The Czech rail infrastructure manager, ZS, announced that the Braník rail bridge, in Prague, will now operate on two tracks, from the bridge to Praha-Krč, in the south part of the city, to the rebuilt Praha-Kačerov stop. Due to the project, track speed increased up to 100 km/h.
In addition to freight trains, the higher capacity of the line will also be used by diverted passenger trains. The construction started in the summer of 2023.
“The Braník rail bridge has been serving rail traffic in the metropolis since the fall of 1964. It will celebrate the 60th anniversary of its existence and finally with the two tracks for which it was built. Together with the connecting section to Krč, it forms an important part of the Prague railway network,” the Minister of Transport, Martin Kupka, said.
The rail section is mainly used by freight trains, but in the near future its importance will increase significantly in passenger transport as well. Due to the ongoing rebuilding of the Smíchov railway station and the planned reconstruction of the Výton bridge, the reconstructed track will also be used by trains going from Prague to Beroun and on to Pilsen.
“The reconstruction of Braník rail bridge is another important project in the area of the Prague agglomeration, which will enable passengers to use the train more often. Thanks to extensive European investments, we are no longer a transport museum, but a modern part of the pan-European transport network TEN-T,” said Martin Svášek, Press Attaché from the Representation of the European Commission in the Czech Republic.
At the end of October, a load test was carried out on the two-track bridge. “The bearing capacity of the newly built bridge structures was tested by two historical vehicles, namely the motor locomotive Sergej and the steam locomotive Šlechtična. The tests proved that the builders did a good job, and trains can begin to fully use the restored bridge and the section to the new branch at Spořilov,” Jiří Svoboda, the director general of SZ said.
The project included track renewal and the construction of the second track and of the traction system, the drainage and waterproofing system and the reconstruction of the bridge at Výtoň. At the same time, a new Spořilov branch line has been built allowing trains to switch from one track to another. The constructor also constructed a new bridge over Údolní Street, and the Kačerov stop was reconstructed and expanded and technological buildings in Krč and Spořilov were constructed. The Prague-Kačerov stop now consists of a double-sided 230 meters long platform with a roof and a new access footbridge equipped with a lift.
Metrostav TBR, Porr, Elektrizace železnik Praha and GJW Praha are the constructors of the project which had a total investment value of CZK 2.6 billion (EUR 103 million). The project has been co-financed by the European Union through the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). The total amount of eligible project costs was CZK 1.18 billion (EUR 68 million) and EUR 60.9 million is the CEF co-financing representing 85% of the eligible costs. The remaining investment was covered by the Czech Republic through the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure.
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