This year, the Czech Republic will invest 1.49 billion crowns (approximately 61 million EUR) in developing its high-speed rail network, with a focus on the main Dresden–Prague–Brno–Ostrava corridor and international connections to Germany, Poland, Slovakia, and Austria.
Of the total, 0.96 billion crowns (approximately 39.4 million EUR) will come from domestic sources, and 0.53 billion crowns (approximately 21.7 million EUR) from European funds. According to authorities, the focus is now on projects with greater economic and international significance, given that the future level of European co-financing after 2028 remains unclear.
Prague focuses on the network’s main axis
Transport Minister Ivan Bednárik described the Czech high-speed rail system as one of the most ambitious projects in the country’s history, both in terms of financial scale and the complexity of its preparation. He said the state has already paid over 4 billion crowns for preparatory work to date, or approximately 164 million EUR.
According to the minister, in the coming period the railway administration will focus primarily on the main network of “high-speed connections,” namely the Ústí nad Labem – Prague – Brno – Ostrava axis, with international links to Germany, Poland, Slovakia, and Austria.
Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Poland remain the key directions
Specifically, attention is shifting primarily toward Germany, via the new connection from Prague, through the Podřipsko region, to Ústí nad Labem and onward, through the Krušné hory Tunnel, toward Germany.
Toward Austria and Slovakia, priority is given to the sections between Prague and Brno, followed by the continuation from Brno southward, via a combination of new lines and modernized sections of the existing infrastructure up to the borders with those two countries.
Another priority direction is the Moravská brána high-speed rail line, from Brodek u Přerova to Ostrava and onward to Katowice.
Some projects are being put on the back burner
In parallel with this prioritization, Czech authorities acknowledge that some projects will enter a slowdown phase.
Thus, depending on future European co-financing conditions, preparations for the secondary route RS 42 will be scaled back. According to the government, northern Czechia will be connected to the main high-speed network via the planned Prague – Roudnice nad Labem – Ústí nad Labem – Dresden link.
At the same time, the development of the RS 5 line toward Hradec Králové and further to the Podkrkonoší region is also entering a phase of slowdown and preparation.
Instead, the railway administration will focus in the coming years on increasing the capacity of conventional lines, including through:
tripling the Poříčany – Kolín section;doubling the Libice nad Cidlinou – Hradec Králové – Choceň – Ústí nad Orlicí line;modernizing the Hradec Králové – Jaroměř – Náchod – Wrocław connection.
Studies, EIA, and site preparation continue this year
The head of the Czech railway administration, Tomáš Tóth, said that systematic preparation of the selected high-speed sections will continue this year, with a focus on: He emphasized that, for the railway administration, the key connection remains Dresden – Prague – Brno – Ostrava – Katowice, plus the Brno – Bratislava/Vienna.
- site surveys;
- completion of territorial preparation;
- advancement of EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) documentation;
- property-related preparation;
- completion of technical documentation;
- public communication;
- preparation of PPP projects.
PPP for Moravská brána
For the VRT Moravská brána project, authorities are preparing to involve private capital through the PPP mechanism, which they present as a solution that could accelerate the project’s implementation while maintaining an adequate level of public control.
Official target: core network by 2040
The Ministry of Transport notes that the development of the high-speed rail network is proceeding in line with the government’s program and the Czech Republic’s economic strategy, which calls for the completion of the core network along the Dresden–Prague–Brno–Rakovice/Přerov–Ostrava axis by 2040.
Authorities emphasize that the goal is not only to reduce travel times but also to create a core rail network that is more reliable, more competitive, and better able to handle traffic.
According to the Czech government’s logic, the new high-speed lines should improve regional accessibility, connect the country to the European high-speed network, and, at the same time, free up capacity on conventional lines for freight transport.
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