At the end of August, trains started making stops in a completely new Praha-Podbaba railway stop, where a new, long expected train-to-bus and train-to-tram change terminal is to be put into the operation. A day before, the original Bubeneč Railway Station will cease to serve for public transport.
Since 1 September, trains will also make stops in five other new railway stops in the Rudná and Hostivice areas (Rudná railway stop, Chýně, Jinočany, Hostivice-Sadová and Hostivice-U hřbitova), which also means a complete modification of the timetables applicable on railway lines Praha – Rudná u Prahy – Beroun and Praha-Smíchov Na Knížecí – Hostivice – Rudná. The Railway Infrastructure Administration and the Central-Bohemian Region have jointly invested in the financing of this location.
Praha-Podbaba
The new railway stop is located directly at the tram terminus station of Podbaba; trains have started making stops there at 4.00 AM on Friday, 29 August. The stop has been constructed within the framework of a construction project called Optimisation of the railway line Praha-Bubeneč – Praha-Holešovice. So far, only one platform will serve for public transport, used by trains heading from both directions. Nevertheless each direction shall have its own platform in December 2014. The given line section will thus contribute to a full completion of the railway corridor construction project, final construction works will continue until spring 2015. The station costs approximately 30 million Czech crowns and is part of total costs invested into railway lines between Bubeneč and Holešovice. Estimated total costs of the works amount to 931 million Czech crowns (approximately 3 billion euros).
In Podbaba, this will provide a train-to-train and train-to-public transport change terminal, which has long been expected. Passengers heading to Prague by train from Kralupy nad Vltavou will be able to reach the Dejvice Metro Station 10 to 15 minutes faster than until now when they had to change in Bubeneč Railway Station and wait for bus No 131.
The Bubeneč area where the original railway station is located will be also serviced in the future by the bus line No 131 which leaves the station every 4 minutes on morning peak hours and every 6 minutes in the afternoon. The railway station itself will not cease its operation completely. Passenger transport will decrease, however the operating point will serve as a passing bay for train crossing.
Five new stops in Rudná and Hostivice areas
At the beginning of September, trains started making stops in five new railway stops in the Rudná and Hostivice areas. Local railway lines will also be operated with new train connections ordered by the Regional Authority of Central-Bohemian Region.
- Hostivice-Sadová Hostivice-U hřbitova
- Chýně Rudná railway stop
- Jinočany
The Railway Infrastructure Administration built the railway stops for tens of millions of Czech crowns; access roads have been financed by the Central Bohemian Region.
Modern, illuminated platforms have been designed using pre-fab elements with anti-noise protection finish, with a platform boarding edge height of 550 mm. This allows passengers to board the trains directly at the train floor level. A new stop shelter has been designed using a concrete material with the *anti-vandalism* finish. Apart from benches, the platform contains also a trash bin, illumination and a showcase with information for passengers. The platform is also equipped with a ticket marking machine (ROPID).
”We strongly believe that namely urban-public transport service project may represent a key factor so that railway transport becomes a very interesting alternative for thousands of passengers who have been commuting to the Capital of Prague by personal cars,“ said Mr Pavel Surý, Director General of the Railway Infrastructure Administration at the inauguration presentation of the new railway stops. ”I believe that if anyone tries this mode of transport and discovers the way of travelling without waiting in overcrowded streets and everyday traffic jams he will fall in love with railway transport in the same way as I already have.,“ added Mr Surý.
The interest of the local population westwards of the Capital of Prague in regular commuting to work by train is constantly growing, although a motorway capacity is available in the region,” added Mr Alois Kašpar, Director of the Regional Centre for Passenger Transport of České dráhy, and continued: “While ten years ago, Nučice and Rudná areas were serviced only by approximately ten trains a day fully meeting the local transport demand, nowadays we operate almost thirty trains daily with a 30 minute interval during peak hours. Capacity and service quality has increased as well. Fully modernised Regionova units offer upholstered seats, moreover a low-floor section provides very suitable travel experience for mothers with strollers, wheelchairs or retirees.”
Alois Kašpar also highlighted a significant potential of the railway route:”Although these are not main corridor lines, the railway connections from Nučice through Rudná u Prahy to Smíchov, as well as the route connecting Rudná, Hostivice and the stop Na Knížecí at Anděl Metro Station have a significant potential for further growth of passenger demand. One of additional impulses for higher demand in terms of railway services will be a simultaneous opening of the new stops, providing better accessibility of railway transport to the wider public and population and saving them tens of minutes per month they currently spend commuting to work.“
(Source: SZDC)
