Dresden – Prague high-speed line

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The planned high-speed line Dresden – Prague ( new line Dresden - Ústí nad Labem with continuation to Prague) is a possible high-speed mixed traffic route for cross-border rail traffic between Germany and the Czech Republic .

In passenger transport, the travel time between Dresden and Prague could be reduced from the current two hours and 15 minutes to around one hour (including a stop in Ústí nad Labem). The length of the route to be traveled between Dresden and Prague would be shortened by around 50 kilometers from around 200 kilometers today to around 150 kilometers in the future.

Commissioning is not expected before 2035.

Starting position

The existing line in the Upper Elbe Valley is loaded with 200 to 280 trains per day. According to the Free State of Saxony, their capacity should be exhausted in the medium term. In contrast, in 2007 the federal government saw the line capacity of the connection through the Elbe valley not being exhausted, even in the medium term.

A report for the European Commission , without considering modal shift from air traffic, did not expect a positive benefit-cost factor at the end of 2012. Further investigation was recommended. In a report published at the end of 2014 for the section between Dresden and the Czech border, the Commission expected an increase in freight traffic of 80 percent from 2010 to 2030 as well as a “very low” growth in passenger traffic. The section will therefore "most likely" develop into a capacity bottleneck.

Since the existing line cannot be expanded or can only be expanded to a very limited extent, a new line between Dresden and Ústí nad Labem is to branch off from the existing line and continue to Prague on the Czech side.

Dresden – Ústí nad Labem

New route Heidenau – Chabařovice,
optimized variant 2015
Route of the high-speed line Dresden – Prague
Course of route variant 1.1 from the variant investigation 2012
(course was optimized by the slightly different variant 2015)
Gauge : 1435 mm ( standard gauge )
Power system : 15 kV 16.7 Hz or 25 kV 50 Hz  ~
Maximum slope : Max. 12.5  ‰
Top speed: 230 km / h
Legend
BSicon .svgBSicon STR.svgBSicon STR.svg
BSicon .svgBSicon BHF-L.svgBSicon SBHF-R.svg
62,490 Dresden Central Station
BSicon .svgBSicon LSTR.svgBSicon LSTR.svg
(see Děčín – Dresden-Neustadt , Pirna – Coswig )
BSicon .svgBSicon BHF-L.svgBSicon SBHF-R.svg
51.228 Heidenau (S-Bahn km 5.788)
BSicon .svgBSicon ABZgr.svgBSicon STR.svg
to Altenberg
BSicon .svgBSicon WBRÜCKE1.svgBSicon WBRÜCKE1.svg
50.196 Müglitz
BSicon .svgBSicon STR.svgBSicon SHST.svg
49.810 Heidenau Süd (S-Bahn km 4,370)
BSicon exSTR + l.svgBSicon eABZgr.svgBSicon STR.svg
49.671
-0.5742
"Development Heidenau"
BSicon exSTR.svgBSicon STR.svgBSicon SHST.svg
47.876 Heidenau-Großsedlitz (S-Bahn km 2.436)
BSicon exSTR.svgBSicon BHF-L.svgBSicon KSBHFe-R.svg
45,440 Pirna (S-Bahn-km 0,000)
BSicon exSTRl.svgBSicon STRl + xr.svgBSicon .svg
existing line to Děčín
   
 0.862-1.265 Heidenau Viaduct (approx. 400 m, via S172)
   
 1.380-2.160 Heidenau-Großsedlitz I tunnel (approx. 800 m)
   
 Trough structure with rescue access
   
 2.380-3.330 Heidenau-Großsedlitz II tunnel (approx. 1000 m)
   
 3.797-4.841 Seidewitztal valley bridge (approx. 1040 m)
   
 above the town of Pirna-Zehista
   
 5.710-6.7 Practice goes
   
 7,090 Erzgebirge Tunnel (approx. 26.53 km)
   
 22.161 State border Germany / Czech Republic
   
 33.621
BSicon STR + r.svgBSicon exSTR.svgBSicon .svg
Existing line from Chomutov
BSicon BHF.svgBSicon exSTR.svgBSicon .svg
11.214 Chabařovice
BSicon eABZgl + l.svgBSicon exSTRr.svgBSicon .svg
35.069
approx. 11
"Integration Chabařovice"
BSicon LSTR.svgBSicon .svgBSicon .svg
Existing section Ústí nad Labem – Chomutov
BSicon BHF.svgBSicon .svgBSicon .svg
1,214 Ústí nad Labem západ
BSicon STR.svgBSicon .svgBSicon STR + l.svg
Existing line from Děčín
BSicon STR.svgBSicon .svgBSicon BHF.svg
0.141 Ústí nad Labem hl.n.
BSicon ABZgl.svgBSicon ABZq + r.svgBSicon ABZgr.svg
BSicon ABZqr.svgBSicon KRZo.svgBSicon STRr.svg
Existing route to Prague
   
