Trains Return to the Renovated Negrelli Viaduct

"Thanks to the fact that the reconstruction of the viaduct took place with maximum use of the original materials and technologies, it was possible to preserve its monumental value. At the same time, though, the line underwent significant modernisation, and can thus become part of the Kladno expressway with a branching-off point to Prague Airport," said Minister Havlíček.

"The reconstruction of the historic bridge from the middle of the 19th century is ranked among one of the unique construction projects of Správa železnic. It was the first such major repair in its 170-year long history. In this case, it can be said without exaggeration that no stone left on the stone. However, the result is worthwhile, which will be appreciated not only by residents and visitors of Prague, but especially by passengers on trains,” said Jiří Svoboda, Director General of Správa železnic.

"I am glad that we were able to participate on such an exceptional transport project. The reconstruction of the Negrelli viaduct was not only a great challenge for our company, but also an appreciation of our experiences. This construction combines the reconstruction of a protected historical monument and a functional engineering work, which has to meet also all contemporary requirements of railway operation," said Tomáš Koranda, Chairman of the Board of Directors of HOCHTIEF CZ.

Construction of the 1,150 meter long Empire-style stone viaduct, later named after its creator, began in the spring of 1846. According to contemporary sources, the train operation began on June 1, 1850. Until the beginning of the 20th century, it was the longest railway bridge in Europe. Already in the 1870s, its main branch from Bubny to today's Masaryk railway station was complemented by a 351 meter long connecting viaduct enabling a direct connection between Bubny and Libeň.

Reconstruction works on the viaduct began in April 2017. A total of 100 brick, sandstone or granite vaults were reconstructed, eight of which cross the Vltava River. A total of 19 vaults had to be completely disassembled and reassembled. Seven of them turned out to be in a worse condition than originally expected. Unfortunately, this only became apparent after the demolition of the railway superstructure and the track ballast. It was this fact that was primarily behind the postponement of the completion date of the construction and also the increase in total investment costs.

The railway substructure and the superstructure have been modernised, which, in addition to increasing the line speed from 40 to 60 km/h, will also result in a quieter and smoother train running. Residents of the surrounding houses will appreciate the use of anti-vibration mats or more modern switches, which will contribute to reducing the noise level in the direct vicinity of the viaduct. Newer bridge structures from the last century in Prvního pluku and Křižíkova streets were also replaced.

Replacing the existing signalling and telecommunication equipment with modern electronic systems meant not only an increase in safety, but also the throughput of the double-track line, which can accommodate up to 14 pairs of trains per hour now. Electric operation is provided by modern traction lines. In addition, the bridge is an integral part of flood protection in Karlín and Holešovice. In the bridge pillars on both banks of the Vltava, there is a built-in structure into which mobile barriers can be installed in case of imminent danger.

The first regular connection - the passenger train 9840 Prague main station – Kladno, which will take passengers on the renewed viaduct, is scheduled on Monday 1 June. It departs from the Prague main station at 0.20 am, after a setting back at the Praha-Libeň station, it returns to the centre and passes through the Karlín connecting viaduct to the Negrelli viaduct. The first trains from Masaryk railway station will depart at 4.42 a in the direction of Kralupy nad Vltavou, resp. at 5.16 am in the direction of Kladno.

The total investment costs of the construction entitled “Reconstruction of the Negrelli Viaduct” amount to CZK 1,964,234,419 without VAT. The project is co-financed by the European Union with the EU funding instrument - the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). The total amount of eligible project costs is CZK 1,281,686,309. The level of EU support is 77.26% of eligible costs, the EU aid amount goes to a maximum of EUR 36,646,713, i.e. approximately CZK 990,230,831. National funding is provided by Státní fond dopravní infrastruktury.

The contractor of the construction is the company “Negrelli Viaduct”, which consists of HOCHTIEF CZ (company administrator), Strabag Rail and Avers. The completion date is November this year.

Note: Only the author is responsible for this publication. The European Union is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

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