Czech Railways expect offers for a new headquarters at the turn of September and October

Prague – Czech Railways (ČD) expect offers from participants in the competitive dialogue for a new company headquarters at the turn of September and October. ČTK was informed about this by ČD spokesperson Vanda Rajnochová upon inquiry. ČD launched the competition in April 2024. They are currently renting space in the Ministry of Transport building; relocating to their own premises would, according to earlier statements, bring annual savings in the tens of millions of korunas.

The competitive dialogue is among the time-consuming types of procurement procedures, as it allows for ongoing optimization of the procurement assignment; therefore, its longer duration is standard according to the spokesperson. "We are in the final phase of the competitive dialogue, where we expect offers from all participants of the selection procedure. We are preparing a return on investment study, however, we will finalize it only after receiving the offers," Rajnochová stated. In the autumn, the company's authorities are expected to review the results of the tender, which ČD plans to publish afterward.

ČD has rented part of the Ministry of Transport building on the Ludvík Svoboda embankment, which houses the general directorate. The railways utilize about a quarter of the total area of the building from the 1930s. The existing lease agreement was concluded for the period from July 2023 to the end of June 2028, with the possibility of further extension. Due to limited capacity, employees of the ČD group also work in other buildings in Prague.

The new headquarters is to accommodate approximately 1,400 employees, and interested parties can offer either the renovation of a selected building or the construction of a new one in the competitive dialogue. The total gross floor area is expected to be around 18,100 square meters, with more than two-thirds of the area designated for offices. The site is also to include an appropriate number of parking spaces.

When announcing the competitive dialogue in 2024, ČD General Director Michal Krapinec stated that the railways had identified suitable plots for the new headquarters near three main railway hubs in Prague – near the main station, Libeň station, and Holešovice station.

Krapinec identified the disadvantages of the Ministry building as being dark, non-ecological, not located by the railway, and unsuitable for significant construction modifications. The Ministry of Transport building was constructed between 1927 and 1932 for the Czechoslovak Ministry of Railways. It has been listed as a cultural monument since 1975.

Last year, the ČD group had an average of 20,812 employees. ČD reported a profit of 1.837 billion korunas before taxes in 2025, and a profit of 1.262 billion in 2024. Last year, ČD transported 168 million passengers, which is 800,000 fewer than the previous year. ČD is a joint-stock company, with the state as the sole shareholder.