The Process

From basic idea to construction

The Dresden – Prague railway project is constantly growing and evolving. As DB InfraGO AG and Správa železnic, we want to work out the best solution step by step. Take a look at the planning process.

The foundation for new transportation routes is laid by the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan (Bundesverkehrswegeplan, BVWP), a kind of federal “master plan” for the further development of road, rail, and water transportation routes. In the most recent version, the BVWP 2030, the new line Dresden – Prague is included as a priority requirement. DB Netz AG is responsible for the technical planning of this project.

Czechia: Emerging phase

At this stage, various studies (spatial-technical study, technical-operational study, the ‘Fast Connections’ development program) examined whether the construction of high-speed railway was necessary. The ‘Fast Connections’ development program, approved in 2017, served as a conceptual basis for the Government’s decision on whether and under what conditions the Czech Republic should move towards the preparation, subsequent construction, and operation of a comprehensive high-speed rail system.

Within the tunnel corridor identified in the basic evaluation, several variants were developed as a basis for the regional planning procedure. The specific routing of the possible variants resulted from planning calculations, geological tests, environmental constraints, and studies. We are currently examining two variants (full and partial tunnel). At the end of the preliminary planning, a decision is made on a preferred option. Then this preferred option will be accompanied by the Bundestag during the parliamentary referral process.

Czechia: Feasibility phase

The feasibility study for the sections of the RS 4 from Dresden to Prague was approved by the Central Commission of the Ministry of Transport in December 2020. The study examined the possibilities of the high-speed railway, assessed the economics of its construction and operation, the basic technical solution, the possible passage through the territory and the impact of the construction on the environment.

In the design phase, the preferred option is planned in detail and the costs of the route are calculated in concrete terms. While the preliminary planning has clarified the “what”, the next question is “how”. The route planning becomes more detailed and specific in this phase.
In the approval planning, we prepare the documents for the planning approval procedure and submit them to the Federal Railway Authority (EBA). The Federal Railway Authority initiates the planning approval procedure, ensures the possibility of participation through objections and a hearing procedure, and will issue a planning approval decision after weighing up all concerns. This approval is comparable to a building permit.

Czechia: Approval procedure

The new Building Act has merged the two steps of the process – regional planning procedure (incl. EIA) and approval procedure – into one approval procedure with partial milestones (regional planning procedure and EIA) from 2024.

Regional planning procedure

The output of the feasibility study is a strip of territory (corridor) as a basis for updating the regional spatial planning documentation (aZÚR), which is approved by the regional council after a public hearing. As part of this update, an environmental impact assessment (SEA) of the concept is also prepared.

EIA

The output of this step will be the documentation of the environmental impact of a specific construction (the so-called EIA) – in this case RS 4 from Dresden to Prague, not only the technical solution, but also the organization of construction. Within this process the Ministry of the Environment asks local authorities and state bodies to comment on the submitted documentation.

Once the building permit has been issued, the next planning step can begin: The Implementation planning. Among other things, the actual construction plans for all specialist trades are drawn up and the details of the construction process are planned, which usually require very complex coordination due to the size of the project. The documents contain all the information needed to carry out the construction of the project.

From January 2024 the Transport and Energy Construction Authority (DESÚ), which will be part of the Ministry of Transport, will be established. DESÚ will become a new special authority to authorize key transport and energy infrastructure projects. The authority will issue a so-called planning permission, which will replace all the necessary permits with one stamp.In order to permit the Erzgebirgstunnel, a presidential treaty between the two countries will be needed to determine who will issue the permit for this section of the line.

The construction of the Dresden – Prague line begins with the symbolic groundbreaking ceremony. Material for the track bed and rail guide is produced, delivered, and installed. To keep dust, noise and disruption to public road traffic to a minimum, a customized construction logistics concept is implemented. This concept has already been designed in the previous planning stages. When the construction work is completed, inspection takes place.

Joint planning area: From two main variants for the tunnel to the best

The section between Heidenau and Ústí nad Labem is our shared planning area, where DB and Správa železnic are working together on the route. Two main options for the Erzgebirgstunnel/ Krušnohorský tunel were developed during the preliminary planning: A full tunnel version with overtaking station in Heidenau, a design speed of 200 km/h and two- or four-track integration before the Erzgebirge Tunnel as well as a partial tunnel version with overtaking station in Goes, a final speed of 160/200 km/h and the valley bridge Seidwitztal.

