The ministry does not have money for the construction of the Kladno - Prague fast track

Visualization of the station Prague Airport Ruzyně

Kladno - The construction of the fast track between Kladno and Prague will not start in 2011. The Ministry of Transportation does not have enough funds for the construction of the line, which was originally expected to cost 45 billion CZK. The spokesperson for the Ministry of Transportation, Karel Hanzelka, said today to ČTK that the priority for next year will be the construction of more than 1000 kilometers of roads, highways, and the modernization of existing railway corridors.
    Hanzelka stated that the ministry's budget is one-third lower compared to the past, and there is currently no money to start the construction of the fast track. "So far, it does not appear at all in the short-term or medium-term plan," said Hanzelka.
    Kladno Mayor Dan Jiránek (ODS) agreed with Governor David Rath (ČSSD) that the construction should eventually start from Kladno, as it would be cheaper. "This section of the route will cost in the single-digit billions of crowns, whereas the Prague section will cost several tens of billions of crowns," said Jiránek.
    Additionally, according to Jiránek, a large part of the section from Kladno to the outskirts of Prague could be financed from European funds. However, Hanzelka stated that we must wait for the new period of drawing funds from European funds, which will begin after 2016. Another possible option, according to Hanzelka, is that a private investor will fund the fast track.
    The project is also dependent, according to Jiránek, on the assessment of the environmental impact of the construction. A complex solution regarding noise standards from the R6 road, the new runway of the airport, and the fast track needs to be developed, which has never been addressed in the Czech Republic, explained Jiránek.
    At the same time, some constructions need to be worked on to meet the parameters of the future fast track. "The station in Dubí also needs to be changed, as it was initially considered as a depot. However, it will be the terminal station," stated Jiránek. The Central Bohemian Region, for example, completed the reconstruction of the bridge in Kladno-Rozdělov about a year ago. Its new structure, therefore, meets the parameters of the new track.
    The lack of funds has long blocked the construction of the fast track between Prague and Kladno. According to initial estimates, it could ultimately cost up to 45 billion crowns. The current railway connection is generally considered inadequate. More than 20,000 people commute daily from Kladno and the surrounding area to Prague for work. The fast track with a branch to Ruzyně Airport was supposed to facilitate their travel. The project has been discussed for a long time also because Prague still does not have adequate connections between the city center and the airport.