Monday, 25.01.2021
EU funding for design work on new Dresden–Prague line
The European Union is investing EUR 2.2 billion in 140 major transport projects in Europe • 19 projects in Germany are receiving funding • New cross-border rail line from Dresden to Prague is among the beneficiaries
(Berlin/Leipzig, 28 October 2020) The European Union is providing EUR 3.375 million of funding between now and 2023 for the design work on the cross-border section of the new Dresden–Prague line. The money will come from the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility. A grant agreement has now been signed by the European Commission’s Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA) and the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure.
Project manager Kay Müller: “The EU funding is a clear signal that this is a European transport project. The new rail link between Dresden and Prague will significantly accelerate traffic on this route and bring Europe closer together.”
Background on the Dresden–Prague new-build line project:
The railway line between Dresden and Prague is an important section of the trans-European network (TEN) for traffic heading to and from southeast Europe. Topography and environmental considerations make upgrading and accelerating the existing line through the Elbe Valley unfeasible. A new line with a tunnel beneath the Ore Mountains (Erzgebirge) is therefore planned. This will reduce journey times for both national and international passenger and freight traffic and shift more traffic to rail. It will also connect the Czech Republic to the European high-speed rail network.
Background on the European funding:
The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) is providing a total of EUR 23.2 billion of funding from the 2014-2020 EU budget to co-finance projects that promote the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) in the EU member states. Since 2014, the year of the first programme planning for CEF funds, six requests for proposal have been published (one per year). So far, the Connecting Europe Facility has supported 794 projects in the transport sector with total funding of EUR 21.1 billion. More information on the European Union website ec.europa.eu.
Contact person:
Michael Baufeld
Head of Communications Rail operations in Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 30 297-6260062
Presse.l@deutschebahn.com
