Czech railway queries

[JWK]

Hi,
In the middle of planning a rail-based trip to the Czech Republic in September. This is a completely new network for me, so was looking for a couple of pointers.
1) what is punctuality generally like? From the timetable, CD looks like a network run on the basis of quite high levels of punctuality (lots of 2 minute connections at rural junctions, for example), but this could be deceiving. Specifically, journey planners keep throwing up a 12-minute connection at Praha hl.n. between a Regional train from the Trutnov direction and an Express heading for Ceske Budejovice. It certainly isn’t the end of the world if we don’t make the connection and have to get the next southbound train - and obviously things can go wrong on the best run networks - but should I work on the assumption that this is a connection that will work?
2) How do request stops (of which there are a lot!) work? Is it UK-style tell the train crew/signal to the driver, or more Swiss-style buttons on trains and platforms?

Many thanks for any thoughts.

 

[317666]

1) I found punctuality was generally not too bad - I would imagine that rural connections would probably be held in the event of late running. If a connection is shown in the journey planner I'd say you've got a pretty good chance of making it!

2) I think I went on a railbus with stop buttons as you'd find in Switzerland, but can't entirely remember! It was a DOO branch line service so would have been a bit difficult to tell the driver!

 

[30907]

2-minute connections at junctions will normally be held within reason. I've experienced an R-train being held 20 minutes, admittedly for a major feeder service.

However, R-trains and above from Prague tend to have the international symbol for "does not wait for connections" shown in the printed timetable and PDFs, so you need to have a plan B, even if it is unlikely to be needed. Also, I am not sure whether CD will wait for franchised operators such as GWTR - or vice versa!

The other thing to be aware of is the CD habit of short-notice engineering work with bus replacement. The good news is that the delays are usually modest and schedules are slack enough for time to be made up by the next big junction.

On request stops, ISTR modern units have buzzer but older stock doesn't. I doubt if wayside halts have anything sophisticated - or even electricity!

Enjoy, CD is fun!

 

[JWK]

Thanks very much to both - that is very helpful information. I’ve already noticed the apparent ubiquity of short rail replacement bus stretches - including an 8+ month one on the main line through Karlovy Vary - reassuring to hear that they don’t tend to add much to the timings!

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Last time I was there (2015) there was some major engineering work east of Prague on the main Kolin route.
There was major realignment/bridge rebuilding etc, with extensive single line working and service reduction/diversion.
It didn't disrupt my particular plans beyond a 30-minute delay, but it looked like taking a long time to finish.
There was another lot of major works further east, towards Olomouc.
All part of international route upgrades largely funded by the EU.
I don't know what the status of these is today.
I've always found Czech and Slovak Railways to be close to German/Austrian standards of operation, unlike their other neighbouring railways.

 

[30907]

Thanks very much to both - that is very helpful information. I’ve already noticed the apparent ubiquity of short rail replacement bus stretches - including an 8+ month one on the main line through Karlovy Vary - reassuring to hear that they don’t tend to add much to the timings!

The KV one was an emergency - landslip or something - routine ones tend to be shorter though sometimes repetitive (line 220 to C Bud, line 190? to Plzen, lime 183 to Zelezna Ruda all seem to be affected when I want to travel!)

 

[dutchflyer]

there is always, always some kind of major building and many spots of ditto minor all day, any day, all week somewhere. As near all rural lines are just 1 track, this thus leads to bustitution-which the conductor oversees.
You should possible try to change dates- up till 31/8 there is a very cheap 7-day all-line CD rover for 790CzK. A 1-dayrover (stricly from 0.00-till 24.00 is around 555 czK, or there are cheaper versions for 1 ''kraj=province/region''. All on CD only.
Punctuality varies wildly but they stick as much as poss to the age-old railway rule of holding connections, at least from minor trains on major ones. I've noted (was there 3 times now this year) near 100% delays on the main line east of Praha-with about any train coming some 20-30 mins late, incl. Leo and RJ.
If you're just going for some fun-riding, also try out railjet.com or possible le.cz, to compare. Very easy online booking. RJ gives out free hot drinks to all pax. Beside CD they all 3 run the main line east of Praha, and even ARRIVA has some private venture ex-DB 628 railsets going there.

