Správa železnic (SŽ), the owner and provider of the Czech national and regional railway infrastructure owned by the state, has launched a wide-ranging reform programme under its new Director General Tomáš Tóth. The first phase, coordinated with the Ministry of Transport, focuses on simplifying management structures, centralising selected agendas and opening the railway market to a broader group of suppliers.
The organisation expects annual savings of CZK 335.6 million (€13.4 million), while operational staff will remain unaffected. The reform includes reducing management layers, cutting marketing, IT and legal service costs by 20%, and abolishing 121 positions outside operational roles. Savings are to be redirected towards project preparation and long-term infrastructure development.
Transport Minister Ivan Bednárik underlined the importance of efficient public spending: "Railways are the backbone of transport and have a major impact on the economy and quality of life. State funds must be used as effectively as possible." He added that infrastructure should be delivered “with high quality, faster and at lower cost.”
"Long-term, we had a very robust management structure. I expected stronger resistance to change, but we quickly found consensus across the management level," said Tomáš Tóth. He described the reform as a necessary step to cut unnecessary bureaucracy and ensure that projects are prepared and delivered more efficiently.
Chairman of the supervisory board Martin Kolovratník supported the direction of the changes, stating that Správa železnic must act "as a modern investor that manages public resources efficiently while maintaining high project quality." According to him, the organisation ranks among the most significant public investors in the Czech Republic and should reflect that responsibility in its governance model.
A key pillar of the reform concerns public procurement. SŽ plans to revise qualification criteria, expand the use of preliminary market consultations and lower administrative barriers that may have limited access for smaller or foreign firms. Technical requirements will be reviewed, and selected foreign certifications gradually recognised to encourage broader participation.
For larger projects, contracts will more frequently be divided into separate lots – for example separating civil works from technological components – in order to increase competition and reduce reliance on a limited number of major suppliers. Greater transparency in price disclosure and wider use of Design & Build principles are also envisaged.
Operational management will also be streamlined. Twenty-one regional operational units will be integrated under central dispatch centres in Prague and Přerov, while procurement and commercial activities will be consolidated into a single unit. The reform is intended to improve coordination across the organisation and support more efficient delivery of railway investment projects.
