7.3 Interlinking connections
7.3.1 Connections between intermodal nodes
7.3.1.1 Prague-Plzeň-Cheb-Nuremberg
At the time of its construction about 130 years ago, the Prague-Cheb line represented a quality railway line (speed: 80-100 km/h) with a very important role in the railway network. However, the political situation until 1989 diminished the relevance of this line practically to national level. At present, only one railway connection between the Czech Republic and Germany can be deemed as satisfactory – the double-track electrified line Prague-Děčín-Dresden. As a system measure it is necessary to supplement this railway connection with another electrified line for higher speeds with the corresponding quality, which will enable another railway connection of the Czech Republic to the railway network of western Europe.
At present, the clear direction is the section Prague-Plzeň, connecting the capital Prague with the fourth largest regional capital Plzeň with the possible continuation in any direction to south-west Europe. A different situation is beyond Plzeň with at present two single-track lines in the direction of Domaţlice (Regensburg) and Cheb (Nuremberg).
For modernisation of the 3rd Czech transit railway corridor, the line to Cheb was chosen, mainly for the following reasons:
The line is important from the national point of view (it connects Prague, Plzeň, České Budějovice with the spa region of western Bohemia and the regional capital of Karlovy Vary),
from the technical point of view, the interlocking equipment is beyond its service life and its complex reconstruction is needed,
the line was recommended for modernisation also by the German side.
The design variant of modernisation of the Prague-Plzeň line consists of construction works governed by the principles for modernisation of corridors. The crucial construction work is the new railway connection Prague-Beroun, shortening the distance between Prague and Plzeň by approx. 10 km by means of a new tunnel with the length of approx. 26.5 km; the route uses the perspective route of the future high-speed line Prague-Plzeň. Another major construction work is the section Rokycany-Plzeň, shortening the distance between Prague and Plzeň by further 6.1 km by means of relaying with the length of approx. 6.5 km; this route uses the perspective route of the future high-speed line Prague-Plzeň, too. The other sections will be modernised or optimised by means of local relaying of bends in order to homogenise the track speed.
Figure 12: The Prague-Cheb-Nuremberg line - Prague-Plzeň section
Source: SUDOP PRAHA a.s. 2009
The section Plzeň-Cheb (state border) is divided into four construction sections, leading to optimisation of the line. According to a German-Czech memorandum from 1995 and further memoranda of the railway operators, electrification and refurbishment were set for the section Schirnding (state border) as well as electrification for the line Marktredwitz-Nuremberg. At the same time it was agreed that the future modern railway connection will be solved by means of a new line Plzeň-Nuremberg, or possibly by means of modernisation and construction of a second track for high speed (approx. 200 km/h) to the existing line Plzeň-Domaţlice/Furth im Wald-Regensburg. Due to this, the preparation to modernise the Prague-Plzeň line and to optimise the Prague-Plzeň-Cheb line started.
Figure 13: The Prague-Cheb-Nuremberg line – Plzeň-Cheb section
Source: SUDOP PRAHA a.s. 2009
At the moment, cross-border connections in passenger rail transport are exclusively provided by regional trains (Cheb-Marktredwitz, every 2 hours), including a train Cheb-Nuremberg, too.
Prague and Nuremberg are connected directly twice a day via Domaţlice (R/RE, travel time
5:03), using the same cross-border line like the two trains per day to Munich (R/ALEX, travel time 6:09-6:18).
7.3.1.2 Prague-České Budějovice-Linz
The railway line in the section Prague-České Budějovice-Horní Dvořiště (state border) is part of the 4th Czech transit railway corridor. It also forms a part of the extension of the Pan-European Transport Corridor No. 10 (Salzburg-Ljubljana-Zagreb-Belgrad-Sofia) and a connection to the TEN-T Priority axis No. 22.
Figure 14: The Prague-Cheb-Nuremberg line and Prague-České Budějovice-Linz line as part of the TEN-T Priority axis No. 22
Source: European Commission (DG TREN): TEN-T Implementation of the Priority Projects Progress Report, May 2008
The modernisation of the 4th Czech transit railway corridor proposes reconstruction of the line from Prague to České Budějovice for the track speed of 160 km/h with complete double-tracking; the section České Budějovice-Horní Dvořiště will be partially modified. Higher capacity and speed lead to higher reliability of traffic and shortening of travel time, increasing the competitiveness of railway towards road transport. The modernisation involves also a number of measures for protection of the environment.
In 1998, reconstruction and electrification (AC 25 kV 50 Hz) of the section České Budějovice–
Horní Dvořiště was started. Selected stations were reconstructed, all stations were equipped
with modern interlocking equipment enabling the remote control of the whole line section from a single dispatching control worksite. The whole section was completed in 2001. In 2005, modernisation of the 4th corridor was started with the optimisation of the line Strančice-Prague-Hostivař, which was completed in November 2008.
In the section Linz-Summerau, electrification (DC 15 kV 16 2/3 Hz) was completed already in 1975; in 2002 the remaining section to the state border was electrified. Currently, the section has only one track, but upgrading is stated in the Austrian railways investment plan 2009-2014. The estimated start of construction is 2012, but due to some still open issues, e.g. the Environmental Impact Assessment, this time schedule might be modified. The completion is planned within the year of 2016, the total amount is about 300 mln EUR.
On completion, this project will represent the second most important railway connection between the Czech Republic and Austria after the section Brno-Vienna. Due to ever growing mobility in this area and intensified relations between the two countries within passenger as well as freight traffic, the modernisation of the existing railway route is one of the ways how to maintain the proportion of transport share between road and railway transport.
As far as the travelling offer is concerned, Prague and Linz are connected by EC/D (travel time 5:04-5:30) twice a day. Taking express trains from Prague, it is possible to change every 2 hours in České Budějovice to regional trains to Summerau and Linz.
Table 6: Reconstruction of the Prague-České Budějovice-Linz line – Investment parameters
Track speed 120 km/h (160 km/h with tilting trains in Czech section)
Benešov–Summerau: AC 25 kV 50 Hz Summerau-Linz: AC 15 kV 16 2/3 Hz
Total investment costs CZ: 37,597 mln CZK (approx. 1,500 mln EUR) AT: approx. 300 mln EUR
Source / compilation: SUDOP PRAHA a.s. 2009, LOB iC 2009
7.3.1.3 München-Salzburg-Villach
This section is along the Tauern axis (from Salzburg to Villach) and is part of one of the most important north-south connections through the Alps. A crucial point is the double-track Tauern
Currently the Tauern railway is at its limits (some viaducts with one track, some inefficient alignments); therefore constant upgrades for increasing the capacity along the route are made.
The travelling offer for long-distance transport is very dense between Munich and Salzburg (EC/Railjet every hour, travel time 1:27-1:43) and still quite dense between Salzburg and Villach (EC/IC every 2 hours, travel time 2:31). Trains are connecting at Salzburg, selected trains (EC/D) provide direct connections, including connections Munich-Zagreb (EC, travel time 8:30-8:34). Between Villach and Ljubljana EC/IC/D trains run every 2 hours (travel time 1:36-1:44).