 Elbe
   
 Existing section from Děčín-Prostřední Žleb
Station, station
 Ústí nad Labem -Střekov
   
 Existing route to Kolín
   
 Desired new line to Prague

Anchored in the European and national expansion plans

Like the existing route through the Elbe Valley today, a new route would also be part of the so-called TEN-T axis 22 and the Orient / East-Med corridor defined at the end of 2013 and is therefore an integral part of the European corridor system.

The Free State of Saxony registered the route in 2013 for the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 2030 and it is part of the currently valid State Transport Plan Saxony 2025. The BVWP 2030 and the demand plan from the end of 2016 lead them as a project of the potential demand, which increases to the urgent demand, if proven that it meets the criteria for it. According to an agreement between the Czech and German transport ministers on August 26, 2017, the route has become a priority.

Studies, costs and implementation prospects

In 1994 a feasibility study for a new and upgraded route between Saxony and Prague was carried out by an engineering office and the TU Dresden. As of 2007, the Saxon Ministry of Economics, Labor and Transport reported further feasibility studies and various studies.

The route is to be designed as a high-speed mixed traffic route for passenger and freight traffic. It should increase the capacity for freight traffic and reduce noise and air pollution in the Elbe Valley. The existing railway line in the Elbe Valley could not be expanded due to the geographical conditions and environmental reasons. The maximum longitudinal slope should be 12.5 per thousand.

A cost-benefit study by the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development in 2010 showed a cost-benefit ratio of 1.3.

It was technically examined for feasibility in 2011 and 2012 on behalf of the Free State of Saxony. This included a variant analysis of the route, a capacitive analysis, potential analyzes and noise protection issues.

A total of four variants were examined in 2012, with variant 1 still having two sub-variants with different inclinations and identical lines. Only variants 1.1, 1.2 and 2 were recommended for follow-up. Variants 3 and 4 had too many disadvantages compared to the aforementioned variants (e.g. FFH impacts or significantly longer total tunnel lengths). Contrary to earlier estimates, according to the Saxon State Ministry for Economics, Labor and Transport, the result of the existing route investigations resulted in investments of around two billion euros.

The 35-kilometer-long new route favored from 2012 onwards would separate from the existing route east of Heidenau, run through two smaller tunnels, enter an approximately 20-kilometer-long tunnel near Bahretal and cross the border to the Czech Republic between Breitenau and Oelsen . To the northwest of Ústí nad Labem, the new line would then flow back into an existing line. Sensitive areas should be bypassed or driven under. With the approximately 35-kilometer new Heidenau – Chabařovice line, including the respective integration into the Dresden (approximately 13 kilometers) and Ústí nL (approximately 11 kilometers) nodes, there will be a new, future route of around 60 kilometers between Dresden Central Station and Ústí nad Labem . This is a total of around 25 kilometers less than the existing Dresden – Děčín (approx. 62 km) and Děčín – Ústí nL (approx. 23 km) lines along the Elbe .

At the beginning of July 2014, the rail strategy concept for Saxony's rail infrastructure up to 2020 was presented. It says: “The Czech Republic and the Free State of Saxony are striving for the Heidenau – Ústí nad Labem section to be implemented as a new line through the Ore Mountains.” However, due to complex planning and approval processes, implementation “probably only after 2030”. Template: future / in 5 yearsAccording to the railway, the expansion and acceleration of the existing route is not possible due to the many arches and too much noise. According to a press release of the recording of the new line is in the above as master plan called Strategic Concept preceded by a round two-year dispute between DB and the Free State of the track.

In the spring of 2015, the state of Saxony aimed to found a German-Czech project company in the same year. On September 1, 2016, the foundation of the new railway line Dresden - Prague EGTC was officially announced. It was constituted on November 2, 2016.

Feasibility study

The European Commission supported a feasibility study for a high-speed line between Dresden and Prague with 600,000 euros from TEN funds . Saxony and the Czech Republic will raise the further 1.26 million euros. Work began in summer 2014. The Saxon part was processed by the Krebs und Kiefer engineering office following a tender .

