DB Netz and the State Directorate of Saxony (Landesdirektion Sachsen) invited the public to meetings in Heidenau, Pirna and Dohma in late January on the plans for the new railway line from Dresden to Prague.

The Deutsche Bahn project team led by Kay Müller have been visiting Heidenau and Pirna since last year to update the public about the project. 

“Talking directly to residents is important — both for the residents, who gain first-hand information on the background to the project and the latest planning work, and for us, as we find out more about their interests and get another perspective on our plans. That is why we want to continue and intensify our talks with the region this year — these include both the dialogue with the general public and the dialogue forum with the region’s stakeholders,” says Müller.

The project

The rail link between Dresden and Prague is to become faster and more efficient, attracting more traffic to environmentally friendly trains. However, the protected landscape and the topography especially in the Elbe valley make it impossible to upgrade and accelerate the existing route. Germany and the Czech Republic along with both countries’ rail network operators have therefore initiated a project to build a new Dresden–Prague railway line.

The Dresden–Prague connection is a key part of the Trans-European Network (TEN) for both passenger and freight traffic. The new line has five main goals: 

• Substantially reducing travel and transport times in national and international long-distance passenger and freight transport
• Integrating the Czech Republic into the European high-speed rail network
• Creating a flood-proof alternative to the Elbe Valley
• Reducing rail noise for people living near the line
• Shifting more transport from road to rail

The regional planning procedure for the project is currently underway, led by the State Directorate of Saxony (Landesdirektion Sachsen). It is due to be completed in mid-2020. Based the results, DB Netz is likely to pursue two options in the detailed planning phase: a partially above-ground option and an all-tunnel option with a passing station in Heidenau.

Any questions?

Answers to many questions about the project and the regional planning procedure can be found here.
You can find the most frequently asked questions from the public meetings and DB’s answers to them here.
Further documents and photos can be found in the media centre on this website.