Transport Yearbook 2024

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Transport sector development in 2024

INFRASTRUCTURE

Infrastructure expenditures

In 2024, the overall volume of investments into transport infrastructure increased again, reaching almost CZK 114 billion. This represents an increase of more than 8% compared to 2023, which translates to a year-on-year increase in investment funds of more than CZK 9 billion. The value of investment expenditures in transport infrastructure in 2024 was the highest in the last 15 years. From the SFDI budget, almost CZK 60 billion was allocated to road infrastructure and approximately CZK 40 billion to railway infrastructure.

In 2024, there was a year-on-year increase in investment funds allocated to road infrastructure, which amounted to more than 13%. These investments include not only funds from the SFDI but also investments by individual regions in infrastructure and maintenance of lower-class roads. Investment costs in this infrastructure were the highest in the last 14 years, although not accounting for inflation. Compared to 2015, they have almost tripled. Investment expenditures on class II and III roads, i.e., roads owned by the regions, remained the same in 2024 as in 2023, and including repairs and maintenance, amounted to CZK 26 billion. The percentage share of expenditures on class II and III roads in total investment costs for road infrastructure was 20% in 2024.

In 2024, there was a slight decrease in investment funds for railway transport infrastructure, approximately 1.5% year-on-year. The year 2022 was a record year in the history of monitoring investment funds allocated to railway infrastructure. Historically, investment costs in railway infrastructure decreased from 2009 to 2014. A significant increase occurred in 2015.

Regarding other investment expenditures, there was a decrease in water infrastructure in 2023, but in 2024 there was a significant year-on-year increase of more than 39%. In 2020, the funds allocated to the construction of water infrastructure were the highest, followed by a decrease that stopped in 2024.

Total expenditures on the repair and maintenance of transport infrastructure in 2024 increased by almost 40% compared to 2023. After years of stagnation until 2013 and subsequent three-year growth until 2016, expenditures decreased in 2017 and then increased significantly again in 2018 and 2021.

In 2024, a significant legislative change was recorded, aimed at accelerating the construction of transport infrastructure in the Czech Republic. An amendment to Act No. 416/2009 Coll., known as the Line Act, was approved and came into effect on January 1, 2024.

Road infrastructure

In 2024, the construction of 163.7 km of new road infrastructure was initiated in the Czech Republic, of which 116.7 km were motorways and 47 km were class I roads. Significant projects launched include the Prague Ring Road D0 between Běchovice and D1, the D3 motorway – remaining sections in South Bohemia (15.5 km), the D6 and D7 motorways – new sections towards Karlovy Vary and Chomutov, the D35 motorway – the start of construction of 35.7 km, making it the most under construction Czech motorway, class I roads – bypasses of Náchod, Plasy, Sezemice, Bruntál and others. In 2024, a record 118.1 km of new motorways were opened in the Czech Republic, representing the largest expansion of the motorway network in a single year. The main opened sections are D4 (PPP project) – approx. 32 km between Příbram and Písek, D3 (South Bohemia) – approx. 28.4 km, D55 (Zlín and South Moravia) – approx. 21 km, D7 (Chomutov) – approx. 11 km, and other smaller sections on D6, D48 and D49. In addition to motorways, 29 km of class I roads were also put into operation, including the bypass of Jaroměř and the relocation near Klatovy.

Other projects launched in 2024 include: D35 – new sections near Vysoké Mýto and Hradec Králové (e.g. Hořice–Sadová, Sadová–Plotiště), D6 – new sections near Lubenec (e.g. Petrohrad–Lubenec), D49 – start of construction of the Hulín–Fryšták section, D55 – continued construction between Staré Město and Moravský Písek, D1 – modernization and expansion of the Brno-Center – Brno-South section, D4 – completion of the PPP project in the Háje–Mirotice section, D11 – preparation of the section toward Trutnov, I/35 – Dub–Palačov bypass, I/38 – Církvice bypass, I/11 – Opava bypass and other sections in the Moravian-Silesian Region.

Railway infrastructure

The Railway Administration is part of the state administration and is accountable to the Ministry of Transport. Within its scope, it ensures the repair and maintenance of national and regional railways, which include 9,349 km of railway tracks, 15,079 km of rails, 6,739 bridges, 169 tunnels, 7,533 level crossings, 7,920 buildings and structures, electrical engineering, energy, and communication and signaling equipment. It also ensures the repair and maintenance of properties in railway stations, including cleaning and security in these facilities. The mentioned activities were funded in 2024 from the budget of the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure (SFDI), which provides the Railway Administration with non-investment funds, from fees for the use of railway transport routes, from revenues generated from the rental of land, buildings, and non-residential premises, or from revenues for services and external performances related to this segment. Total costs excluding depreciation incurred to ensure operational capability, including the relevant share of centrally managed costs, amounted to CZK 21.59 billion in 2024. In addition to repairs and maintenance, it ensures investment construction around railway infrastructure development.

