Velim Test Track

[800001]

I am visiting Prague next month, and on route was thinking about attempting to visit/observe anything which is at or being tested on the Velim Test track.

Is anyone able to advise the nearest railway station to the track , and the best place (accessible by foot from railway station) to observe any activity on the test track?

Thank you in advance for any information anyone is able to supply.

 

[chrisjo]

I have no first-hand knowledge, but in response to your question I had a poke about on Google Maps and Streetview. Cerhenice station is about 1km walk to a road bridge over the main loop from where you can see the sidings and buildings. There are good views of trains and locos in the facility from a number of points on this road before you get to the bridge itself.

If you're feeling adventurous, it looks like you could just walk along a field track around the fence inside the loop to a position directly opposite the sidings, etc. and there's a fairly light-weight fence that you should be able to see through. I emphasise that this is pure speculation, I have no idea whether there are any security implications, but it's the sort of (foolish?) expedition that I'd be likely to try and undertake if I were in the area.

On the map below the blue blobs are the walk from the station to the bridge, the red spots are the field track. The view is from the road over the bridge. It's all going to look very different in February, I'd imagine.

The test track has a spur which meets the public railway line at Velim, the next station along the line away from Prague.

 

[800001]

I have no first-hand knowledge, but in response to your question I had a poke about on Google Maps and Streetview. Cerhenice station is about 1km walk to a road bridge over the main loop from where you can see the sidings and buildings.

If you're feeling adventurous, it looks like you could just walk along a field track around the fence inside the loop to a position directly opposite the sidings, etc. and there's a fairly light-weight fence that you should be able to see through. I emphasise that this is pure speculation, I have no idea whether there are any security implications, but it's the sort of (foolish?) expedition that I'd be likely to try and undertake if I were in the area.

On the map below the blue blobs are the walk from the station to the bridge, the red spots are the field track. The view is from the road over the bridge.

The test track has a spur which meets the public railway line at Velim, the next station along the line away from Prague.
View attachment 173015View attachment 173016

Thank you! Thats really helpful, I hadn’t even thought to look on Google Earth! Certainly looks like get a good view from the road bridge.
As for the track you highlighted alongside me would be interesting to hear if anyone has been there and walked along other.

 

[30907]

Looks as though you might also be able to walk down the road to the left of the main buildings.
Comparing with mapy.cz suggests there is a field track continuing on that side too; fences visible on Street View look to be wire mesh, which is helpful.

 

[D6700]

Whilst I haven't been for some time, I have been there on a number of occasions.

As has already been described, Cerhenice is the station you want, not Velim. That said, next to Velim station is the exchange siding, which sometimes holds stock on transfer to/from the test track. If you fancy doing most of the journey there loco-hauled from Prague, then simply double back at Kolin, which isn't far away.

From Cerhenice station, once you reach the road junction at the top of the village, you can go virtually straight on, which will take you to the test centre's entrance, then walk to the left to see the stabling sidings from the west side. Turning right at the road junction at the top of the village (i.e. following the blue dotted line on the map poted earlier) takes you to the bridge over the outer circuit. Be aware that there is no footpath along this road. It isn't particulaly busy, but is used by lorries, etc. It is possible to observe any movements on the outer circuit from the road bridge.

The route with the red dotted line on the previously posted map is feasible, but may be muddy. You can see lots stabled stock from there. Where the red dotted line turns right at the top of the map, this takes you directly to the inner circuit, where you will be able to see anything testing on there. Trains can be tested on both the inner and outer circuits at the same time.

There are signs around the outer circuit saying no photography, but I've never had any issues.

As my visits were between 2017 and 2020, some of my info may be out of date. This was a fruitful period for UK trains on site - I photographed British 68+Mk5's, 195, 196, 331, 397, 701, 745, 755 and Mk5 sleepers alongside stock from around Europe. I've also been lucky enough to travel around both circuits on a charter train, back in 2014, using a diesel "Grumpy" (751010) and electric 124601 from their home fleet.

I recommend mapy.cz for their lovely maps:

https://en.mapy.cz/zakladni?l=0&x=15.0912539&y=50.0954293&z=14

Here's a link to the Youtube site of a local, who spends a lot of time there:

https://www.youtube.com/c/TomášPelech

and this is his flickr site:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/144778013@N06/

 

[800001]

Whilst I haven't been for some time, I have been there on a number of occasions.

As has already been described, Cerhenice is the station you want, not Velim. That said, next to Velim station is the exchange siding, which sometimes holds stock on transfer to/from the test track. If you fancy doing most of the journey there loco-hauled from Prague, then simply double back at Kolin, which isn't far away.

