On 23 September 2017, the Czech National Railway Day was held at Bohumín railway hub in North Moravia. It is the biggest event for fans of railway transport in the Czech Republic.
There was a parade of historic steam locomotives prepared for visitors, for example, an exhibition of locomotive for local lines 423.009, tender locomotives 464.008, 464.202 or large freight locomotive 556.0506. The Austrian (310.23) and the Polish (Pt45-67) locomotives came from abroad.
The motor locomotives were represented, for example, by T 435.040 (the predecessor of V 75 DR), T 478.1002, “Bardotka” prototype T 499.0002, or motor coaches M 120.417 and M 260.001 from the 1930s and motor coaches from the 1950s and 1960s (131.101, M 262.018 and M 240.0100). Concerning the electric locomotives, there were locomotives such as E 499.004 or E 669.001. The modern railway was represented, for example, by Pendolino 680 and InterPanter units or the Vectron locomotive of the company ČD Cargo.
The programme also included special trains ride on non-public lines leading through the black coal district of Ostrava-Karvina or special freight “Photo Train” with steam locomotives and locomotive T 679.1529. The highlight of the whole programme was a night light show at the railway turntable.
Railway Day 2017 was also connected with the 170th anniversary of the Emperor Ferdinand’s Northern Railroad from Vienna to Krakow, reaching Bohumín in 1847.
The first Pendolino train with a new interior in operation
On Saturday, 23 September 2017, the first Pendolino (Unit 680.005) with a modernised interior was introduced on Railway Day and was put into regular operation on September 25. The unit received new floor coverings, luggage racks, seats, LED lights, an information system with LCD monitors and a children’s cinema for the youngest passengers. Concerning the regular operation, it has been first deployed on the line SC 240/241 Pendolino from Prague to Košice (SK) and back.
Modernisation of all 7 units of the 680 series in autumn 2017 and during 2018 includes, for example, 2 289 new seats and 196 LCD monitors in 49 carriages. Pendolino trains have been in operation for ČD for 12 years, during which more than 12 million passengers have been transported and have travelled over 26 million kilometres.
(Source: ČD)
