Due to landslides on the repaired track in Prague, some connections were canceled
While České dráhy justifies the current delays and waivers of “repeated slope landslides” on the website, SŽ opposes words about landslides.
“In the mentioned section, there were displacements of the railway superstructure in the order of tens of millimeters at the places of excavation works for the new structures of the substructure of the viaduct. It is disproportionate to call these declines a landslide, “said SŽ spokeswoman Nela Friebová.
Modernization of the Prague – Lysá nad Labem line |
The building between Vysočany and Horní Počernice is part of a modernized section from Mstětice. As part of the construction, a new station building in Vysočany is being built, and work is also underway on the line between Zelenčí and Horní Počernice. The modernization has been going on for several years and is set to continue in the coming years. |
The “slope” took place in this section in March and also in early April. The last “track movement” took place on Friday, April 22. From this date, at least until Friday, the entire section is passable on only one track. At the same time, the number of connections on the line was reduced. Some have been renounced without compensation, others are led by diversion.
For example, there are no trains between Prague’s Main Railway Station and Lysa nad Labem. There are no total of 10 connections.
Passenger trains in incriminated places only run at maximum speed and the drivers monitor the condition of the track. “In the event that the driver finds any extraordinary or non-standard condition on the transport route, our Railway Administration is immediately notified and takes appropriate measures,” said Petr Šťáhlavský, spokesman for Czech Railways.
Modernization of the track in the area around the Black Bridge
Photo: Jaroslav Soukup, News
According to Friebová, a pair of viaducts located in the affected section is measured twice a day with immediate evaluation of the measured values. “For the railway superstructure, we use continuous measurements with a graphical record of a number of measured values,” the spokeswoman added. The whole construction is then monitored by surveyors.
Regardless of this, trains are delayed as standard, on the S2 / S22 city line it is even in the order of tens of minutes. This is a problem with a connection which, under normal circumstances, has an interval of 20 minutes during peak hours, because the delay is constantly transmitted to the turnovers of the sets. Of course, the problems also affect the trains on line 070, which connects Prague and Turnov. The trains are constantly waiting and prefer the oncoming connection.
In this section, for example, two freight trains collided recently.
According to Ž, a decision should be made on Thursday when more connections will be able to return to the track and whether a two-track ride will be possible in part.
The number of passengers using suburban lines S grew steadily in the years before the coid epidemic. According to data from 2019, around 27,000 passengers drove trains to Nymburk on route 231 via Lysá nad Labem and further into Nymburk. Another more than 4,000 people a day used route 070 in this section towards Turnov.