The Czech Republic is an important part of anticipated high-speed European railway network25/9/2021|Press releasesAt its meeting today with the European Commission representatives in Prague, the Czech and Saxon delegations presented joint priorities for speeding up international travelling by train. The ministers Karel Havlíček and Martin Dulig stated that inclusion of the high-speed railway from Prague to Dresden via Ústí nad Labem into Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) is a shared priority. They focused also on financing of railway transport buildings from European funds. The meeting took place at the occasion of arrival of the Connecting Europe Express (CEE, European train promoting railway transport) to Prague. “I am pleased that together with my Saxon colleagues we had the opportunity to present the European Commission our joint interest to include high-speed railway via Ústí nad Labem to Dresden into the highest layer of TEN-T network. Along with new high-speed lines Prague – Brno or Přerov – Ostrava, it is our priority to be able to benefit from co-financing from EU funds”, said the minister of transport Karel Havlíček adding that there will be further discussion about the exact layer of the network in which these railways will be included. Another topic of the meeting was financing of construction of rapid connections. It is important that the Commission plans to create a special layer for European projects of strategic interest with required deadline of completion by 2040. Those projects can be co-financed from anticipated European financial instruments. “We need the funding from CEF especially to prepare and then construct our large strategic projects. That is why we need to have as many projects as possible included in the core TEN-T network. We need to realise that without high-speed railway between Prague and Brno we cannot significantly improve travel times between Berlin, Dresden, Prague, Brno, Wien or Bratislava and Budapest and that it will not play an important role in the European railway corridors. I appreciate the Commission’s understanding in this matter”, added Mr Havlíček. The Czech Republic has been intensifying its efforts in construction of high-speed railways since 2017 when the government approved Rapid Connections Development Program in the Czech Republic. The government assumed a clear position on the support of this system and ambition to realise such project in the Czech Republic. After the adoption of the program, preparations of individual sections according to requirements set in the Building Act have begun. The most advanced preparations are on section Praha-Běchovice – Poříčany and by tunnel in Ore Mountains, where the constructions should begin first. For more information about high-speed railway in the Czech Republic, please, follow this link.