The number of carriers that have concluded an Agreement on the Operation of Railway Transport on the national and regional railways owned by the state with the Railway Administration decreased to 111 in 2024. On the Railway Administration's network, passenger transport performances increased to 142.5 million train kilometers (train-km) and 28.7 billion gross ton kilometers (gross tkm) in 2024. Total costs excluding depreciation incurred to ensure the operation of the railway transport route amounted to CZK 7.185 billion in 2024. These include mainly the performances of traffic management employees provided by regional directorates and central dispatch centers, including the relevant share of centrally managed costs of the Deputy Director General for Traffic Management.

A key factor for ensuring the smooth financing of the Railway Administration's investments is the loan agreed with the European Investment Bank (EIB). Financial support from the EIB loan is aimed at financing railway projects from 2023 to 2027, up to EUR 7 billion. Investment construction was primarily financed by public sources. The most significant source of financial resources in 2024 was national sources from the SFDI budget, including smaller sources for investment coverage of flood damage from September 2024 (a total of CZK 23.4 billion). The second most significant source was the Operational Program Transport (OPD3), from which almost CZK 6.1 billion was drawn. Furthermore, significant contributions to the financing of the construction and modernization of the railway transport route were made by grants from the CEF2 infrastructure funds (Connecting Europe Facility fund) of almost CZK 5.3 billion and the RRF source (Regional Development Fund) of about CZK 2.3 billion. The separate EIB loan for combined support actions within the CEF Blending Call was also drawn, amounting to almost CZK 0.7 billion. At the same time, European funds from the ending EU programming period 2014–2020 from OPD2 and CEF1 sources (CZK 1 billion) were drawn. Significant support was also obtained from other EU funds not provided through the SFDI (Operational Program Enterprise and Innovation for Competitiveness, direct CEF grants, Just Transition Mechanism). In the area of railway infrastructure, the Railway Administration is the main entity responsible for utilizing EU funds in the Czech Republic as the final recipient and investor.

In the preparation and implementation of investment actions on the railway transport route in 2024, the total volume of received investment grants reached CZK 39.1 billion, almost the same amount as in the previous year. The year 2024 was marked by intensive preparations to ensure increased safety on Czech railways by introducing exclusive ETCS operation on approximately six hundred kilometers of corridor tracks during January 2025. In 2024, the implementation of a new type of construction actions to support the maintenance of railway operational parameters, so-called simple reconstructions, including both cyclic renewals and other actions, began. In six cases, it was a so-called cyclic renewal on TEN-T tracks, both in railway superstructure (e.g., cyclic renewal of the Hranice na Moravě město – Hustopeče nad Bečvou track) and traction lines (e.g., cyclic renewal of the traction line in the Lysá nad Labem (excluding) – Stará Boleslav section). In terms of costs, the most significant repairs in 2024 took place in the Poříčany – Nymburk hl. n., Čerčany – Sázava, Třemošná – Horní Bříza track sections or in the Česká Kamenice or Meziměstí stations. As part of the program to modernize at least 500 railway crossings in 2022–2025, the reconstruction of 150 railway crossings was completed in 2024, totaling 507 crossings for the period 2022 to 2024. Activities aimed at reducing the number of railway crossings continued in 2024, with a total of 58 crossings being eliminated. Despite the Ministry of Transport's efforts to eliminate little-used railway crossings, the pace of their elimination is slow, mainly due to problematic negotiations with municipalities. The modernization of transit railway corridors represents a qualitative improvement in railway transport in the Czech Republic and a significant reduction in travel times on important transport routes, especially Prague – České Budějovice, and for a long time also Prague – Ostrava and Prague – Brno. Currently, work is underway to complete transit railway corridors, especially in the Prague – Plzeň section and further in railway nodes. In connection with the modernization of corridor tracks, important railway nodes along their route are also being reconstructed. The nodes of Děčín hl.n., Ústí nad Labem hl.n., Kolín, Choceň, Ústí nad Orlicí, Břeclav, Přerov, Olomouc, Bohumín, and Cheb and Plzeň have already been completed. In the Prague node, the Úvaly – Prague-Běchovice – Prague-Libeň and Prague-Holešovice – Prague-Bubeneč sections have already been completed, and the completion of these sections marked the completion of the passage of the first corridor through this node. The reconstruction of the Negrelli Viaduct has also been completed. The reconstruction of the Prague-Hostivař – Prague-Vršovice section, ensuring the connection of the fourth corridor, has also been completed. The double-tracking of the Branický most – Prague-Krč – Spořilov section has been completed. Modernization work at Brno hl. n. station and the reconstruction of the Přerov node have been completed. The Pardubice node and the Plzeň node, except for the repair of the Doubravka marshalling yard, have been completed. The reconstruction of the Prague-Smíchov station and the overall modernization of the Česká Třebová node have begun. Further project preparations for the passage of the Brno and Ostrava nodes are also underway. In 2024, the reconstruction of Prague's Masaryk Railway Station also began. Preparatory work on new high-speed lines in the Prague – Ústí nad Labem – state border, Prague – Brno – Břeclav, and Přerov – Ostrava sections, as well as the modernization of the Brno – Přerov line to 200 km/h, which are expected to significantly speed up connections between major cities, is ongoing, with the first construction on the Brno – Přerov line starting in 2025. Construction and design work on the modernization of the Prague – Kladno line with a connection to Václav Havel Airport Prague, with the completion of the Prague-Bubny – Prague-Výstaviště section in 2025, is also ongoing.

