Germany's longest railroad tunnel is to be built in the Eastern Ore Mountains and will significantly shorten the journey time between Dresden and Prague. After examining various options for the new line, the construction of a single, approximately 30-kilometre-long tunnel between Heidenau on the German side and Usti nad Labem on the Czech side is now favored, Deutsche Bahn announced on Monday. The full tunnel variant is the best solution for the environment as well as technically and economically.
In one hour to Prague
The new construction project is considered an internationally important rail transport project. The background to this is that the existing route through the Elbe Valley is reaching its capacity limit. The new route is intended to offer a flood-proof alternative and shorten journey times. In future, passengers should be able to travel from Dresden to the Czech capital in just around an hour. Currently, the journey usually takes just under two and a half hours.
The project connects nations and creates the conditions for more passenger and freight transport by rail, stated Martin Walden, Deutsche Bahn's Group Representative for Saxony. Saxony's Transport Minister Martin Dulig (SPD) emphasized that the construction of the line must be given absolute priority. With the decision on the route that has now been announced, a further milestone has been reached. Dulig explained that the full tunnel option was also more popular with citizens in the region.
According to the plans, two parallel tunnel tubes are to be driven through the eastern Ore Mountains. The tubes are each single-track and are to be used by both passenger and freight trains. On the German side, the construction of the new tunnel also includes the upgrading of the line between Dresden and Heidenau. Around 46 kilometers of new tracks, modern control and safety technology and new stabling facilities for trains are to be built.
Tunnel construction time around twelve years
The Dresden-Prague route is part of a European rail corridor from German North Sea and Baltic ports through south-eastern Europe to Istanbul and Athens. According to Deutsche Bahn, citizen dialogs are planned in the municipalities from January to provide information about the planning. The preferred option is to be finalized by the middle of next year and the documents will then be submitted to the Bundestag. A decision on implementation and financing should then be made at the end of the legislative period.
But rail travelers will have to wait at least another two decades before the first train rolls through the tunnel. According to current forecasts, Deutsche Bahn is aiming to start construction around 2032, with a construction period of around 12 years.
The longest railroad tunnel in Germany to date is the Landrücken Tunnel in Hesse with a length of 10.8 kilometers. The Fehmarnbelt Tunnel between Schleswig-Holstein and Denmark, which is currently under construction, is expected to be around 18 kilometers long.
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