Following the feasibility study drawn up by SZDC, the Czech railway infrastructure manager, the Ministry of Transport opted for the railway connection between the centre of the capital city Prague and the Vaclav Havel International Airport.
The study assessed the proposed solutions regarding the capacity of the infrastructure, the acceptability of the environment and economic efficiency, all of them prerequisites for getting European financing. The line would create a connection between the central railway station, the Vaclav Havel International Airport and the city of Kladno situated to the north-west of Prague. “The option we chose allows for connection to the airport from the Masarykovo nadrazi railway station, via Dejvice and Veleslavin railway stations, and tracks branching off from the station at Prague-Ruzyne. Now we can start to fully prepare the project for all route segments,” Transport Minister Dan Ťok said.
The projects consist in the modernisation and electrification of the existing line between the Prague Bubny railway station and Kladno and the building of two line segments. These line segments will be built in the Ruzyne station going in two directions – one to the airport and the other one to Klando. The option chosen by the Ministry implies the doubling of the line between the Masarykovo nadrazi railway station and the airport, allowing for the development of a stable train timetable. The building costs estimates amount to 19.46 billion korunas (over 720 million euro) plus VAT.
“The first part of the construction could start in about three years. The aim is to launch the largest part during the EU funding program period of 2014–20,” Ťok said.
The link between the Praha Bubny station and the airport will follow the existing Praha – Kladno rail which is now a simple one, over 18 km long. The rail will be doubled and electrified then used exclusively for passenger traffic. The Ruzyne – Kladno section will use the existing Praha – Kladno line which is 19.7 km long and has 6.6 km of transfer line; the works include the doubling and electrification of the line, the modernisation of the signalling, communication and control systems and the building of station platforms.
According to the estimates, at rush hour there will be 6 pairs of trains per hour and travel time from the centre of the city is estimated at 27 minutes.
The modernisation and optimisation of the traffic flow are important criteria which will stimulate the urban development of the areas of Bubny, Dejvice, Veleslavín, Ruzyně, Dlouhá and increase the long haul railway traffic by connecting the airport to the central railway station. Moreover, the project will set up new railway stations in the 6th and 7th district, optimising accessibility and also new connections to the metro, tramway and bus network. The involved parties are still discussing planning, as the route between the two stations of Dejvice and Veleslavín is connected to the metro system.
Other considered options were the building of a metro or tram line, but although the metro line would have been faster, it would not have had the capacity to cope with the estimated traffic flows and it would have been much more expensive, too.
by Pamela Luică
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