Škoda Group Confirms ETCS for 34 RegioJet Trains in Czechia

PLZEŇ, CZECH REPUBLIC – Škoda Group confirmed on 28 June 2026 that it will equip 34 new BEDMU hybrid multiple units with its proprietary European Train Control System, developed by Belgian subsidiary The Signalling Company, marking the first application of this digital signalling platform on new-build rolling stock manufactured by the group. The €360 million contract with private operator RegioJet covers 18 two-car and 16 three-car sets destined for five interregional routes in northeastern Bohemia. The iEVC-RailOS platform received full ETCS certification in 2025 and won the RailTech Europe Innovation Award in March 2026.

What Are the Technical Specifications?

The iEVC-RailOS platform is a fully software-defined signalling architecture combining compact modular on-board hardware with decoupled software applications running on a common secure computing platform. The system architecture separates signalling functions from non-signalling applications, enabling over-the-air updates and adaptation to evolving ETCS baseline requirements without hardware replacement. The specific ETCS baseline version installed on the RegioJet fleet was not disclosed by either Škoda Group or The Signalling Company. The platform achieved full certification in 2025 and was validated through a prior modernization deployment with Belgian freight operator Lineas. The BEDMU trains themselves feature a diesel-electric hybrid powertrain with a provision for future conversion to battery-only or fully electric operation, paired with the ETCS on-board unit using the iEVC-RailOS digital platform’s modular interface architecture.

Key Technical Data

Where Does This Technology Stand in the Market?

The iEVC-RailOS platform enters a European ETCS on-board market dominated by Siemens Mobility’s Trainguard solution, deployed on over 20,000 route kilometres across 34 countries, and Alstom’s Atlas ETCS, which equips rolling stock spanning high-speed, regional, and freight applications including the TGV M and Coradia fleets. The Signalling Company’s differentiator lies in its software-defined architecture decoupled from proprietary hardware stacks, a design philosophy that echoes the modular approach Thales has pursued with its SelTrac G7 platform but applied to mainline ETCS rather than urban CBTC. By comparison, India’s domestically developed Kavach train collision avoidance system, which Indian Railways plans to expand across additional route kilometres in 2024–2025, remains a non-ETCS ATP solution designed for specific national operating conditions rather than cross-border interoperability. The Czech railway signalling market itself is projected to expand through 2025 and beyond, with growth driven by infrastructure modernization programmes and adoption of 5G-enabled communication equipment alongside private network investments supporting advanced signalling deployments. (Source: European Union Agency for Railways, 2025; IndexBox Communication Equipment Manufacturing Forecast, 2025)

Editor’s Analysis

Škoda Group’s decision to install its own ETCS on new-build trains signals a vertical integration strategy that departs from the industry norm of purchasing signalling systems from established third-party suppliers such as Siemens or Alstom. For RegioJet, the second-largest Czech rail operator, this arrangement may reduce lifecycle signalling costs and simplify regulatory compliance ahead of the EU’s mandated ETCS rollout deadlines on core corridors. The open-platform architecture of iEVC-RailOS positions TSC to compete for fleet-wide modernization contracts across Central and Eastern Europe, where cost sensitivity among private operators has historically slowed ETCS adoption. The estimated annual CO₂ reduction of 19,000 metric tons from the hybrid fleet further aligns the project with the European Commission’s 2024 Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy targets for non-electrified regional lines.

FAQ

Q: What is the iEVC-RailOS platform and who developed it?
A: The iEVC-RailOS is a software-defined ETCS on-board platform developed by The Signalling Company, a Belgian subsidiary acquired by Škoda Group in 2023. It uses compact modular hardware paired with decoupled software applications, allowing updates to new ETCS baselines without replacing physical equipment.

Q: When will the RegioJet trains with this ETCS system enter service?
A: The 34 BEDMU hybrid trains are scheduled to enter revenue service in December 2029 on five routes in northeastern Bohemia, including connections between Pardubice, Liberec, Ústí nad Labem, Prague, Tanvald, Kolín, and Rumburk.

Q: Has this ETCS system been used on other trains before this order?
A: Yes. The Signalling Company’s ETCS technology was previously deployed in a modernization project with Belgian freight operator Lineas, but the RegioJet contract marks its first installation on newly manufactured trains directly from Škoda Group’s production line.