Prague to Dresden in less than an hour: new high-speed Czech rail network on the way

A new high-speed rail network that will bring riders from Prague to Dresden in an hour is currently being developed by the Czech Railway Infrastructure Administration (SŽDC).

But don’t expect to take a ride on Prague’s new high-speed train from any time soon: the Railway administration has given a 2050 estimate for completion of the project.

Currently, the SŽDC is still working out on variations of plans for the tracks on the Czech side of the network. A final decision on which variant is selected is expected to be made later this year.

Work on the first part of the project, which should lead from Prague to Lovosice, is expected to be completed between 2030 and 2035. Further development of the line on the Czech side would continue to Litoměřice and Ústí nad Labem before reaching Germany.

Between the Czech Republic and Germany, engineers will build one of the longest tunnels in all of Europe: a 26-kilometer long route beneath the Ore Mountains.

In addition to shortening travel time and increasing overall traffic between Prague and Dresden, the new high-speed route is also expected to significantly boost the economy of Ústí nad Labem, which will be a main stop on the line.

“We may be the first [Czech] city to have such a quick connection abroad,” Jaroslav Komínek, Ústí nad Labem’s Deputy Governor, told members of the local media.

“It will also be important for [locals] to reach Dresden Airport, where many are heading for vacation.”

The total cost of building the new high-speed railway line in the Czech Republic, from Prague to the German border at the Ore Mountains, is estimated at 138 billion crowns. More accurate costs will be assessed during a feasibility study this summer.

While the Prague-Dresden route may be the first line of the new high-speed network, other development on high-speed lines in the Czech Republic has also been in the works for years.

Plans for other high-speed rail routes in the Czech Republic have linked Prague with Munich, Berlin, Warsaw, and Brno, with the latter also continuing to Bratislava and Vienna.