CEDOP and Egis Rail completed its first stage of Prague – Dresden feasibility study that will be completed in June. “A complex evaluation of the first stage unequivocally recommended a change of the RS4 route between Prague and Dresden so that the city of Ústí nad Labem may be served on this line because a new central passenger station for trains from all directions will be built there,” Jiří Svoboda, Director General of SŽDC, said.
According to outputs, operating the line in mixed transport together with transport of goods shows as very advantageous in less used line sections for purposes of the new line and its implementation’s benefits optimal use.
The project includes a 26-km cross-border tunnel under Krušné hory (Ore Mountains) which will also serve freight transport. Thanks to long-term activities of geological services which are a part of the Czech-Saxon project, current pieces of knowledge from engineering geological studies were used for the evaluation as well. These also recommend passing through České středohoří (Central Bohemian Highlands) by the Eastern route being much more advantageous than using the Western route as documented in the Territorial Development Principles of the Ústí nad Labem Region.
In the second stage of the study, partial sub-variants of the proposal will be examined and evaluated based on Option 2 of the of the study’s first stage and different ways for phasing the whole construction intent are going to be compared. There are several dozens of technical and operational modifications under examination, let it be a draft of new short line connections, alternatives for passing the river Labe (Elbe) in Ústí nad Labem or introducing new lines for passenger transport.
After the proposed constructions’ implementation, a substantial reduction of journey times to 30 minutes or less will occur not only on the Prague – Ústí nad Labem and Ústí nad Labem – Dresden connections but also between Prague and Litoměřice and thanks to the secondary route RS42 also between Prague and Louny or Most. RS42 will therefore serve also as a ground for a possible competitive railway connection from Prague to Karlovy Vary.
Compared to previous estimations, original outputs of transport flows’ prognoses for 2050 submitted by the compiler of the study with tens of thousands of passengers running daily between Prague and Ústí nad Labem were perceived as overrated. In cooperation of all parties concerned including the Ministry of Transport, all uncertain aspects were cleared and despite corrections being carried out, no substantial change of the line’s estimated use by passengers occurred. The operational and technical solution submitted by the compiler was evaluated in the stage as economically effective.
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