 

[route101]

Last time I was there (2015) there was some major engineering work east of Prague on the main Kolin route.
There was major realignment/bridge rebuilding etc, with extensive single line working and service reduction/diversion.
It didn't disrupt my particular plans beyond a 30-minute delay, but it looked like taking a long time to finish.
There was another lot of major works further east, towards Olomouc.
All part of international route upgrades largely funded by the EU.
I don't know what the status of these is today.
I've always found Czech and Slovak Railways to be close to German/Austrian standards of operation, unlike their other neighbouring railways.

Theres more new stock , like the Polish Railways . You need to go to Serbia, Bulgaria for the really old stuff.

 

[JWK]

Thanks all for input - I will hope to strike lucky with as few bustitutions as possible and keep connections at places like Prague hl.n., where they won’t be held, as flexible as possible. I’ll check out the various rover tickets too and see if they make sense financially.
It looks a fascinating network, especially the rural branches - hoping to get a bit of travel on the older railcars, including on the Loket branch and the Trutnov-Teplice line (the Regionovas which run that route in the summer seem to get moved elsewhere at the official end of summer on 2 September - the day before we get there, and the older railcars return).

 

[Zamracene749]

I cannot find how to edit the file size! But anyway, here is a classic unit that you should still find working in Prague on the Mesto Link from Praha Liben to Praha Hostivar

 

[CC 72100]

Anything else interesting rail related in the Prague area? It's not a rail trip as such but I'll be there the end of the week for a couple of days and could be tempted for a little trip somewhere if the journey involved particularly interesting traction?

 

[30907]

Anything else interesting rail related in the Prague area? It's not a rail trip as such but I'll be there the end of the week for a couple of days and could be tempted for a little trip somewhere if the journey involved particularly interesting traction?

Class 750.7 push-pulls on the Rakovnik route 120 from Masarykovo (but think they're starting somewhere else ATM - Bubny?)
The Prague Semmering (line 122)from Hlavni to Rudna with a single railbus, as far as Zlicin is within the central fare zone.
Saturday or Sunday several Diesel hauled excursions with 749 and 754.
Friday you might strike lucky with a hauled substitution on line 200 or 70.

 

[blackfive460]

Class 750.7 push-pulls on the Rakovnik route 120 from Masarykovo (but think they're starting somewhere else ATM - Bubny?)

They are starting from a temporary station at Praha-Bubny Valtavska close to Valtavska Metro and trams. Very easy interchange with both.
There are also 714 powered trains to Kladno at certain times of the day and if you pick the right time it's perfectly possible to get three or four diesels in the book in fairly short order without leaving the central fare zone.

 

[CC 72100]

Thanks for the above. Looks to be an hourly service to Kladno - is it a sharing of duties between locos and units, and just pot luck in terms of what your traction power will be?

Take it Central zone means the area covered by the standard Prague day pass?

 

[blackfive460]

Join the European Rail email group (https://groups.io/g/europeanrail/topics) and you can get access to CD and other loco diagrams in that group's files area.

You can find what the Prague day and 72 hour tickets cover on a map on this page (https://pid.cz/en/downloads/?type=maps) on the PID web site. Direct link to the map: https://pid.cz/wp-content/uploads/mapy/schemata-trvala/en/en_a5_tarifni_pasma_zeleznice.pdf.

 

[30907]

Thanks for the above. Looks to be an hourly service to Kladno - is it a sharing of duties between locos and units, and just pot luck in terms of what your traction power will be?

Take it Central zone means the area covered by the standard Prague day pass?

The R-trains (Rychliky) are all 750.7, the 1605/1805 peak Sp departures (and early morning arrivals) are booked 714s, everything else is units.

