New two-storey station will be built under main station

Suburban trains in the metropolis are used by more and more passengers. This should also be considered when planning future railway lines. Správa železnic therefore commissioned a feasibility study several years ago, which addresses the future shape of the Prague railway node.

“The Central Commission of the Ministry of Transport has selected the most suitable variant within which two tunnel routes of 10.6 kilometres and five new stations will be built in the centre of Prague. The tunnels intersect on two levels in the central station under the main station. One will run under the existing pedestrian underpasses to the platforms, the second one will be one level lower. Both parts of the station will be connected by a tunnel with escalators, the vestibules will be located at the Winston Churchill Square and in the new main station check-in hall,” says Minister of Transport Martin Kupka.

The capacity of each tunnel will be up to 16 trains per hour in each direction. “There will be underground stops in Karlín, Václavské náměstí and Karlovo náměstí and also a partially recessed stop in Florenc. The new routes will help separate long-distance and regional transport. This will maintain the comfort of travelling, in addition to minimal impact on the environment. The estimated total cost of this option is 185 billion crowns,” explains Pavel Paidar, Director of Construction Planning Department of Správa železnic.

The approved plan will now be included in the strategic transport plans and Správa železnic will cooperate with state institutions and local government in its preparation. There will also be modifications to territorial development principles and zoning plans. “The project brings new railway capacity right in the city centre, including several stops that will shorten the walking distance for passengers. The result will be not only a higher attractiveness of railway transport, but also the release of the busiest sections of public transport in the centre. At the same time, the enhanced railway will take some traffic off the roads. Fewer cars in the city means fewer emissions, less noise and a significantly improved environment,” says Zdeněk Hřib, First Deputy Mayor of Capital City of Prague for Transport Sector.

“The biggest transport problem in Prague is not the transport in Prague itself, but the transport in the metropolitan region. Prague's modal split is highly in favour of public transport, but what is crushing Prague is regional transport, where supply and capacity is insufficient. For various historical reasons, Prague's regional and urban transport is not sufficiently connected, and therefore the project of the Prague railway node is a major breakthrough and a solution to Prague's largest transport problem. We are grateful to the Ministry of Transport and Správa železnic for the work they have done and for the correction of the current situation,” states Deputy Mayor of the Capital City of Prague Petr Hlaváček.

The feasibility study of the Prague railway node dealt with three basic designs and additionally two modifications of one of them. One alternative option included two large stations under the main station and Václavské náměstí Square, between which trains would use a common four-track section. The second envisaged one central station called Opera. The original solution of the selected variant was based on faster service with fewer stops.

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