The route developed in 2012 was to be optimized and, on the Czech side, a variant investigation to Litoměřice should be connected. For the new line between Heidenau and Ústí, a speed of 200 to 230 km / h for passenger traffic and 120 km / h for freight traffic was planned. The route is to be assigned to route class D4 and equipped with ETCS Level 2 . There are no transfer connections or passing tracks in the tunnel.

In mid-January 2016, the results of the study jointly prepared by the Czech and Saxon transport ministries were presented. On the first twelve kilometers from Dresden, existing tracks that have been upgraded to a speed of 200 km / h are to be used, and the 32-kilometer new line to Usti nad Labem will then begin in Heidenau. This is followed by the Heidenau Tunnel , which crosses under the Großsedlitz Baroque Garden with two one kilometer long tunnel sections and two tubes . The Seidewitztal is to be crossed on a bridge. After a two-kilometer section at ground level, which includes an overtaking station, the base tunnel follows.

The geology and hydrology that have now been taken into account compared to the 2012 study led to an extended base tunnel. The now 26.53 kilometer long Erzgebirge Tunnel is to run over a length of 15.10 kilometers on the Czech side and 11.43 kilometers on the German side. The 123-kilometer route is to be designed for 200 km / h in the new section between Dresden and Usti. This will be followed by a new line, 80 kilometers long and designed for 350 km / h, for passenger traffic; freight traffic is to be carried over the existing line. The travel time from Dresden to Prague is to be reduced from 135 to 50 minutes and from Dresden to Usti nad Labem to 25 minutes. Vague cost information assumed total costs of 5 billion euros in 2016, of which 1.3 billion euros for the German section. According to other information in 2016, the Czech side alone accounted for 5 billion euros, while the German side required 1.3 billion euros. In August 2020, 7.5 billion euros were assumed on the Czech side and 1.2 billion euros on the German side. A state treaty could be concluded between the Federal Republic of Germany and the Czech Republic in order to agree on the formalities for the construction and operation of the section . The project was included as a potential need in the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 2030 and in the Federal Railways Expansion Act.

Spatial planning procedure

In September 2017, the project was upgraded to "urgent need" so that concrete planning could begin. In 2018, Deutsche Bahn began preliminary planning, and the regional planning procedure began in December 2019.

On March 2, 2020, representatives of both states, the Free State of Saxony, DB and Správa železnic signed a declaration of intent to confirm their cooperation for the realization of the project. The first planning orders should be put out to tender within weeks.

On August 21, 2020, the State Office of Saxony published the spatial planning assessment for the German section of the project. According to this, three full tunnel variants out of seven examined variants are best suited. Among the variants with a shorter tunnel, only variant G with stipulations was confirmed.

Ústí nad Labem – Prague

New line Ústí nad Labem – Praha (as of 2012)
Gauge : 1435 mm ( standard gauge )
Top speed: 320 km / h
Legend
            
Desired high-speed line from Dresden
            
Existing line from Chomutov
            
existing line from Děčín (left Elbe)
            
existing line from Děčín (right Elbe)
            
Ústí nad Labem railway junction
            
existing route to Prague (left Elbe)
            
existing line to Kolín (right Elbe)
            
            
Tunnel to cross under the Central Bohemian Uplands (approx. 16 km)
            
            
Existing line Kolín – Děčín (east of Litoměřice )
            
Elbe
            
Existing line Praha – Děčín (west of Roudnice nad Labem )
            
            
Existing line Praha – Děčín (near Nová Ves )
            
Tunnel in the north of the city of Prague (approx. 4.8 km)
            
Railway lines Praha – Turnov and Lysá nad Labem – Praha
            
            
Prague railway junction
            
further targeted high-speed lines
            
To the west (Plzeň) and east (Hradec Králové, Wrocław)
            
To the south (Brno and Vienna)

In 2012, the considerations on the Czech side envisaged a new line between the Ústí nL and Prague railway nodes that could be driven at speeds of up to 320 km / h. This should run largely east of the Elbe or east of the Vltava. The longest engineering structure would probably be a 16 kilometer long tunnel that crosses the Bohemian Central Uplands . The north-south travel between Dresden and Prague is expected to cross the Ústí nad Labem railway junction in a west-east direction; the most important station in Ústí nad Labem would thus be the previous western station (Ústí nad Labem západ).

Alternatives

In the second half of 1990, on behalf of the Free State of Saxony, the Institute for Railway Construction of the TU Dresden initially developed a rough alignment for various new lines in the new federal states, including Berlin – Dresden – Görlitz – Prague. It was u. a. a 16 km long tunnel through the Elbe Sandstone Mountains is planned.