To reduce the impact of transport on the environment, the electrification of railway lines in the form of simple electrifications is also being prepared. At the same time, the operation of battery-electric trains on selected lines in the Moravian-Silesian Region has begun, which will enable the provision of electric operation even on lines not equipped with linear electrification.

Inland waterway transport infrastructure

In 2024, financial resources from the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure (SFDI) amounting to CZK 635.38 million were spent on the modernization and maintenance of significant water transport routes through the subordinate organization of the Ministry of Transport, the Directorate of Waterways of the Czech Republic. Of this amount, investment expenditure amounted to CZK 516.03 million and non-investment expenditure amounted to CZK 119.35 million. The utilization of the above financial resources from the SFDI in 2024 was mainly contributed by the projects "Extension of Navigability of the Otrokovice – Rohatec – PK Rohatec Waterway" amounting to CZK 175.94 million, "Waiting Berths for Small Vessels on the Vltava" amounting to CZK 91.66 million, and works carried out in the locations of Hořín, Dolánky, and Roztoky. The ongoing project "Service Centre Roudnice nad Labem" is also significant, with CZK 62.76 million spent, and completion is expected in 2025. The small projects "Service Vessels Prague, Slapy, Orlík" with financial resources amounting to CZK 21.30 million and "Recreational Port Kolín" with costs amounting to CZK 12.62 million were also notable.

Within the global item "Investment Projects with Budget Costs up to CZK 100 million," a total amount of CZK 95.75 million was spent in 2024 in the form of smaller projects. Specific projects include "Brandýs nad Labem Port" with spending of CZK 27.20 million, "Brná Port" with spending of CZK 13.52 million, "Vessel Berths Brandýs nad Labem" with spending of CZK 11.85 million, "Davle Port" with spending of CZK 7.74 million, "Modernization of OLD Ústí nad Labem – Vaňov Berths" with spending of CZK 3.69 million, and "Vessel Berths Uherské Hradiště" with spending of CZK 3.46 million. Other projects include "Protective Berths for Service Vessels Brná" with spending of CZK 8.94 million and "Modernization of Protective Berths for Service Vessels Prague and Nymburk" with spending of CZK 5.19 million.

Significant financial resources amounting to CZK 47.17 million were also spent on the intensive preparation of other investment projects for the comprehensive development of the entire network of significant water transport routes. The main obstacle to the continued preparation of the "Děčín Lock" project is the need to determine compensatory measures identified in the SEA assessment of the Water Transport Concept, and in the case of the "Extension of Navigability of the Elbe Waterway to Pardubice," the need to change the land-use plan of the project. Furthermore, building permits were obtained for the "Waiting Berths for Small Vessels on the Vltava" project in the locations of Prague – Modřany and Miřejovice, a joint permit for the "Flood Protection of the Vraňansko – Hořín Canal" project, the expansion of the port in Veselí nad Moravou as part of the "Veselí nad Moravou – Vnorovy Navigation Circuit" project, and the addition of an operational building as part of the "Expansion of the Operational Facilities of the Recreational Port Petrov" project.

