The division of Holešovice has come to an end

The Railway Administration has completed extensive modernisation of the line between Bubny and Výstaviště, which forms part of the future connection between Prague’s city centre, the airport and Kladno. The repair, costing over CZK 5.6 billion, has resulted in a major transformation: the nearly one-kilometre section now runs over viaducts on pillars instead of the original embankments that divided Holešovice for decades. Thanks to this, the level crossing on Bubenská Street has disappeared, and a new Nicolas Winton Street, linking the upper and lower parts of the district, has been created. The reconstruction has also increased the line’s capacity and will make it possible to introduce more services toward Kralupy nad Vltavou, Ústí nad Labem and Kladno.

A hall on stilts

The new Prague-Bubny station building was designed by the Jakub Cigler Architekti studio and, in Czech terms, offers a unique solution: trains actually enter directly into the building. The large hall, measuring 250 × 50 metres, stands on pillars, creating space underneath for the shops and services that will gradually open here. Passengers reach the platforms via escalators or lifts, where glass-walled waiting rooms await them. The station’s interior is, unusually, enlivened by trees equipped with an automatic irrigation system. The furnishings themselves are also worth mentioning, as while waiting for a train you can sit on designer chairs by renowned German designer Konstantin Grcic. This may seem like an unnecessary luxury, yet it is all expected to serve its purpose well.

The sky over little Berlin

The new building also includes an observation terrace with a view of Holešovice. Although the Railway Administration originally planned limited access, it backed down to some extent after criticism and the public can now access it between 3 pm and 6 pm from Monday to Saturday. The future will bring changes to the terrace, however, as in a few years’ time an office extension is to rise on the roof, where—once approved by the Ministry of Transport—the headquarters of the Railway Administration will relocate from its current buildings in central Prague.

New stop at Výstaviště

But it doesn't stop with Bubny. The Prague-Výstaviště stop is completely new, providing comfortable connections to the Výstaviště complex, Stromovka park and the National Gallery. It has two levels. Technical infrastructure is concealed beneath Dukelských hrdinů Street, and at the upper level two partially roofed side platforms have been constructed. A new footbridge now rises above the stop, opening a pedestrian link from Letná to Stromovka. There are bike racks, a lift and clear signage.

11 stages of railway development

The modernisation of the Bubny-Výstaviště section is just one piece in the mosaic of the extensive Prague-Airport-Kladno project, which is divided into eleven stages. The Railway Administration had already restored the Negrelli Viaduct, where last autumn the first pilot arch with a glass infill opened, now home to a unique city library branch. Work is currently under way on the reconstruction of Masaryk Station and the modernisation of the Kladno and Kladno-Ostrovec sections, and construction of the section between Prague-Ruzyně and Kladno is expected to begin later this year. A new underground station in Dejvice is also being prepared. If everything goes according to plan, passengers could get from the centre of Prague to Václav Havel Airport by train as early as around 2030.

A dialogue between the past and the present

The original Bubny station building will not disappear; it will be transformed into the Bubny Centre of Memory and Dialogue, commemorating the nearly 50,000 Jews deported through this location during the Second World War. The redevelopment design originated from an architectural competition, and is authored by the Hradec Králové-based ARN STUDIO, led by Jiří and Michal Krejčiřík. The project enlarges the historic station, yet keeps its distinctive elements as witnesses of their time. The centre should be open in two years’ time.