Czech transport ministry cancels tender for Prague – Brno trains due to technical failure
The evaluators were unable to open the bids.
A 250-million-euro tender issued by the Ministry of Transport for the operation of fast trains on the R9 line between Prague and Brno via Havlíčkův Brod has been canceled. The reason is a defective key in the system for tender submission and administration. According to an internal finding, it is a system error related to the functioning of electronic tools for public tenders.
The ministry announced the end of the tender in a press release, with the intention to re-tender as soon as possible. At the same time, it confirmed earlier information that two companies participated in the tender: České dráhy and RegioJet. After receiving the decision, the bidders have 15 days to file an objection. Then the competition will be reopened with the same requirements.
According to the tender documentation, trains under the new contract will run between Prague and Havlíčkův Brod, with branches to Jihlava and Brno. There will be a direct train from Prague to Brno via Havlíčkův Brod every 120 minutes, and a direct train connecting Prague and Jihlava every 120 minutes.
This is the first open tender in which the Ministry of Transport has requested new trains, namely bi-directional trains with a speed of 200 km/h. The estimated value of the 15-year contract is over EUR 250 million. The tender was announced last October and operations are scheduled to start in 2025.
Edited and translated by Lucie Trávníčková