Expansion of the Railway Line Between Prague-Ruzyně and Kladno Officially Begins

With the official start of construction work on the expansion of the railway line between Prague-Ruzyně and Kladno, one of the most important infrastructure projects in the Greater Prague area is now underway.

With a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony, the Czech railway administration Správa železnic on Tuesday officially launched the extensive modernisation of the approximately 15-kilometre-long railway section between Prague-Ruzyně and Kladno. The project is considered the longest section to date of the future Prague – Airport – Kladno railway connection and is expected to fundamentally transform rail transport in the region.

The expansion of the line is expected to significantly improve both journey times and capacity. In future, trains are expected to cover the route between Kladno and Prague-Ruzyně in just seven and a half minutes – around half the current travel time. At the same time, the double-track upgrade is intended to allow for more frequent and reliable rail services.

Foto: Ministerstvo dopravy ČR

The modernisation concerns not only the rail infrastructure itself. Plans also include new interchange options with bus services, additional park-and-ride parking facilities, and extensive safety measures. Several level crossings on heavily used roads are to be replaced by underpasses or overpasses.

Transport Minister Ivan Bednárik described the project as an important step for the region. The largest city in the Central Bohemian Region had already been waiting for decades for a high-capacity railway connection to Prague. He also highlighted that the successful tender process had reduced costs by several hundred million crowns compared to the original estimate.

Foto: Ministerstvo dopravy ČR

As part of the works, the stations at Hostivice and Jeneč, as well as the Pavlov stop, will be modernised. The existing station building in Unhošť is to be replaced by the new Malé Přítočno stop. A new P+R car park with space for more than 300 vehicles is also planned there. Additional new stops will be built in the Jeneček district and in Velké Přítočno. Construction work is expected to be completed by 2029.

The project is being co-financed by the European Union through the Cohesion Fund under the Transport Programme 2021–2027. National funding is being provided by the Czech State Fund for Transport Infrastructure. Total costs are estimated at around 8.3 billion crowns.

Foto: Ministerstvo dopravy ČR

The Prague – Airport – Kladno railway connection is considered one of the most important infrastructure projects in the Greater Prague area. Completed sections already include the modernisation of the Negrelli Viaduct, the construction of the new Praha-Bubny station and the new Praha-Výstaviště stop. Trains are already operating on the section between Kladno-Ostrovec and Kladno. At the same time, extensive reconstruction work at Prague’s Masaryk Railway Station is continuing.