ŽZO 50th Anniversary

The large test track circuit (Železniční zkušební okruh, ŽZO) near the villages of Cerhenice and Velim, around 50 km east of Praha, was inaugurated in June 1963. On 20 May 2013 VUZ (Výzkumný Ústav Železniční - Rail Research Institute), which runs the testing complex, invited more than 200 guests to celebrate its 50th anniversary, which was marked by the presence of some interesting items of rolling stock. These included ČD’s Pendolino 680.003 and ÖBB’s railjet rake 80-90.716, the latter powered by 1216 229 (both locomotive and stock having participated in the presentation tour from Wien to Praha and Ostrava in April 2013). This train travelled from Austria via Havlíčkův Brod, and the accompanying photos show it first arriving at Kolín, then at nearby Velim station, and finally on the large test circuit. Both the 680 and the railjet were used to take guests on trips round the large test circuit. There were several other static „exhibits“ to be seen, including Class 146.5 and 187 TRAXXes. The final photo in the sequence shows the railjet on its return run to Austria, passing through Kolín.