From Prague to Brno in an hour? High-speed trains are slowly approaching – Forum24
When you read in the new government’s program statement that the construction of high-speed lines is a government priority, you may have considered it just one of many vague promises. The previous government also talked about them. But now it is not a vision from the realm of dreams, but a serious project that will soon enter a tangible phase of construction. The first high-speed trains will run on Czech lines in 2030.
In a few years, it will change the face of the Czech and Moravian landscape. However, little is said about the new high-speed railways, known as “VRT”. Much less than, for example, new motorways. Why do the new railways remain a bit out of the way, even though their preparation is in full swing? After all, construction is supposed to start within three years!
The main reason is the municipal elections at the beginning of October this year. The Ministry of Transport and the Railway Infrastructure Administration (SŽDC) are quite rightly concerned that intense discussions about new lines, which often cross the unspoilt landscape, will provoke the formation of local protest groups, which could succeed in municipal elections. This could lead to resistance to the purchase of land and other preparations, which are already inconspicuously in full swing. The high-speed project would thus be blocked for the next four years.
Resistance from local initiatives can be expected. High-speed railways often do not lead to industrial areas where people are used to line construction. For transport reasons, they are designed in a sparsely populated landscape. However, this of course causes damage in many naturally valuable localities and provokes strong negative reactions. Unlike motorways, which bring bonuses to rural residents, for example when commuting to work in cities, high-speed railways have no benefits for locals. Instead, they bring noise, disrupt the landscape and cross centuries-old roads.
Money is on the way
Opponents of high-speed railways have long clung to the idea that the whole project will fail due to lack of money. But he has received two severe blows recently. A major feasibility study a few days ago confirmed that the new high-speed lines Prague – Brno – Břeclav and Brno – Přerov – Ostrava give…