The railway operation study (EBWU) showed that a full tunnel option with double-track integration into the tunnel offers optimal operational quality. Therefore, the full tunnel option with a four-track integration into the tunnel, which would be associated with greater interference with protected assets, is not being pursued any further.

Then we compared a full tunnel and a partial tunnel with a two-track integration into the tunnel. We used a catalogue of criteria, in which the topics of environment, infrastructure and economic viability were compared. They were weighted equally, each one third – the result: The full tunnel variant is the best option. Based on the catalogue of criteria, the decision was made in favour of the full tunnel variant.

Michael Menschner, subproject manager of the Dresden to Heidenau section, stands at the whiteboard showing a map of the project area. He is facing three people who are looking at him and the map. — Michael Menschner, project manager of the Dresden to Heidenau section. DB AG / Susann Holtorp

Overview of the milestones

2017 – 2020: Feasibility studies were carried out.
December 2019: DB AG and Správa železnic sign the planning contract for the new Dresden – Prague line.
September 2021: DB InfraGO AG and the Saxon State Office for the Environment, Agriculture and Geology (LfULG) sign a declaration of intent for the new Dresden – Prague line.
Summer 2022: Commencement of the update of the regional spatial planning documentation (Ústecký Region) – anchoring of the corridor on the Czech side.
November 2022: Presentation of two options (on German territory) for the railway tunnel between Heidenau and the Czech transport hub Ústí nad Labem.
January 2023: Finalisation of the infrastructure criteria catalogue (German side).
End of 2024: Finalisation of the preliminary planning for the route and submission of the preferred option to the German Bundestag.
End of 2024: Start of the EIA process on the Czech side for the selected variant.
From 2025: Start of the planning approval procedure (procedure to obtain building permission) in both countries.
Once planning permission has been granted, the construction can be implemented.

The process of authorisation for two different countries

Experts from both countries are working closely together on the project, with each implementing procedure in their respective countries. At the beginning of 2024, the Czech Construction Act will be amended, which will shorten the approval procedure and bring it closer to the German procedure.

The process of planning and approval in Germany and Czechia

Cross-border tendering and contracting

In December 2019, Správa železnic and DB InfraGO AG as well as DB Energie GmbH concluded the planning agreement on cooperation in the joint planning area of the new Dresden – Prague line. The joint planning area runs from the tie-in point in Heidenau through the heart of the project, the Erzgebirgstunnel, to the tie-out point on the Czech border in the Chabařovice area.

In May 2020 and in a revised form at the end of August 2020, a first joint call for tenders for the project management between Heidenau and Ústí nad Labem was published. In January 2021, the contract was awarded to a bidding consortium “Projektsteuerung NBS Dresden – Prag” under the management of the companies Vössing Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH and Schüßler-Plan GmbH within the framework of a Europe-wide award procedure. A consortium of several offices under the name INGENIEURGEMEINSCHAFT PA2 Erzgebirgstunnel became the main designer for the LPH 1-2 phase (for the Czech Republic in the details of the Zoning Decision Documentation). They used BIM methodology because of better transparency and accessibility of the design.

A look over the shoulder of a woman wearing a safety jacket shows her operating a mobile device with a stylus. The screen displays the two tunnel tubes of a track section. — DB AG / Patrick Kuschfeld

From basic idea to construction

Czechia: Emerging phase

Czechia: Feasibility phase

Czechia: Approval procedure

Regional planning procedure

EIA

Joint planning area: From two main variants for the tunnel to the best

Overview of the milestones

The process of authorisation for two different countries

Cross-border tendering and contracting

Frequently Asked Questions

Interactive map

Media Library

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From basic idea to construction

1Germany: Planning order

2Germany: The preliminary planning

3Germany: Design and approval planning

4Germany: Implementation planning

5Czechia: Implementation documentation phase

6Construction and commissioning

Joint planning area: From two main variants for the tunnel to the best

Overview of the milestones

The process of authorisation for two different countries

Cross-border tendering and contracting

Frequently Asked Questions

Interactive map

Media Library

Stay up to date