Central Bohemian Region and transporters request a new railway bridge at Prague's Výtoň

Prague - The Central Bohemian Region and transport providers today urged the Ministry of Transport to decide as soon as possible about the construction of a railway bridge at Prague's Výtoň. Due to the necessary railway transport, supporters are advocating for a new bridge, not just a reconstructed one. Central Bohemian councilor for public transport Petr Borecký (STAN) and representatives of transport associations told journalists today. The planned demolition of the bridge under Vyšehrad has drawn protests from the association Nebourat, citing its social, cultural, and symbolic value. According to the association, cargo trains do not belong on the bridge. Transport Minister Martin Kupka (ODS) previously stated that he wants to decide on the next steps by the end of the year.

"The decision about the fate of the Výtoň bridge is absolutely crucial for the Central Bohemian Region, because a large part of the passenger rail traffic travels from the western to the eastern bank of the Vltava River, and if the decision is postponed, it may end up that the Výtoň bridge will be out of operation due to its technical condition, and we will then have no way to transport passengers from one bank to the other," Borecký told ČTK.

"And if a decision about the bridge has to be made, we would like it to be as soon as possible. We would like to urge the ministry and the Minister of Transport not to delay the decision any longer. We are unequivocal supporters of building a new bridge," the councilor added.

Due to the bridge's emergency condition, only one train can pass at a time, at a reduced speed of 20 kilometers per hour. "We cannot function under these restrictions in the long term," declared Oldřich Sládek, president of the Transport Association.

According to its director Petr Moravec, the long-term priority of the SVOD Bohemia Association of Passenger Railway Carriers is to ensure that there are at least three tracks along the entire route between Prague's main station and Smíchov, or at least in part of it. "A quick and concrete decision from the minister is therefore absolutely key in this respect," Moravec stated.

In September, more than 200 people protested against the demolition of the railway bridge. The Nebourat association, which organized the event, also launched an online petition against the plan. It has been signed by approximately 20,500 people so far. In early August, the association filed a criminal complaint against the bridge administrator, the Railway Administration (SŽ), on suspicion of the crime of abuse of ownership, which, according to its representatives, occurred in connection with the failure to carry out repairs and maintenance of the bridge.

In response to the statements from transport providers and the region, the association today stated that it is more suitable to use other routes for freight rail transport than the bridge between Smíchov and Výtoň. "We support both passenger and freight rail transport, however, freight trains do not need to burden the historical center of Prague at all. The necessary capacities can be ensured by expanding the Branický bridge," said Pavel Štorch, founder of the Nebourat initiative. The expansion of the bridge in Braník to include a second track began in July, is expected to cost about 2.7 billion crowns, and will take 13 months.

SŽ has managed the Vyšehrad railway bridge since 2004, when it was also declared a cultural monument. Since 2010, SŽ has unsuccessfully attempted to remove its status twice. The company announced an international architectural competition for solving the poor condition of the bridge, the results of which were presented last year. The winning project proposes that only the lower part with the pillars remains while the current riveted structure will be replaced with a new one.

The Czech National Committee of ICOMOS and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre previously expressed opposition to this plan, urging the Ministry of Culture to preserve the existing form of the bridge in a letter. The preservation is also demanded by the National Heritage Institute, the city of Prague, and the city districts of Prague 5 and Prague 2. On the other hand, most experts who participated in the international colloquium organized by SŽ and the Ministry of Transport recommended replacing the structure in their statements.

The railway bridge at Výtoň was opened on August 15, 1872. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, it was replaced by the bridge that spans the Vltava to this day. Experts consider the structure to be an important technical cultural monument in an exposed part of the Prague heritage reserve.