Quite a lot of train formations on
https://www.vagonweb.cz/razeni/?&lang=en

Assuming your device will "translate," or you are good at guessing, then try:
http://www.zelpage.cz/trate/ceska-republika has stock workings on most routes
http://sledovanihv.blogspot.com/?m=0 has diagrams by train number

A specialist CZ/SK newsgroup is https://groups.io/g/cdgen and they kindly do diagrams UK style with times not just numbers!

I would do the Semmering uphill to Zlicin and then hop on a tram back - also a fine ride I believe.

 

[CC 72100]

Thanks both, that's very useful. Judging by the map, even a ticket for the central zone only would still provide some validity on the trains mentioned above.

I'll make a beeline for the 1605 or 1805 the on that basis, hoping to get a 750.7 back

Thanks again!

 

[87015]

Something a bit more different to the turns out of Bubny is the 714 that does an afternoon Cercany out of Hlavni (1423 out, 1905 arrival) as it’s formed of unconventional (to British eyes) short DMU trailers. I presume you can get back from Branik on a tram if no other move. If you have “less trains” people in tow then the Cercany line is rather scenic and you can come back quicker via a local EMU on the mainline.

http://www.zelpage.cz/razeni/18/vlaky/cd-9013

 

[30907]

Thanks both, that's very useful. Judging by the map, even a ticket for the central zone only would still provide some validity on the trains mentioned above.

I'll make a beeline for the 1605 or 1805 the on that basis, hoping to get a 750.7 back

Thanks again!

You'll get them both by just doing Veleslavin and back.

 

[blackfive460]

Weekdays only you could try:

Praha-Bubny Vltavska 16:05 Sp1888
Praha-Veleslavin 16:18

Praha-Veleslavin 16:36 R1229
Praha-Dejvice 16:42

Praha-Dejvice 16:50 Os19736
Praha-Veleslavin 16:58

Praha-Veleslavin 17:36 Sp1895
Praha-Bubny Vltavska 17:49

That should get you 3 different 714s and a 750 without leaving the central fare zone.

Anyway, join the email group I mentioned, download the diagrams and you'll be able to work out your own!

 

[CC 72100]

Thats super, sounds like just the move. Will have to play it by war in terms of how much time we have after doing the more conventional tourist stuff for something like Cercany, but an "out and back" as suggested above should be easily doable (think I can get away with that one for sure!)

 

[CC 72100]

Managed an out and back, as per the itinerary suggested by blackfive460 - the temporary station (1 platform only!) was quite amusing, I was concerned that a unit appeared to come in the platform, but fortunately the stock for the 1605 then came in top of that. Prague Bubny looked pretty closed when we went past - not sure if this is related to the temporary station or not, given the comment above about the viaduct.

Enjoyable little trip - just a shame where I was sat we couldn't get the window open, seemed stuck closed.

 

[30907]

Bubny is only served by line 120 and the new platform at Vltavska is more convenient for public transport, so the station itself isnt being served.

 

[blackfive460]

Managed an out and back, as per the itinerary suggested by blackfive460 - the temporary station (1 platform only!) was quite amusing, I was concerned that a unit appeared to come in the platform, but fortunately the stock for the 1605 then came in top of that. Prague Bubny looked pretty closed when we went past - not sure if this is related to the temporary station or not, given the comment above about the viaduct.

Enjoyable little trip - just a shame where I was sat we couldn't get the window open, seemed stuck closed.

Glad you managed it!

You have plenty of time to revisit and do it all again as the Negrelli Viaduct which starts just beyond Bubny Vltavska leading to Masarykovo nádraží is not expected to reopen until early 2020.

Try it on a weekend and take one of the Rakovnik trains to Lužná u Rakovníka for the railway museum.

 

[CC 72100]

Glad you managed it!

You have plenty of time to revisit and do it all again as the Negrelli Viaduct which starts just beyond Bubny Vltavska leading to Masarykovo nádraží is not expected to reopen until early 2020.

Try it on a weekend and take one of the Rakovnik trains to Lužná u Rakovníka for the railway museum.

Funny you should say that, I've just discovered the CD day rover tickets that are either available for a region (around £10) or nationally (around £20), which after this experience, has given me food for thought...