The Velim test centre (Czech: Zkušební centrum Velim) is a railway rolling stock testing facility at Cerhenice, close to the town of Kolín in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. Perhaps its most notable feature is the Cerhenice railway test circuit, which consists of two large standard gauge railway track ovals, designed to allow the continuous running of rail vehicles for evaluation and testing.
The Velim test centre was constructed during the 1960s and was largely used for domestic purposes early on. During the 1990s, it became increasing popular with international customers, which drove demands to recondition the centre's facilities to fulfill the latest standards of the rail industry. Between 2005 and 2014, an extensive modernisation programme was undertaken at Velim; this involved most aspects of its operations, including power supplies, signalling, overhead electrification, preparation halls, and track. The Velim test centre is presently owned by the Railway Research Institute (VUZ, Výzkumný ústav železniční), a wholly owned subsidiary of the national railway operator, České dráhy. It has become one of the main testing locations for new types of rolling stock designed for use in Europe, and has been a fully accredited European test centre since March 1995.
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