Správa železnic Has Made Significant Progress in HSR Preparation in Past Year

The biggest milestone in the preparation of high-speed lines in 2021 is the start of design work. During the past year, designers have been working on documentation for zoning decisions for three sections of the new railways. These are the Krušnohorský tunel (Ore Mountains Tunnel), which will ensure the connection of the Czech high-speed infrastructure to the Western European one, the VRT Jižní Morava (HSR South Moravia) between Modřice and Šakvice and the VRT Polabí (HSR Elbe Flatlands) between Prague and Poříčany. Along with the documentation, the contractors are also preparing documents for the EIA process. The European Commission's proposal to include most of the new lines in the trans-European TEN-T Core Network is also a significant development in the preparations.

The layout of the first high-speed railway terminal has also taken its final shape in the last year. The Praha východ (Prague East) transfer hub will offer a fast railway connection for regular commuting to the centre of the capital and at the same time a convenient connection with Brno, Ostrava, Dresden and other cities in the Czech Republic and abroad. The architectural study was finally completed at the end of this year. Správa železnic also announced another competition for the architectural and urban design of the HSR terminal near Roudnice nad Labem. The results should be known at the beginning of 2022.

Správa železnic has called for several key public tenders in preparation for HSR. These concerned the preparation of documentation for the zoning decisions and the EIA process for the VRT Střední Čechy (HSR Central Bohemia) on the branch Prague – Brno – Břeclav and VRT Podřipsko (HSR Říp Flatlands) on the planned line from the capital to Ústí nad Labem and Dresden. A public tender for the documentation for zoning decision for VRT Vysočina fáze I (HSR Highlands Phase I) will be called as well. For example, a public tender for a nature survey and biological assessment and a migration study for the section Ústí nad Labem – CZ/DE state border has also been announced. Another important step was the conclusion of a new cooperation agreement between Správa železnic and SNCF Réseau for the next 8 years. Representatives of the French national state-owned railway company will consult with Czech experts on the next stages of the HSR preparation.

The HSR preparation team presented the current status of the project at more than 100 meetings with municipalities, associations, authorities or interest groups. Správa železnic has also already incorporated some of the municipalities' requests into the documentation. The website, where interested parties can view feasibility studies, maps and other materials, has also been modified. A Facebook group with up-to-date information on the planned lines has been launched. Next year, Správa železnic intends design work on eight sections of the future high-speed line network. Documentation should be prepared for about 300 km of new railway lines. The expert teams will also focus on the downstream processes for the preparation of high-speed lines and the preparation of the first public contracts of a ‘Design & Build’ type. Správa železnic will continue to enhance communication of the project with the public, the economic sector and interest groups.

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