SŽDC is preparing the reconstruction of Masaryk Station for 2.4 billion CZK

Prague - The Railway Infrastructure Administration (SŽDC) is preparing a complete reconstruction of Masaryk Station in Prague for 2.4 billion crowns. Information from the server E15.cz was confirmed today by the spokesperson of the organization, Marek Illiaš. The modernization is expected to start in 2022. The station is to become a transport hub in Prague with a connection to the airport, while the construction of an administrative district is also being prepared in its vicinity.

"The reconstruction involves a comprehensive modernization of the station, including, among other things, the expansion of the current number of tracks from seven to nine and the construction of a new vestibule in the form of a roof connecting the area of the streets Na Florenci, Hybernská, and Opletalova with access to the individual platforms," said Illiaš.

The reconstruction is expected to increase the speed of trains departing from the station. In the direction of Libeň, trains will be able to travel at speeds of up to 100 km/h, while in the direction of Bubny, where the line to Prague Airport will run, gradually up to 60 km/h. The braking distance, in which all trains must stop from maximum speed, should also be unified throughout the station area to one kilometer. The project is also expected to include the modernization of the Hrabovka - Sluncová section.

Masaryk Station, built in 1845, is the oldest large railway station in the capital. In addition to the repair of the station itself, a significant transformation of its surroundings is expected in the coming years. The investment company Penta Real Estate, which purchased the land from SŽDC in 2016 for 235 million crowns, plans to build an administrative district with shops and restaurants here for 6.5 billion crowns, as well as a park according to the design of the late British architect Zaha Hadid. The project is based on a design by the architectural studio of Jakub Cigler, with Studio Zaha Hadid Architects as the conceptual architect.