The Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic has granted the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the planned Prosenice – Ostrava-Svinov high-speed rail section of the VRT Moravská brána project.
“The EIA approval moves us into the next phase of the high-speed line project, which will significantly increase the capacity of the railway infrastructure in Moravia. While preparing for construction, we are also addressing the financing of the section from Brodek u Přerov to Ostrava as one of the first public-private partnership (PPP) projects,” said Minister of Transport Martin Kupka.
Following this approval, Správa železnic will progress to the next phase of the project, which involves procuring the necessary land. This marks a major milestone in the modernisation of Czech rail transport.
“The positive EIA opinion for the high-speed lines represents a significant milestone. It demonstrates that the project is being prepared professionally and in accordance with the highest standards. At the same time, this approval allows us to move closer to implementation,” said Jiří Svoboda, General Director of Správa železnic.
As part of the assessment process, the Ministry of the Environment analysed the project’s compliance with hygiene limits for noise and air quality, as well as the protection of local ecosystems.
“By issuing the first ever binding opinion for a high-speed railway, the Ministry of the Environment has completed a professionally demanding process of assessing the environmental impacts,” said Minister of the Environment Petr Hladík.
The analysis has shown that operation on the planned sections of the VRT Moravská brána line will not exceed applicable noise limits. The conclusion is that the environmental and public health impacts are acceptable, explained the Minister of the Environment.
One exception is the negative impact on a Natura 2000 site, which will be addressed through separate procedures under the Nature and Landscape Protection Act.
“The Ministry made the issuance of the opinion conditional on 61 comprehensive measures to minimise or compensate for the environmental impacts of the high-speed line, which the Railway Administration must comply with,” explained Minister of the Environment Petr Hladík.
The 63-kilometre section of the high-speed line will form part of the backbone connection between Prague, Brno and Ostrava. It will be followed by a cross-border section connecting the Czech Republic with Poland, towards Katowice and further on to Warsaw. The construction and operation of the section will take place under a public-private partnership (PPP) model.
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