Plzeň's Train Operations Handed to Arriva in Strategic Move

CZECH REPUBLIC: Exciting news from the Plzeň region! Arriva Vlaky has snagged a deal to take over the Plzeň – Domažlice regional passenger service P3, stepping in where state-owned ČD once operated.

This contract, which kicks off in December 2026 and spans a decade, is worth KC2.07 billion. Interestingly, Arriva was the only contender for this bid since ČD felt they couldn’t secure the necessary trains quickly enough.

Under this new agreement, Arriva will run an notable 16 pairs of trains daily along the 59 km route—totaling around 715,000 train-km each year. Notably, services on the Plzeň – Nýřany – Stod stretch will see a meaningful boost from just four to ten trains each way every day. To meet these demands, Arriva plans to utilize twelve second-hand Stadler GTW 2/6 DMUs sourced from Hessische Landesbahn in Germany and upgraded with ETCS technology—similar to those already operating successfully in Jihomoravský.

This isn’t Arriva’s first rodeo in the area; they’ve been running regional service P1 between Horažďovice předměstí and Plzeň since December last year. Plus, they recently secured another contract with the Ministry of Transport for long-distance routes Ex6 connecting Praha with plzeň and Cheb as well as R16 linking Praha to klatovy/Železná Ruda.