EU to invest in studies on high speed railway between Dresden and Prague

The EU’s TEN-T Programme will co-fund with over €600,000 studies preparing a new high speed railway line between Dresden, Germany and Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. The new line is to complete the European rail axis linking the central and southern Europe, from Athens to Dresden.

The preparatory studies will cover the cross-border section Heidenau-Ústí nad Labem-Litomerice. They will in particular look into environmental, technological, economic, legal and time requirements necessary for the construction of the high speed line.

The results of the preparatory studies will be used for future technical and spatial planning in the Czech Republic and will be included in Germany’s future national transport infrastructure plan.

The completion of the line will also generate positive socio-economic effects, particularly shorter travel times and a smaller environmental footprint.

The project was selected for EU funding with the assistance of external experts under the TEN-T Multi-Annual Call 2013, priority projects. Its implementation will be monitored by INEA, the European Commission’s Innovation and Networks Executive Agency.

The project is to be completed by the end of 2015.