There are now so few passengers on trains between Prague and Ostrava that it’s possible that the state could have to step in to guarantee the service continues. Two commercial carriers along with Czech Railways operate service between the two cities, which before the pandemic was the busiest rail corridor in the country. The inspiration for this solution, in which the state would pay commercial carriers would run their trains along the route, comes from Austria, which is supporting service between Vienna and Salzburg. Transport Minister Karel Havliček said that the idea was worth discussing. “We’re not against any solution that would help the situation,” he said. “If they approach us with it, then let’s discuss it. I’m not against any kind of sensible solution,” he told Czech Radio. In Austria, there are just two carriers, one of which is private. The government will pay them €48.3m to carry passengers between the two cities for a period of three months.
