
The measure will improve rail interoperability, in particular by upgrading the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) on vehicles travelling on the Czech rail network.
The Czech Republic is also considering introducing a measure to support the installation of automatic digital coupling, which would give operators the possibility of automatically coupling and uncoupling the rolling stock of a freight train.
The aid will reach eligible companies in the form of direct grants. These eligible companies will be owners or operators of railway rolling stock or rail carriers or, in certain cases, the Czech rail infrastructure manager. (Original version in French by Émilie Vanderhulst)