In the 1990s and 2006 there were considerations to extend the planned Berlin – Hamburg maglev train via Dresden to Prague and Vienna. According to the plans, the travel time from Berlin Central Station to Prague would have been reduced from the current four hours and 50 minutes to one hour and 40 minutes. Around 9 million people live in the metropolitan areas and metropolitan regions of Berlin / Brandenburg, Leipzig / Halle, Dresden, Ústí and Prague, which would be connected by the route. Due to the final suspension of all Transrapid plans in Germany, this approach is no longer being pursued.

Due to the noise pollution to be expected from the preferred variant proposed by the Saxon Ministry of Economic Affairs, which would cut through the south of the city of Pirna above ground, a citizens' initiative has been founded to create an alternative variant with a longer tunnel, larger radii and less inclination with the same connection points in Heidenau and the Czech one Has drawn up the state border.

literature

  • Manfred Zschweigert: Feasibility study for a new railway line Dresden – Prague . In: Wissenschaftliche Zeitschrift der Technische Universität Dresden , 45 (1996), Issue 5, pp. 55–61.
  • Wolfgang Fengler : Results of a study on high-speed traffic in the northern section of the Pan-European Corridor IV . In: 7th Dresden symposium Transrapid 2007, proceedings, pp. 532–545. Institute for Construction Management, Dresden 2007, ISBN 978-3-86780-027-3 .
  • Petra Heldt: New rail line (NBS) Dresden – Prague outside the Elbe Valley . In: Railway technical review . No. 12/2015 . Eurailpress - Deutscher Verkehrs-Verlag, December 2015, ISSN  0013-2845 , p. 28–32 ( archive.org [PDF; 1.8 MB ; accessed on February 27, 2016]).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b New railway line between Dresden and Prague halves travel time. In: deutschebahn.com. Deutsche Bahn, March 2, 2020, accessed on March 22, 2020 .
  2. ↑ a b c Petr Šlegr et al .: Rychlá železnice iv České republice . Ed .: Centrum pro efektivní dopravu, os Prag 2012, ISBN 978-80-905005-0-1 , p. 128, 136 ff., 172 .
  3. ↑ a b c d e Michael Rothe: New arguments for a new fast train from Dresden to Prague . In: Saxon newspaper . January 15, 2016, ZDB -ID 2448502-0 , p. 5 ( sz-online.de - online similar version with a different title). New arguments for a new fast train from Dresden to Prague ( Memento from January 29, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
  4. ^ A b c Matthias Weigel: The billions route to Prague . In: Saxon newspaper . May 12, 2015, ZDB -ID 2448502-0 , p. 6 .
  5. ↑ Printed matter 16/5024. (PDF; 166 KiB) Answer of the federal government to the small question of the (…) FDP on the future of Saxon rail connections. German Bundestag, April 16, 2007, p. 6 , accessed December 30, 2012 (question 19).
  6. ↑ Panteia, pwc (Ed.): Final Report: Carrying out a study on the completion of the Priority Project No. 22 . Reference R20120160 / 31460000 / ARC / LJO. Zoetermeer November 2012, p. 15, 16 ( tmleuven.be [PDF]). Final Report: Carrying out a study on the completion of the Priority Project Nr 22 ( Memento from January 23, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
  7. ↑ European Commission (Ed.): Orient / East-Med Core Network Corridor Study . December 2014, p. 47, 190 ( europa.eu [ ZIP ; 35.9 MB ] OEM_Study.pdf, in archive file).
  8. ↑ Overview map. (PDF; 9.3 MiB) October 14, 2015, accessed on January 9, 2017 .
  9. ^ New railway line Dresden - Prague in the TEN-V corridor Orient / Eastern Mediterranean. (PDF; 15 MiB) Saxon State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Labor and Transport , December 2015, accessed on January 7, 2017 .
  10. ↑ Priority Project 22. Railway axis Athina – Sofia – Budapest – Vienna – Praha – Nuremberg / Dresden. European Commission, accessed August 27, 2013 .
  11. ↑ a b c d e f Petra Heldt: New rail line (NBS) Dresden – Prague outside the Elbe valley . In: Railway technical review . December 2015, ISSN  0013-2845 , p. 28–32 ( archive.org [PDF]).
