SŽ rejected the association's study about the bridge at Výton, claiming that a third track is necessary

Prague - The Railway Administration (SŽ) rejected the conclusions of a study presented this week by the association Nebourat, which claims that there is no need to expand the bridge at Prague's Výton with a third track. This was communicated by the organization's spokesperson Nela Eberl Friebová in a press release. According to Pavel Paidar, the director of the construction preparation department at SŽ, the study omits some planned future lines and improperly positions the planned stop at Výton. SŽ wants to replace the bridge with a new one, which has sparked a wave of criticism.

The Nebourat association, whose online petition has so far been signed by about 18,800 people, commissioned the study from a team led by transport expert Jiří Pospíšil. On Wednesday, he stated that to achieve the required capacity by 2035, it is sufficient to carry out technological adjustments on the line, such as increasing the number of signals, and that the traffic on the bridge should decrease due to the construction of railway tunnels beneath the metropolis.

According to Paidar, the study incorrectly interprets the inputs for calculating train capacity and purposefully overlooks some planned future lines. "It also introduces inadmissible simplifications corresponding to metro operations, where all trains run orderly behind each other, which is not possible in the case of rail transport," he stated.

The study also anticipates modifications to the planned Praha Vyšehrad station to accommodate the increased traffic. According to the director, these modifications are also unsuitable. "The proposed Praha Vyšehrad station is positioned entirely inadequately in terms of transport service for the area and connections to the main lines of surface public transport," he stated, adding that the proposed location is unacceptable for the organizer of Prague transport, Ropid, as well as for Prague 2.

Paidar also questioned the assertion that after the construction of the so-called New Connection II, meaning new railway tunnels under Prague, the significance of the bridge at Výton would decrease. According to SŽ, the underground railway connection can realistically be expected in about 20 years and will only complement the three-track bridge. "Most suburban trains will move to the two underground tracks, while the bridge will be primarily used by long-distance and fast interregional transport, together with the remaining regional/city lines," stated Paidar.

Last year, SŽ presented the results of an international architectural competition, in which a project succeeded that considers preserving only the lower part of the bridge with pylons and replacing the historic upper riveted structure with a new one. This has sparked a wave of resistance among local residents, municipal politicians, and heritage conservationists, who demand the preservation of the existing form. Transport Minister Martin Kupka (ODS) previously stated that he wants to decide on the next steps by the end of the year.

The railway bridge at Výton 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 spans the Vltava to this day. SŽ has managed the bridge since 2008, and in 2004 it was declared a cultural monument. Since 2010, SŽ has attempted twice unsuccessfully to revoke its status.