Správa železnic Awards €9M Brno Terminal Design Contract

BRNO, CZECH REPUBLIC – Správa železnic (SŽ), the Czech railway infrastructure manager, selected Sagasta to design the new Brno-Černovice terminal following a tender in which four bidders participated. The contract, valued at CZK 222.225 million (EUR 9 million), represents 80% of the maximum estimated value under the procurement procedure. No construction start date or terminal opening date was disclosed by SŽ.

What Does This Contract Cover?

Sagasta will prepare all documentation required to obtain permits for the Brno-Černovice terminal and associated infrastructure reconfiguration. The scope includes organizing the tender for construction work, coordinating the project with relevant authorities, managing expropriations and property rights issues, and providing technical assistance throughout the construction phase. The terminal itself will be built on a viaduct over Olomoucká Street, featuring four platforms with barrier-free access, elevators, and modern passenger facilities. Urban public transit stops will be located beneath the terminal, and space is reserved for a future tram line. The wider infrastructure work includes a seven-track section between the new Brno main station and Černovice, branching into two four-track sections toward Židenice and Slatina, plus a new rail connection to Chrlice.

Key Contract Data

How Does This Compare to Similar Contracts?

At EUR 9 million, this design-only contract sits at the lower end of Central European rail project procurement values, reflecting its pre-construction scope. By comparison, Poland’s Budimex secured a EUR 34 million contract in 2023 to prepare for drilling a 4km high-speed rail tunnel in Łódź—a contract nearly four times larger that covers preparatory construction work rather than design alone (Source: Global Construction Review, 2023). The wider Polish high-speed rail program has attracted bids from 19 firms for a single 14.3km section linking Warsaw and Łódź, indicating significantly higher contractor interest than the four bidders who pursued the Brno-Černovice design tender. The Polish line is scheduled to open in 2032, with extensions to Poznań and Wrocław by 2036 (Source: Global Construction Review, 2026). While the Czech and Polish projects differ in phase and scale, the Brno contract aligns with a broader Central European pattern of incremental, multi-year rail hub modernization programs rather than single-phase mega-projects.

Editor’s Analysis

This contract signals that SŽ is advancing the Brno hub modernization from planning into tangible procurement phases, even as the wider Czech high-speed rail network remains in earlier stages of development compared to Poland’s actively tendered “Y” line. The decision to award at 80% of the maximum estimated value suggests competitive bidding but not aggressive price undercutting, which can indicate a market where qualified rail design firms remain relatively scarce. The reserved space for a future tram line beneath the terminal reflects a design philosophy prioritizing intermodal integration that has become standard in EU-co-financed urban rail projects since the 2021–2027 Multiannual Financial Framework came into effect (Source: European Commission, 2021).

FAQ

Q: Which companies bid against Sagasta for this contract?
A: SŽ has not publicly named the other three bidders. Only Sagasta was confirmed as the selected contractor following the four-bidder tender.

Q: When will the Brno-Černovice terminal open to passengers?
A: No opening date has been announced. The current contract covers design and permitting only; a separate construction tender will follow after Sagasta completes its scope of work.

Q: How will the new terminal improve connections in Brno?
A: The terminal will place urban public transit stops directly beneath the platforms, enabling same-structure transfers between regional trains and city buses or trams. A future tram line will also be accommodated, connecting the terminal to Brno’s wider transit network.