Air transport infrastructure

In 2024, CZK 78 million was invested at Brno-Tuřany Airport, with most of the investments going towards the construction of a parking lot for passengers and the expansion of the aircraft handling area. At Ostrava-Mošnov Airport, investments in 2024 amounted to a total of CZK 308 million, with a significant portion of these funds being invested in the construction of a new handling area of 39.5 thousand square meters. The project also included the construction of a new transformer station, high and low voltage connections, an optical network, LED lighting, and new parts of the airport's perimeter fence. The largest investment project last year was carried out by Prague Airport, a.s. All modernization projects at Prague-Ruzyně Airport represented a total investment of CZK 1.6 billion. These included the reconfiguration of selected boarding bridges, the reconstruction of an administrative building within Terminal 1, and the project to expand the access road. At Karlovy Vary Airport, the most significant investment was the repair and insulation of the roof of the original part of the terminal building and the operational building. Expenditures in 2024 for this project amounted to CZK 11 million. Another significant investment to ensure partial energy self-sufficiency of the airport was the investment in a photovoltaic power plant. In 2024, passenger boarding stairs were also purchased, and technical adjustments were made to the access road to expand it and create new parking spaces along this road. At Pardubice Airport, East Bohemian Airport, a.s., invested in the purchase of a belt loader and two passenger boarding stairs in 2024.

Combined transport

Specialized infrastructure for combined transport includes intermodal terminals, which are currently entirely owned by private entities in the Czech Republic. These entities are combined with transport operators, carriers, or terminal operators. The development of this infrastructure has been supported by the state in recent years, mainly through Transport Program. However, in 2024, the financing of combined transport from the Transport Program (OPD3) and subsequently the Transport Program was suspended. In 2024, three supported projects were either in implementation or in final preparation, focusing on both the modernization of existing terminals and the creation of entirely new ones. The reason for this was the need to revise support conditions and rework calls.

In 2024, the Transport Research Centre, in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic, organized webinars for road carriers, shippers, consignees, and university students to present the current possibilities of using combined transport and its benefits for sustainability and transport efficiency. An expanded web portal, kombinovanapreprava.cz, was launched, offering clear and comprehensive information about combined transport. In previous years, the Czech Republic had already supported combined transport with over CZK 1 billion. Investments were directed towards the construction and modernization of combined transport terminals and the acquisition of suitable transport units for continental combined transport. In 2024, as part of the Program Transport 2021–2027 (OPD3), call no. 35 was announced, focusing on supporting the development of railway sidings, including those that can be part of combined transport terminals. Supported activities include the construction, modernization, and renewal of railway sidings, facilities directly related to sidings (e.g., loading and unloading sites), and projects that contribute to shifting freight transport from road to rail. The goal was to support more environmentally friendly and energy-efficient forms of transport and increase the capacity of railway infrastructure for freight transport, especially within combined transport.

The overall volume and performance in combined transport grew year-on-year in 2024, with the largest share attributed to the transport of sea containers, primarily to and from seaports, which saw a year-on-year increase of almost 16.4% in net tons. Their dominant share of total performance increased by 22% between 2023 and 2024. On the other hand, inland continental combined transport slightly decreased, particularly concerning road trailers and swap bodies. This was mainly due to the increasing competitiveness of direct road transport, where there is still a significant surplus of capacity in the road transport market and competition from countries with lower costs. The low reliability and availability of combined transport services in rail transport are primarily due to the limited capacity of railway infrastructure, which is primarily allocated to the needs of passenger transport contractors.

ROAD TRANSPORT FLEET

Based on information from the Central Vehicle Register, the number of motor vehicles registered in the Czech Republic increased by almost 2% in 2024. The total number of registered vehicles, including trailers of all types and categories, increased by approximately 5%, exceeding 9.3 million. The number of registered passenger cars increased year-on-year, exceeding 6.6 million. As of January 1, 2025, the number reached 6,638,172, which is more than 71% of the total number of all motor vehicles. Approximately 64% of passenger vehicles are over 10 years old, 18% are over 5 years old, and 9% are between 2-5 years old. Only 9% of passenger vehicles are younger than two years. This ratio has not changed significantly year-on-year. The number of registered trucks increased by 1% in 2024. Since 2015, the number of registered trucks has been growing, although the growth rate is slowing. The share of newer vehicles, i.e., those less than 2 years old, is about 11%. In 2024, there was a slight increase in the number of minibuses and buses by about 1.7%. The number of trailers slightly decreased, but not by more than 2%. An interesting trend is the year-on-year increase in the number of trolleybuses of about 5%.

