Lenka Hamplova is the first woman to take over the leadership of the Czech State Railways

Prague. After criticism, among other things, of the lack of toilet paper in the train toilets, there is a change in management at the Czech State Railways. The studied engineer Lenka Hamplova takes the helm at Ceske drahy (CD) - as the first woman to hold the position. As CEO, she succeeds Michal Krapinec, who announced his resignation for personal reasons.

Criticism from the highest level

Parliament President Tomio Okamura had previously attacked the previous railway boss harshly. The ultra-right politician said on CT public television that he had received many letters of complaint from citizens about the lack of toilet paper on the trains. The situation is a “complete disgrace”. A railway spokesman replied that the company provides around three million rolls every year.

However, it was not the outgoing railway boss's only problem. As the news portal “Seznam Zpravy” recently reported, the lawyer Krapinec lost his right to view files with the confidentiality level. The prerequisite for permission is an extensive background check by the National Security Office (NBU). Details about the reasons were not known.

Dense railway network

The new boss Hamplova announced that she wanted to make the railway a “healthy, modern and self-confident company”. The Czech Republic has one of the densest railway networks in Europe. It has a total length of around 9,344 kilometers. In addition to the state railway, more and more private providers are now getting involved, including companies such as Arriva and Regiojet.