Train speeds of up to 200 kilometres per hour are planned for the future on the railway line from Prague via Mladá Boleslav and Turnov to Liberec and on to the border with Poland. The feasibility study approved last year by the central commission of the Ministry of Transport foresees a reduction of the journey time from the current 160 minutes to less than 70 minutes.
“The train to Prague and the motorways to Ústí nad Labem and Hradec Králové are key constructions for our region, without which it simply cannot function. This is shown, for example, in the case of our northern neighbours in Poland, where the completion of motorway and railway infrastructure has boosted the economy in many areas. We need better roads for regions where there are not enough investors and not enough jobs,” added Martin Půta (Mayors for the Liberec Region). He believes that better connections to Prague can prevent the outflow of people from the region for work, as it will allow for a comfortable commute.
The railway line from Liberec to Prague was built, like most of the lines in the Liberec Region, in the second half of the 19th century. It has not been modernised in any significant way since then. Modifications of the line to Prague have been discussed for years, with 16 studies having been carried out since 1990. In 2003 it was assumed that faster trains would be running in 2010. However, priority has always been given to other railway lines in the Czech Republic. If the new line can be built, Puta said it should also improve accessibility to the border areas of the Frýdlant region and the connection to neighbouring Poland to Zhořelec and Görlitz in Germany.
According to Transport Minister Martin Kupka (ODS), this railway line is a suitable project whose construction could be financed in the form of a PPP (Public – Private Partnership), which allows the involvement of private investors. The cost of the project is estimated by the study at CZK 55 billion. According to Kupka, work is already underway on the modernisation of the sections in the Central Bohemia Region, and they should be completed by 2031. “As for the dates of the other parts from Mladá Boleslav towards Liberec, I would say the optimistic but realistic outlook is in the first half of the next decade,” Kupka added.
“The modernised railway will be mostly double-track, apart from the reconstruction of existing sections, new relocations will also be built,” said Nela Friebová, spokesperson for the Railway Administration. The variant envisages the construction of a new line from Turnov to Liberec. “The exception will be the section Hodkovice nad Mohelkou – Rychnov u Jablonce nad Nisou, which will be preserved for freight services. From Liberec to the state border with Poland, the line will be electrified in the existing track and selected sections will be reconstructed,” the spokesperson added. The selected option also includes electrification of the lines in the Frýdlantský výběžek.
Půta said the Liberec Region is working on a change to the territorial documentation for the route modification, which should be ready by 2025.
Source: CTK
