Zlín, a regional city located in the eastern part of the Czech Republic, currently has only one direct train service to the capital city of Prague per day. The train journey, which involves a 13-minute stop after the first eleven kilometers, is a familiar routine for many commuters. The reason for this interruption? Zlín and Liberec are the only regional cities in the Czech Republic with no electrified railway line. At present, diesel-powered trains operate the route to Zlín.
The journey to Prague by direct train from Zlín is a 3-hour and 40-minute affair. The pause at Otrokovice in the Zlín region, located on the main railway junction between Přerov and Břeclav, is necessary for changing locomotives from diesel to electric. This is expected to change in six years, according to current plans.
The Railway Administration has an increasingly clear vision of the electrification of the railway line between Otrokovice and Zlín. This will speed up the train service, provide more frequent direct connections to Prague, and reduce noise pollution by deploying modern, quieter trains. It will also enhance safety at railway crossings.
The Railway Administration is preparing to rebuild a 25-kilometer section of the track between Otrokovice and Vizovice. After reconstruction, the stretch of track between Otrokovice and Zlín will be newly double-tracked. The speed of the trains will increase to one hundred kilometers per hour.
According to current assumptions, construction work should start at the beginning of 2026 and end in 2030. The project will include a complete reconstruction of the Zlín central station. Passengers will also benefit from the station’s reconstruction and the construction of new barrier-free platforms in Otrokovice, Lípa nad Dřevnicí, and Vizovice. After the reconstruction of the track, the railway will cross roads at three places instead of level crossings. This will be realized by the construction of two road overpasses in Prštné and Zlín-Podvesné and a railway tunnel in Kvítkovice.
Electrified tracks, besides Zlín, lead from regional cities only to Liberec. The Railway Administration also plans to modernize the connection of the Prague–Liberec section. However, this is still in the early stages of preparation, unlike in Zlín, and it is not yet possible to operate with a specific time horizon for implementation.