Come mid-December, Czech rail passengers will face a price hike, albeit a smaller one compared to recent years. The Ministry of Finance has approved a nearly 5% increase in the unified railway fare system, OneTicket, which will be reflected in the basic fares of Czech Railways (České dráhy).
Radka Nastoupilová, spokesperson for Cendis, the state enterprise operating the unified tariff system, confirmed that the price adjustment will take effect on December 15th. The increase is based on indicators set by the Czech Statistical Office, resulting in a 4.9% rise compared to current prices.
This increase follows a trend of annual price adjustments. Last year saw a 9.5% increase, while in 2022, high inflation pushed ticket prices up by a substantial 15%. Czech Railways has consistently mirrored these tariff increases in their basic fares.
The impact on passengers will vary depending on the journey length. The cheapest possible ticket will increase by just one crown to 19 crowns, while a 100-kilometer journey will see a ten-crown increase, bringing the price to 216 crowns.
However, not all operators are following suit. RegioJet, a private carrier known for its yellow trains, has promised to maintain current prices. “We won’t be increasing train ticket prices because energy costs and other input costs are not rising,” RegioJet spokesperson Alexandra Janoušek Kostřicová told Novinky.
For budget-conscious travelers, it’s worth noting that, similar to air travel, cheaper fares can often be secured by booking well in advance or opting for less busy routes.