With the delivery of additional Siemens Vectron class 384 locomotives to České dráhy and their approval for cross-border operation, the fleet has now entered its first regular services outside the Czech Republic.
A pillar of international operations
The Vectron locomotives, designed for a maximum speed of 230 km/h, were procured primarily to strengthen ČD’s position in international passenger transport. A total of 50 locomotives are scheduled to be in service by the end of this year. To date, almost half of the fleet has been delivered, with exactly 20 units available to the operator at the beginning of the year.
Currently available locomotives include:
384 001, 002, 004, 006 and 009–024.
Approval for cross-border operation
On 22 December 2025, the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) granted approval for operation in Germany, Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. Approval for Denmark is expected at a later stage.
In response to the authorisation, ČD stated that international deployment was planned after the turn of the year, without specifying exact dates at the time.
First international deployment in Slovakia
In the weeks following the New Year, the high-speed Vectrons initially remained largely on domestic duties, appearing mainly on Czech routes. In addition to services between Prague and Luhačovice, they were also deployed on trains between Bohumín and Františkovy Lázně.
On 13 January 2026, Vectron 384 004 was transferred to the Žilina depot in Slovakia, where it was used for staff training on the new locomotive class.
Temporary deployment to northern Slovakia
The first regular international operation took place on 21 January 2026. Locomotive 384 016 led EC 141 from Prague to Žilina, followed shortly afterwards by 384 023 on EC 125 from Prague to Púchov. Since that date, several of the high-speed Vectrons have been rotating on services towards Slovakia.
According to Petr Štáhlavský, spokesperson for České dráhy, deployments were expanded last week to include services to Slovakia on the Ex 1 Ostravan (Prague – Ostrava – Žilina) and Ex 2 Valašský expres (Prague – Púchov/Žilina). However, this utilisation is only temporary. In the final operating concept, the locomotives are intended primarily for services to Germany, Austria, Hungary via Slovakia, and Poland, as well as Denmark. On the Ex 1 and Ex 2 routes, Vectron locomotives of class 193 are expected to be deployed on a long-term basis.
Further cross-border routes are planned to be introduced during 2026 at appropriate times, following the completion of driver training abroad, the fulfilment of all administrative requirements with foreign operators, and full integration into operational documentation, including vehicle circulation plans.
