The pedestrian connection of the Main Train Station in Prague is taking on more concrete shapes

Prague - The connection of Prague's Main Train Station with Žižkov and Vinohrady, which pedestrians have been calling for for several years, is taking more concrete shape. The Railway Infrastructure Administration (SŽDC) plans an underground tunnel to Italská Street and a footbridge around the main road. Within three months, they will apply for a zoning decision, said SŽDC spokesman Marek Illiaš in response to a query from ČTK.

The pedestrian access between Vinohrady and Žižkov on one side and Prague 1 on the other was cut off years ago by a busy main road. For pedestrians, this means they have to take a detour to distant crossings either at the National Museum or at Bulhar. There is no direct route. As a result, people shorten their journey. They walk on a narrow curb along Legerova Street from Vinohradská Street. Near Seifertova Street, mainly students of the University of Economics (VŠE) use the official railway crossing and illegally traverse the extensive railway yard. The loudest advocates for the construction of an underpass are the students themselves. During a happening that took place two years ago, they stated that up to 1,800 people cross the tracks illegally every day.

"So far, it is only clear that the underpass should be extended under the entire main train station and should open in the area of Italská Street with a large atrium," said the SŽDC spokesman. "Simultaneously with the underpass, we also want to build a footbridge that would follow the main road towards the city center and lead to the area of the building 'Nad Muzeem', where pedestrians could connect to the sidewalks heading to Vinohradská Street," he added. He did not want to comment further on the project.

According to earlier information from SŽDC, the construction would cost between 100 to 300 million koruna. The municipalities of Prague 2 and 3 have long been striving for the connection.