The Central Commission of the Czech Ministry of Transport has approved the feasibility study of the Prague – Dresden high-speed railway line. Based on this concept document, the preparation of this branch of the future rapid service network will take place now.
According to the feasibility study, the first section from Prague to Litoměřice will be used only for passenger transport services with a maximum speed of up to 320 km/h. The section across the České středohoří (Central Bohemian Uplands) and further to Germany will also be used by freight trains, thanks to which traffic in the narrow Labe (Elbe) Valley will be relieved. In the tunnel under the Central Bohemian Uplands, the passenger trains will run at speeds of up to 250 km/h and in the Krušnohorský (Ore Mountains) tunnel the train will run at a speed of 200 km/h. In addition to the passenger trains, it also counts the operation of up to 150 freight trains per day.
The new railway connection will significantly reduce travel times not only in international transport. The international express services will take 25 minutes from Prague in the centre of Ústí nad Labem and from Ústí nad Labem to Dresden, 26 minutes. Thanks to the high-speed line, the national express trains will stop on their way from Prague at the new terminal on the outskirts of Roudnice nad Labem in just 19 minutes and will arrive in Lovosice or Litoměřice in 32 minutes.
The construction of the terminals on the outskirts of Roudnice nad Labem and in the centre of Ústí nad Labem is important. The architectural and urban design competitions will be announced for their design which also includes the surrounding areas. Other important elements of the project will be the (Central Bohemian Uplands tunnel with a length of about 18 km and the Krušnohorský (Ore Mountains) tunnel with a length of at least 26 km, of which 11.7 km will be constructed on the Czech territory. Its preparation is being proceeded in cooperation with the DB Netz. As part of this cooperation, a project management contractor has already been chosen, and suppliers’ offers for processing documentation for zoning decision are currently being evaluated.
In March 2020, the Transport Ministries and the railway companies of Germany and the Czech Republic signed the agreement for the construction of the new rail line between the two cities.
The new railway line Prague – Dresden is part of the TEN-T network and will connect the Czech Republic to Western European high-speed rail network.
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