Information on further planning work provided at the dialogue forum
At the fourth Dresden–Prague dialogue forum in Pirna on 2 September 2020, the State Directorate of Saxony presented the results of the regional planning procedure for the new line. As the regional planning authority responsible for the project, the State Directorate had concluded the procedure with the publication and handover of the regional planning assessment to Deutsche Bahn on 21 August 2020. Its key finding was that an all-tunnel option and option G are compatible with spatial planning requirements, subject to certain stipulations. An all-tunnel option can best be brought into line with the requirements of spatial planning. It concluded that corridor options D, E and F are not compatible with spatial planning requirements. The D, E and F corridors will play no further part in the planning process.
Deutsche Bahn presented the next planning steps, the first of which will be to find the optimum route for an all-tunnel option within the prescribed corridor. At the same time, teams will examine ways of improving corridor option G, taking into account the findings of the regional planning assessment.
Following the conclusion of the preliminary design phase, which is expected in 2024, Deutsche Bahn will submit its preferred option to the Bundestag. Input from the region will be obtained on every planning step. Deutsche Bahn highlighted that the feedback gathered during the regional planning procedure will be examined in the remainder of the planning process.
Further collaboration in working groups agreed for preliminary design phase
The forum also reached agreement on the creation of further working groups. Alongside the existing “Heidenau” working group, the dialogue forum will also establish working groups on the catalogue of criteria used to compare route options as well as on tourism/discovery trails. The second meeting of the Heidenau working group will take place on 30 September 2020. The dates for the fifth Dresden–Prague dialogue forum and the other working groups will be announced in the coming months.
Basic evaluation phase progressing
Deutsche Bahn also announced that the invitation to tender for planning services in the joint planning area had been published in August 2020. Design work is then due to commence in the first quarter of 2021. The forum also discussed the surveying work around Heidenau and the exploratory drilling conducted since summer 2020 at selected sites along the existing route and in the investigation area for the new-build line. Around ten representatives from various media outlets had accepted the invitation to visit and report on the drilling work on Apfelallee near the Baroque garden of Grosssedlitz on 2 September 2020. Some images from the press event can be found in the media centre.
Minutes of the third dialogue forum (approved on 2 September 2020)