EUROFIMA is providing nine-year financing worth CZK 4 billion to support České dráhy’s acquisition of 94 two-car regional trains for electrified and non-electrified routes across Czechia.

České dráhy RegioFox diesel multiple unit at the PESA factory in Bydgoszcz
A České dráhy RegioFox unit at PESA’s Bydgoszcz factory. Illustrative image; it does not depict the financing announcement. Photo: rail fox, Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0.

The official financing announcement⁠ states that the first tranche was released on 20 July 2026. This was the first drawdown under the framework agreement signed by EUROFIMA and České dráhy in June 2024.

The package is equivalent to approximately €166 million, based on the Czech National Bank exchange rate valid on 22 July 2026.

Financing covers diesel and battery trains

The financed fleet comprises 84 PESA RegioFox diesel multiple units and 10 Škoda RegioPanter battery-electric multiple units. All 94 trains have two cars and are intended for regional passenger services.

The RegioFox units are designed primarily for non-electrified lines and use the latest generation of diesel engines. České dráhy is deploying the trains across several Czech regions where overhead electrification is unavailable.

The RegioPanter units combine electric and battery operation. They can collect power from both 3 kV DC and 25 kV AC overhead systems before continuing onto non-electrified sections using onboard lithium-titanate oxide batteries.

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Battery trains bridge gaps in electrification

The battery units offer a range of up to 80 kilometres and recharge while operating beneath overhead lines. They are being introduced in the Moravian-Silesian Region, where they can serve partially electrified routes without direct CO₂ emissions during battery operation.

Škoda’s explanation of the operating concept⁠ says the batteries can also recover energy during braking. The dual-mode arrangement allows a train to continue between electrified and non-electrified sections instead of requiring passengers to change vehicles at the boundary.

EUROFIMA CEO Christoph Pasternak said long-term financing enables operators to modernise fleets at a pace aligned with operational requirements and investment cycles. The transaction’s nine-year tenor supports both current diesel requirements and the gradual introduction of lower-emission regional operation.

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