The capacity of the bridge at Výtoň can be increased according to the study of the association even without a third track

Prague - The required capacity of the railway bridge at Výtoň can be ensured without expanding from two to three tracks, as planned by the Czech Railway Administration (SŽ). Representatives of the association Nebourat, which opposes the planned replacement of the bridge with a new one and demands its reconstruction, told this to journalists today. The initiative had a transportation study conducted, according to which it is sufficient to make technological adjustments on the track, such as increasing the number of signals.

SŽ organized an architectural competition for further solutions regarding the bridge, which resulted in a project that involves retaining only the lower part of the bridge with the pillars and replacing the historical upper riveted structure with a new one. There has been a wave of resistance against this intention among local residents, municipal politicians, and heritage protectors. The association Nebourat organized an online petition against the replacement of the structure, which has so far been signed by about 18,800 people.

One of the arguments for replacing the structure is also the necessity to expand the currently double-track bridge by a third track, which, in the case of reconstruction, would mean the need to build an additional structure next to the existing one. The leadership of the capital city also demands the third track. According to its founder Pavel Štorch, the association had a transportation assessment regarding the necessity of a third track done, which SŽ has not yet presented. "The civic sector here is supplementary to the work of the state," he said today.

The assessment was overseen by transportation expert Jiří Pospíšil, whose team used materials for the planned study of the Prague railway hub. According to the expert, SŽ wants to transfer 479 trains per day and 17 sets in one direction per hour during peak times by 2035. Currently, 315 trains and 11 sets per hour in one direction during peak times operate there.

According to the expert’s calculations, the required capacity can be ensured by increasing the signals from the current five to eight, allowing up to 20 trains in one direction during peak hours. A prerequisite for this capacity is also the unification of train speeds to 60 kilometers per hour and other technical adjustments on the track. According to Pospíšil, the necessary capacity can also be achieved in the case of the planned train stop Vyšehrad with the help of platform modifications.

Štorch added that the Scientific Council of the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) has already called on SŽ to verify the necessity of building a third track, but the organization has not yet presented any calculations. "We urge SŽ that if they have calculations showing the necessity of building a third track, then they should present them," he said. He added that the association has now presented specific and factual evidence that the third track is not necessary.

The railway bridge at Výtoň was put into operation in its original form on August 15, 1872. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, it was replaced by the bridge that still spans the Vltava. SŽ has managed the bridge since 2008, and it was declared a cultural monument in 2004. Since 2010, SŽ has unsuccessfully attempted to remove this status twice. Minister of Transport Martin Kupka (ODS) previously stated that he wants to decide on the further course of action by the end of the year.