Czech Army to Buy 20 Wagons for Transporting Leopard Tanks for CZK 121 Million

By the end of the year, the Czech army will receive two dozen new Samms railway wagons designed to transport heavy military equipment — primarily Leopard tanks. The agreement was signed last week between Armádní Servisní, an organisation under the Ministry of Defence, and the Slovak company Tatravagónka, according to the register of contracts.

Leopard tanks are heavier than the older Soviet-made T-72s that the Czech army has used until now. The military currently has 42 Leopard 2A4 tanks in service, and by the end of the decade it is set to receive another 44 new Leopard 2A8s. Unlike the T-72s, Leopards can travel under their own power on roads, but according to the military, this is only worthwhile over short distances — moving equipment across the country relies on rail transport.

Sole Bidder Raises the Price

The Ministry of Defence will pay more than CZK 121 million excluding VAT for the 20 special wagons. According to the tender documentation, Armádní Servisní had originally expected to spend around CZK 107 million, but only one company submitted a bid. Tatravagónka, based in Poprad, Slovakia, specialises in manufacturing freight railway wagons and has already supplied similar equipment to the Slovak army.

According to General Staff spokeswoman Zdeňka Sobárňová Košvancová, the purchase will allow the Czech army to respond quickly to crisis situations and meet NATO's transport readiness requirements. Should the security situation deteriorate, Czechia — located at the heart of Europe — is expected to serve as a logistical hub for moving allied troops, not only by road but also by rail and air.

Two Failed Attempts Before This

The army has been trying to secure its own tank-transport wagons for a long time. Until now, it has only leased such equipment through ČD Cargo, a subsidiary of Czech Railways. But according to the General Staff representative, this arrangement could have become a problem exactly when the wagons were needed most: ČD Cargo itself doesn't own Samms wagons but merely leases them from other operators, and there are few such platforms available on the European market.

Negotiations between the Ministry of Defence and ČD Cargo over purchasing platform wagons had been going on since 2022, when the company planned to buy 60 wagons for roughly CZK 400 million. However, ČD Cargo demanded an exclusive long-term contract of 7–10 years as the ministry's sole service provider, and the army is barred from entering into such exclusive agreements. Last spring, ČD Cargo went ahead and launched a tender to buy up to 30 Samms wagons, but cancelled it in November 2025.

"This purchase essentially fell through because the Czech army couldn't sign a multi-year contract with us that would guarantee long-term use of the wagons. Without such a guarantee, buying the wagons made no economic sense," explained Michal Roch, head of sales at ČD Cargo.

In the end, the military decided to go through Armádní Servisní, the Ministry of Defence's subordinate organisation — the same approach previously used to purchase railway tank cars.

Read also: Rental Agreement in Czechia 2026: nájem vs podnájem, kauce

Around Prague, based on reporting by seznamzpravy.cz