Trains to Slovakia Will Run Faster Thanks to Line Reconstruction at Valašské Meziříčí

”When all works are finished, trains running through Moravian Wallachia to Slovakia will be able to accelerate from the current 80 kph up to 160 kph. A considerable change will occur especially at Lhotka nad Bečvou Station including the passenger building“, said Mr. Miroslav Bocák, Director of SŽDC Civil Engineering Administration East.

The project’s objective is a reconstruction of the railway substructure in its whole including dewatering and artificial constructions; a new railway superstructure, the catenary and signalling equipment will be built not only on the railway line but also at Lhotka nad Bečvou Station. All railway bridges and culverts will be reconstructed as well; a part of the culverts will be shut off. The construction includes also preparation for signalling equipment remote control from the central traffic control workplace in Přerov.

A new centre platform with a height of 550 m above the adjoining rails with barrier-free access through a new underpass will be built at Lhotka nad Bečvou Station. Access ramps and the stairs including a part of the platform will be provided with roofing. The majority of the passenger building will be reconstructed and equipped with modern technology allowing control of the new signalling equipment. The unnecessary part of the passenger building will be demolished.

A testing railway superstructure section with a new type of concrete sleepers will be established in the section Hustopeče nad Bečvou – Lhotka nad Bečvou. Works include a complete reconstruction of the road overpass in km 17.302 at Hustopeče nad Bečvou in the Valcha locality on the road III/03561. The road on the bridge construction will have a clear width of 6 metres so that it will be two-lane instead of the current one-lane road.

In km 19.400 in the Střítežík locality, a new railway bridge will be built to allow a grade-separated junction of the future cycle track with the railway line by means of an underpass. A new footpath separated from the carriageway by concrete crash barriers will be built at Lhotka nad Bečvou on the embankment of the road III/03562 at the continuation behind the railway line overpass. This will improve pedestrians’ movement safety between the station and the bus stop.

”We apologize in advance for certain restrictions and impacts on the local environment in the construction’s vicinity which cannot be completely eliminated all adopted measures notwithstanding. This will include mostly higher traffic of trucks. Dustiness of roads will be mitigated by regular sprinkling. During night hours, works will be halted in inhabited areas“, said Mr. Petr Ondrášek, Local Director of Railway Constructions Moravia of the STRABAG Rail company which administrates the construction for its supplier – Společnost Hustopeče. 

The construction will be implemented in several stages in connection to track closures negotiated in advance. Railway operation and transport servicing will be restricted only minimally. Mostly, one of the line tracks will be closed for a long term in one section between stations only. Nevertheless, due to closures and slow rides for safety reasons, trains may be delayed on the neighbouring operated track. Substitute bus transport will be introduced only in case of unique short closures of both line tracks which are required for the implementation of certain constructions (e.g. placing a new bearing construction of the overpass).

The supplier of the construction designated as Increasing line speed in the section Valašské Meziříčí – Hustopeče nad Bečvou is the company Společnost Hustopeče, managed by STRABAG Rail with Elektrizace železnic Praha as associate. The completion of construction works is planned for December next year.

The project will be co-financed by the EU under the Connecting Europe Facility Programme (CEF). Total costs for the construction’s implementation equal a sum of CZK 1,541,676,000 (VAT excluded). The EU support rate from CEF programme je is 84.08% from eligible costs, the maximum subsidy amount can reach up to EUR 46,304,912, i.e. approximately CZK 1.19 billion. National financing will be provided by the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure.

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