TRANSPORT

In 2024, the overall transport performance in passenger transport growth again like in 2023. In passenger rail transport, the year-on-year increase in the number of passengers was 4%, and the increase in passenger-kilometers was 3.7%, although the growth rate slightly slowed year-on-year. The slowdown in growth is primarily due to stagnation in improving quality and reducing travel times. Another factor may be the change in travel behavior considering the potential use of working at another place for professions that allow it. The slowdown is also caused by extensive track closures as part of transport infrastructure modernization. At the same time, the perception of the attractive price of rail transport is decreasing, mainly due to regular and long-term price increases and limited public awareness of price-attractive offers of integrated transport systems. An example of positive step is the implementation of the Fairtiq system in the Region Zlín, which automatically ensures a cost-effective offer for passengers based on the evaluation of the journey according to the movement of the mobile phone. Bus transport saw a slight decrease in the number of passengers by about 0.5% and a decrease in transport performance on passenger kilometers by 1.5%. In public transport, transport performance increased year-on-year by almost 3.7% in 2024. Air transport continued to see significant growth in the number of passengers and cargo transported in 2024. Czech air carriers saw an 18% year-on-year increase in the number of passengers transported and a 17% increase in transport performance. Regarding airport performance, there was a significant increase of 19% in 2024 compared to 2023, although performance parameters in individual segments (except for cargo air transport) still did not reach the levels of 2018 and 2019.

In individual car transport, the number of passengers transported increased by 4% in 2024 compared to 2023, as did the transport performance in passenger-kilometers by 4%. In inland water transport, which mainly involves recreational transport in passenger transport, there was a significant increase in the number of passengers transported in 2024, partly due to the refinement of data collection methodology. The total volume of freight transport in thousand tons decreased by 1% between 2023 and 2024, but transport performance in ton-kilometers increased by 3.4% year-on-year.

In road freight transport (carriers registered in the Czech Republic), there was a slight increase in the amount of cargo transported by 2% in 2024 compared to 2023, following a decrease between 2022 and 2023. Transport performance in ton-kilometers increased by 8% year-on-year. International transport grew significantly by 14% year-on-year, while domestic transport grew slightly by 1.4%, but this is again a growth trend compared to 2023. The main factor was the stabilization of the economy in the EU, especially in neighboring countries. There was also an improvement in the availability and efficiency of transport. The shortage of drivers and capacities led to increased demand for goods transport, which was compensated for by higher utilization of available vehicles, reflected in the growth of performance per transport unit.

The volume of cargo transported by Czech air carriers increased in 2024, but it should be noted that the volume transported by Czech cargo air carriers does not reach the values of the period before 2020. Air cargo is currently mainly operated by foreign carriers. In 2024, there was a significant increase in airport performance in air cargo and mail transport, reaching almost 43%. There was also a significant increase in domestic air transport.

In inland water transport, there was a further decrease in the number of tons transported about 20% in 2024 compared to 2023, and transport performance decreased by about 15%. The performance of water freight transport is strongly influenced by the navigability of waterways and the availability of vessels. The Elbe waterway was significantly restricted in 2024 due to floods at the turn of the year and subsequent slow maintenance. The Mělník–Chvaletice section was practically unnavigable, preventing freight navigation. Further floods in September 2024 again prevented navigation for several months. The collapse of a bridge in Dresden closed the cross-border Elbe. The Vltava was closed for six months due to the construction of a flood barrier in the Troja Canal. The decreasing number of Czech cargo ships led to lower transport capacity.

ACCIDENTS

In 2024, the Police of the Czech Republic investigated a total of 92,217 traffic accidents, which represents a year-on-year decrease of 2.9%. Accidents involving injuries or fatalities altogether 25,582, with 494 people killed, which is 8 fewer than in 2023. In 2024, 1,609 people were seriously injured, representing an 8% year-on-year decrease compared to 2023, and 23,971 people were slightly injured, it represents a decrease of 0.1%. The number of fatalities in accidents in 2024 was the lowest since 1961. The highest number of fatalities in traffic accidents was registred in 1969 (1,758 people). In 2024, compared to 2023, the number of injuries decreased and was the lowest in the history of accident statistics monitoring. The highest number of seriously injured people in accidents was recorded in 1969 (9,258 seriously injured people). The total material damage from traffic accidents estimated by the police officers amounted to approximately CZK 8 billion. Most traffic accidents occur on Fridays, and the least on Sundays. Approximately 70.5% of traffic accidents were caused by drivers of motor vehicles due to improper driving, with the main causes being excessive speed, not paying full attention to driving, and improper turning or reversing. The highest increase in the total number of traffic accidents was caused by drivers of non-motor vehicles. There was a decrease in the number of accidents caused by the presence of alcohol and drugs, with 109 fewer accidents compared to the previous year. Most traffic accidents occurred in the Region of Central Bohemia, followed by Prague and the Moravian-Silesian Region. A decrease was recorded in the Olomouc and Zlín Regions.