The Czech Rail Authority has sounded the alarm after confirming that trains passed a stop signal 177 times in 2025—matching the elevated level recorded the previous year and well above the long-term average. The figures, released on Sunday, 15 February 2026, underline persistent human-factor weaknesses on a network that carries more than 180 million passengers annually and is a vital artery for domestic business travel.
Director Jiří Kolář told reporters that most incidents were attributable to driver error compounded by inadequate carrier oversight. “We are not seeing the downward trend we expected after the 2024 action plan,” he admitted, adding that teenage trespass and social-media ‘challenge’ videos contributed to a parallel rise in track-access offences.
In response, the authority will accelerate the roll-out of in-cab ETCS Level 2 on busy corridors and mandate refresher simulation training for all drivers by mid-2027—a full year earlier than originally planned. Operators who miss interim milestones risk losing safety certificates, a sanction that could see services suspended.
![Czech Rail Authority Flags 177 Signal-Passing Incidents, Plans Immediate Safety Overhaul]()
From a global-mobility perspective, the announcement is significant. Prague–Brno and Prague–Ostrava are two of Europe’s busiest business rail corridors, heavily used by multinational firms for same-day travel. Frequent signal-passing events increase the likelihood of unscheduled stops, cascading delays and, in a worst-case scenario, collisions that could close lines for days. Travel-management companies are already advising clients to build longer layovers into meeting schedules and to keep flexible air or road alternatives on standby.
With international executives frequently hopping on these routes, visa requirements can become an unexpected friction point. VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/czech-republic/) guides travelers through Czech and wider Schengen visa rules, offers digital document checks, and can courier completed applications worldwide—helping companies save time just as they grapple with potential rail-related schedule disruptions.
The authority’s data also show a slight uptick in level-crossing collisions—143 in 2025 versus 139 the year before. While most involved private motorists, corporate fleet managers are being urged to refresh driver safety briefings. Rail unions, for their part, welcome the technology push but warn that staffing shortages could hamper implementation unless wages and working conditions improve.
Kolář said the agency will publish a quarterly dashboard tracking the new safety measures, giving businesses better visibility for risk assessments. First updates are expected in May 2026. Until then, firms with time-critical movements—such as just-in-time components between Moravia and Germany—are weighing whether to shift some volume to road or air despite higher costs.
Director Jiří Kolář told reporters that most incidents were attributable to driver error compounded by inadequate carrier oversight. “We are not seeing the downward trend we expected after the 2024 action plan,” he admitted, adding that teenage trespass and social-media ‘challenge’ videos contributed to a parallel rise in track-access offences.
In response, the authority will accelerate the roll-out of in-cab ETCS Level 2 on busy corridors and mandate refresher simulation training for all drivers by mid-2027—a full year earlier than originally planned. Operators who miss interim milestones risk losing safety certificates, a sanction that could see services suspended.
From a global-mobility perspective, the announcement is significant. Prague–Brno and Prague–Ostrava are two of Europe’s busiest business rail corridors, heavily used by multinational firms for same-day travel. Frequent signal-passing events increase the likelihood of unscheduled stops, cascading delays and, in a worst-case scenario, collisions that could close lines for days. Travel-management companies are already advising clients to build longer layovers into meeting schedules and to keep flexible air or road alternatives on standby.
With international executives frequently hopping on these routes, visa requirements can become an unexpected friction point. VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/czech-republic/) guides travelers through Czech and wider Schengen visa rules, offers digital document checks, and can courier completed applications worldwide—helping companies save time just as they grapple with potential rail-related schedule disruptions.
The authority’s data also show a slight uptick in level-crossing collisions—143 in 2025 versus 139 the year before. While most involved private motorists, corporate fleet managers are being urged to refresh driver safety briefings. Rail unions, for their part, welcome the technology push but warn that staffing shortages could hamper implementation unless wages and working conditions improve.
Kolář said the agency will publish a quarterly dashboard tracking the new safety measures, giving businesses better visibility for risk assessments. First updates are expected in May 2026. Until then, firms with time-critical movements—such as just-in-time components between Moravia and Germany—are weighing whether to shift some volume to road or air despite higher costs.