  12. ↑ Priority Projects 2010 A Detailed Analysis. (PDF; 14.4 MiB) TEN-T Trans-European Transport Network. European Commission - DG Mobility and Transport, Directorate B - Trans-European Transport Networks & Smart Transport, December 2010, pp. 103-104 , accessed on August 27, 2013 .
  13. ↑ Press release Free State of Saxony: Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 2015: Free State registers rail projects with the federal government. Medienservice Sachsen, April 8, 2013, accessed on August 27, 2013 .
  14. ↑ State Transport Plan Saxony 2025 (PDF; 5.6 MiB) Saxon State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Labor and Transport, September 2012, p. 47 , accessed on August 14, 2013 .
  15. ↑ a b Federal Law Gazette. (PDF) Retrieved March 23, 2017 .
  16. ^ Tillich welcomes the declaration of intent for the new Dresden - Prague railway line. Medienservice Sachsen, August 26, 2017, accessed on December 11, 2017 .
  17. ^ A b Juliane Weigt: In 50 minutes from Dresden to Prague - Saxony is planning a new railway line . In: Dresdner Latest News . January 15, 2016, p. 1 .
  18. ↑ Saxon-Bohemian growth axis. (PDF; 2.6 MiB) The new Dresden – Prague line. Saxon State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Labor and Transport / Unit 62, September 2011, accessed on August 27, 2013 .
  19. ↑ a b c Project TEN 22, new line (NBS) Dresden-Prague, investigation of line / route variants for joint cross-border planning. (PDF; 1.3 MiB) Saxon State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Labor and Transport , July 27, 2012, archived from the original on May 19, 2015 ; accessed on August 27, 2013 (explanatory report).
  20. ↑ Pious wishes, vague plans, little hope. Sächsische Zeitung , March 2, 2012, p. 21 , accessed on March 2, 2012 (No. 53, Jd. 67).
  21. ↑ Michael Rothe: Railway and Saxony agree on tunnel to Prague . In: Saxon newspaper . July 3, 2014, ZDB -ID 2448502-0 , p. 1 .
  22. ↑ Michael Rothe: Borrowed Railway Idylle . In: Saxon newspaper . July 3, 2014, ZDB -ID 2448502-0 , p. 21 .
  23. ^ New Dresden - Prague line - members and contact. Retrieved March 23, 2017 .
  24. ^ Reports Germany . In: Eisenbahn-Revue International . No. 10 , 2014, ISSN  1421-2811 , p. 496 .
  25. ^ EU to invest in studies on high speed railway between Dresden and Prague. Press release. European Commission Innovation & Networks Executive Agency, December 4, 2014, accessed December 4, 2014 .
  26. ^ A b c d Jan-Dirk Franke: A huge railway tunnel is to be built under the Ore Mountains . In: Free Press . January 15, 2016, ZDB -ID 1085204-9 , p. 1 ( Freiepresse.de ).
  27. ^ New railway line Dresden - Prague . Youtube video, time index 2:10 to 3:10.
  28. ↑ In 50 minutes from Dresden to Prague: New route planned . In: Leipziger Volkszeitung , Muldentalzeitung . January 15, 2016, ISSN  0232-3222 , p. M4 .
  29. ↑ Study: The high-speed rail line from Prague to Dresden should be ready in 2035. Radio Praha International , August 27, 2020, accessed on August 27, 2020 .
  30. ^ Burkhard Lehmann: New railway line Dresden – Prague. Project partnership with the Czech geological service. In: smul.sachsen.de. October 30, 2017, archived from the original ; accessed on January 11, 2018 .
  31. ↑ Spatial planning procedure - new Dresden - Prague line. Retrieved January 9, 2020 .
  32. ↑ Free State of Saxony, Landesdirektion Sachsen (Ed.): Spatial planning assessment for the project “Regional planning procedure for the new railway line Dresden - Prague, section Free State of Saxony, Dresden - state border (Ústí nad Labem)” . Chemnitz August 21, 2020 (59 pages, sachsen.de [PDF; 1.4 MB ; accessed on August 21, 2020]).
  33. ↑ Manfred Zschweigert: high-speed lines in the new federal states . In: The Railway Engineer . tape 43 , no. 4 , April 1992, ISSN  0013-2810 , pp. 234-238 .
  34. ↑ Transrapid to Vienna and Prague. FOCUS Online, July 29, 1996, accessed on August 27, 2013 .
  35. ^ With the Transrapid from Berlin via Dresden to Budapest. September 18, 2006, accessed September 9, 2013 .
  36. ↑ Dresden – Prague rail line: Citizen variant is taken into account. Retrieved December 6, 2018 .