The Czech Federation of Train Drivers (FSČR) has opposed the use of cameras to monitor train drivers’ workstations. In a letter addressed to Czech Railway Authority (DÚ) Director Jiří Kolář, the union called the proposal a ‘smokescreen’ designed to distract from unresolved systemic problems affecting train drivers’ work.
The Czech Railway Authority on February 12 evaluated the year 2025 in a statement. It has an overall positive tone, pointing to an increase in registered valid train driver licences after years of decline. It also wants to strengthen the training of train drivers, the inspection of accredited centres and continue with measures related to signals passed. Some of those measures are rubbing train drivers the wrong way.
“Passed signals prohibiting travel remain a significant issue in rail transport safety. State supervision will continue in high-risk locations, which have already identified and corrected problems in the past. These included Poříčany, Prague-Libeň and Brno hl.n.,” said the Railway Authority. While its published statement does not speak about camera systems specifically, the Czech railway union says this is the case, and that cameras will be introduced for the first time to monitor the behaviour of drivers. Union FSČR’s Prague branch, led by Chairman Antonín Sehnal, wrote a letter to the Railway Authority chairman, published in full on Czech rail news site Zdopravy, where he speaks out against this measure.
‘Driver feedback ignored’
The union leader argued that the Authority has repeatedly ignored drivers’ feedback on critical safety issues, despite two formal requests for improvements since 2022. He called the camera measures a “only a smokescreen, aimed at covering up the unwillingness of the Railway Authority to deal with the real problems of train drivers’ work, which may be behind the emergence of extraordinary events.”
The letter states that the Railway Authority has failed to act on six key concerns raised by drivers. These include overly complex operating regulations, unaddressed vehicle malfunctions, inadequate rest facilities, unrealistic shift structures, inconsistent ETCS systems, and information overload from digital devices. The union argues that instead of addressing these, the Authority’s proposed camera system, would “in no way reduce” incidents, the FSČR warned.
In neighbouring Slovakia, plans to monitor train drivers using cameras also led to criticism from the sector. The proposed measure was a response to two train accidents in a short time frame, injuring more than 150 passengers.
Regulations double, clarity remains elusive
One of the most pressing issues, according to the union, is the ballooning complexity of operating rules. A 2022 questionnaire revealed that drivers must navigate over 2,000 pages of regulations, a figure that has since increased with the 2025 introduction of the SŽ D1 regulation. Rather than simplifying procedures, the new rules added pages while ETCS documentation became even more fragmented, making compliance “even more unclear and difficult to understand”.
The FSČR highlighted that no measures have been taken to streamline regulations, despite drivers’ warnings that excessive administrative burdens contribute to operational errors. Shift structure and preparation time are also named as risk factors. The union cites the May 2024 collision at Prague’s Main Station, where it says haste due to tight schedules played a role.
ETCS inconsistencies and ‘dazzling displays’ add to the workload
The union also criticised that ETCS installations behave “completely differently” on each locomotive line and the system is by no means uniform. Drivers report that displays vary in brightness and functionality, with some “extremely dazzling” even at minimum settings, hindering a good view of the track. The lack of standardisation forces drivers to adapt to different interfaces, increasing cognitive load during critical operations, the union says,
Another concern of the union is the proliferation of digital devices, which divert attention from track monitoring. The FSČR provided a photo showing a driver’s cabin with seven active displays, where a red signal light was obscured by reflections on the windscreen. “When braking below the ETCS intervention curve, the train driver practically does not monitor the track at all,” the letter stated.
The union also criticises the lack of train protection systems in important locations: “The highest safety authority of the Czech Railways has long tolerated a situation where there is no train security system in operation at the main stations of the two largest cities in the Czech Republic (Prague and Brno) even in 2026,” according to the letter.
Union demands action before surveillance
The FSČR also condemned the Railway Authority’s sanction system, which singles out train drivers for penalties while “ignoring systemic failures”. Introduced as a measure to reduce incidents, the system has “not achieved its goal”, the union claimed. Instead, the union says it has further eroded trust in the authority’s commitment to safety.
The rest facilities were the only area where the FSČR acknowledged minor improvements. They called it “single positive shift” that individual carriers have improved or continue to improve the environment for rest. But this small improvement was overshadowed by other persistent issues.
The FSČR concluded that the Authority must first address the long-standing problems identified in 2022 before introducing “non-systemic” measures like cameras. “If the Office is truly interested in reducing the number of incidents, it must first eliminate the problems that drivers have repeatedly pointed out,” the letter stated. The union ended on a collaborative note, saying, “We are ready to participate in specific problem-solving.” The Railway Authority has yet to respond to the union’s letter.
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