From Cerhenice station, once you reach the road junction at the top of the village, you can go virtually straight on, which will take you to the test centre's entrance, then walk to the left to see the stabling sidings from the west side. Turning right at the road junction at the top of the village (i.e. following the blue dotted line on the map poted earlier) takes you to the bridge over the outer circuit. Be aware that there is no footpath along this road. It isn't particulaly busy, but is used by lorries, etc. It is possible to observe any movements on the outer circuit from the road bridge.

The route with the red dotted line on the previously posted map is feasible, but may be muddy. You can see lots stabled stock from there. Where the red dotted line turns right at the top of the map, this takes you directly to the inner circuit, where you will be able to see anything testing on there. Trains can be tested on both the inner and outer circuits at the same time.

There are signs around the outer circuit saying no photography, but I've never had any issues.

As my visits were between 2017 and 2020, some of my info may be out of date. This was a fruitful period for UK trains on site - I photographed British 68+Mk5's, 195, 196, 331, 397, 701, 745, 755 and Mk5 sleepers alongside stock from around Europe. I've also been lucky enough to travel around both circuits on a charter train, back in 2014, using a diesel "Grumpy" (751010) and electric 124601 from their home fleet.

I recommend mapy.cz for their lovely maps:

https://en.mapy.cz/zakladni?l=0&x=15.0912539&y=50.0954293&z=14

Here's a link to the Youtube site of a local, who spends a lot of time there:

https://www.youtube.com/c/TomášPelech

and this is his flickr site:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/144778013@N06/

That is very helpful, thank you.

 

[chrisjo]

@800001 how did it go?

 

[800001]

@800001 how did it go?

It went good thanks, walked along to the road over bridge. Was a few loco parked up there.
There was an OBB 6 car Stadler unit, new Belgium Loco to replace the old ones around Brussels, Italian Pendolino, SNCF 11 car unit, some units I couldn’t id and a GBRf 99.
So all in all it was a good visit.
So thanks for all information on how to get there.

 

[D6700]

By coincidence, I visited the test centre yesterday - my first visit in a good while. Essentially, everything was as per my previous comments.

Whilst I was there, no testing took place on the outer circuit, but what looked (from a distance ) to be a Bombardier Traxx loco was going around the inner circuit, light engine.

Trains I saw around the sidings included a Traxx Universal loco, a Polish electric loco, an old Czech Cargo Diesel loco, an OBB Nightjet set with a Vectron loco, a CD Comfortjet, also with a Vectron loco, an SBB Class 502 double decker EMU, a double decker Stadler Kiss OBB Railjet branded EMU (possibly two of them), a couple of SNCF Oxygene EMUs, a pair of Chinese EMUs for Serbia and Alstom Coradia EMUs for both Germany and Norway - the former having double decker outer coaches and single deck coaches in the middle. There was also a PID liveried unit for work around Prague, probably a Skoda RegioPanter.

A unit bound for France was parked alongside the ones for Serbia - I'd imagine those trains will never come into contact again after they leave Velim.

 

[800001]

By coincidence, I visited the test centre yesterday - my first visit in a good while. Essentially, everything was as per my previous comments.

Whilst I was there, no testing took place on the outer circuit, but what looked (from a distance ) to be a Bombardier Traxx loco was going around the inner circuit, light engine.

Trains I saw around the sidings included a Traxx Universal loco, a Polish electric loco, an old Czech Cargo Diesel loco, an OBB Nightjet set with a Vectron loco, a CD Comfortjet, also with a Vectron loco, an SBB Class 502 double decker EMU, a double decker Stadler Kiss OBB Railjet branded EMU (possibly two of them), a couple of SNCF Oxygene EMUs, a pair of Chinese EMUs for Serbia and Alstom Coradia EMUs for both Germany and Norway - the former having double decker outer coaches and single deck coaches in the middle. There was also a PID liveried unit for work around Prague, probably a Skoda RegioPanter.

A unit bound for France was parked alongside the ones for Serbia - I'd imagine those trains will never come into contact again after they leave Velim.

Can I ask did you walk around the outside of the facility?
I went alongside the fence down the field to the right of the test track (as you go down the steps of the road bridge). But didn’t know if was allowed so only walked a short distance up.

 

[D6700]

Can I ask did you walk around the outside of the facility?
I went alongside the fence down the field to the right of the test track (as you go down the steps of the road bridge). But didn’t know if was allowed so only walked a short distance up.

Initially, I went to the road bridge, then along the field behind the test centre. I went a fair way down, but not right to the end of where trains were stabled. With just a light engine on the inner circuit, I didn't bother walking up to there. I returned over the road bridge, then went to the front of the complex and walked right to the end of where trains were stabled - there is a pathway all the way along, outside the perimeter fence. The pathways are brown dashed lines on the mapy.cz link in my previous post.