Škoda Group, a leading Czech transportation engineering company, has announced that it is fully prepared to build high-speed trains in partnership with Hyundai Rotem, a South Korean rail systems manufacturer under Hyundai Motor Group.
The two companies plan to jointly bid on a $4.7 billion high-speed rail project set to begin later this year.
On June 29, Škoda Group CEO Petr Novotny said, “The best way to enter the high-speed rail market is to partner with a company that already has the necessary technology.”
He added, “Hyundai Rotem is ready to deliver high-speed trains capable of reaching up to 143 .”
The partnership builds on a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed in September of last year, during former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s visit to Prague.
The agreement outlines joint efforts in high-speed rail and electric locomotive development, positioning the two companies to compete in upcoming Czech rail tenders.
The Czech high-speed rail project is the country’s largest infrastructure initiative, with a total investment of $4.7 billion and a planned network spanning 476 miles.
It aims to connect key Czech cities—such as Prague, Brno, and Ostrava—with major European hubs, including Munich in Germany and Warsaw in Poland.
The first phase, known as the Moravian high-speed line, will link Brno and Ostrava. The Czech government is expected to release formal bidding guidelines later this year, with tenders projected to begin in the second half of 2025.
Authorities are currently undergoing environmental impact assessments and permitting processes. A feasibility report published in June 2023 projected that construction could start between 2027 and 2028, with operations launching by 2033.
