Construction Preparation of a High-speed Line Prague – Dresden Continues

19.12.2017

Správa železniční dopravní cesty (SŽDC) continues preparing the construction of a high-speed connection from Prague to Dresden. That is why it organised two important meetings a few days ago having as main topic partial tasks within this strategically important project.

Experts from both sides of the Czech-German border met at a workshop held on 13 December 2017 as a part of the project “Cross-border cooperation for developing railway transport Saxony – Czech Republic” which is being implemented within the Programme for developing cross-border cooperation between the Czech Republic and the Free State of Saxony 2014–2020, co-financed by the European Union. The project’s leader is Správa železniční dopravní cesty. The project has as objective to intensify and deepen cooperation of institutions for supporting and developing cross-border railway transport between countries situated on both sides of Krušné hory (Ore Mountains), especially in relation to the planned high-speed line from Dresden through Ústí nad Labem to Prague in preparation.

As Mr. Henrik Saske from the Saxon Ministry of Transport said in the beginning, the newest development on the German side can be perceived as positive as the Federal Ministry of Transport classified the project in the Necessity Plan of Federal Railway Lines into the urgent necessity category. Geologists from both sides of the border informed all participants of the meeting about partial results of the territory geological survey and about a 3D model in preparation which will be one of the most important outputs for selecting the most suitable route of a cross-border tunnel. Besides that, elaborating the necessary transport and socio-economic analysis will be also an important part of the current project.

The construction of a high-speed line from Prague to Dresden will bring not only a competitive connection of the two cities but will also connect the Czech Republic to the German high-speed network. The route between the Czech and Saxon capital will be shortened by 56 kilometres; in the year 2035, a journey by high speed trains will take less than one hour.

Tunnel under Krušné hory as the main meeting topic

Intensifying common preparations of a new railway connection Prague – Dresden was the topic of a meeting which took place a day later with the participation of the Saxon Ministry of Transport, the German railway infrastructure manager DB Netz AG, the Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic and SŽDC. This was the first of periodical working meetings held in cooperation with the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation. SŽDC informed about the envisaged schedule of the project start and the current state of feasibility study elaboration for assessing this intent on the Czech side.

The main topic of the meeting was the preparation of a cross-border railway tunnel under Krušné hory with an estimated length of approx. 26 km. Both legislation and technical issues were discussed as they will have to be dealt with on various levels. The DB Netz project team will serve as an executive platform which will pursue the intent preparation on the German side next year intensely; SŽDC representatives will be invited to this platform as well.

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