The high-speed line between Prague and Lovosice is being drawn up by an association led by Metroprojekt
The Railway Administration concluded a contract with the documentation supplier for the zoning decision for the section of the Podřipsko high-speed line. The section, which after its launch will reduce the travel time between Prague and Ústí nad Labem by almost 30 minutes, will be developed by an association of companies led by Metroprojekt Praha.
The approximately 60-kilometer section of VRT Podřipsko will be designed by the international association of companies Metroprojekt Praha, Valbek, Mott MacDonald and EGIS Rail. In addition to the documentation, the designers will also process the project plan, documents for the environmental impact assessment process (EIA) and a digital model of the track in the BIM standard. They will also be in charge of communication with authorities regarding permit procedures.
On the basis of the contract, VRT Podřipsko will be processed in a digital BIM model, which, among other things, will enable more efficient management of the track and may reduce its maintenance costs.
The high-speed line between Prague’s Balabenko and the Lovosice exit is part of the planned international connection between the capital, Ústí nad Labem, and Dresden, Germany. The section will use several types of passenger trains, with the fastest connection reaching a speed of 320 km/h. Thanks to connections with existing railway networks, high-speed trains will also be able to serve adjacent regions.
VRT Podřipsko will not serve freight traffic, which will use the freed capacity on the existing corridor line. The connection between Prague and Ústí nad Labem will be shortened by more than half an hour after the launch of this section.
Construction is expected to begin around 2027. The start of operations will be approximately three years later. VRT Podřipsko will also have a terminal at Roudnice nad Labem, from which passengers can reach the center of Prague in just 19 minutes. Its design began two weeks ago with the signing of a contract with the winner of the architectural competition.
Tomas Rovny