01 Prague Railway Junction 2025
Prague Railway Junction and its limitations. Prague is the capital of rail transport. Since the first horse-drawn railway launched in 1830, the city has been a key railway hub of European significance for nearly two centuries. It welcomes suburban, regional, and long-distance passenger trains and freight lines from all directions. With rail transport enjoying a global renaissance, the demand for new and reliable connections in the Czech Republic is rising, but development in Prague faces challenges due to limitations in the existing railway hub layout, which currently restricts further increases in speed and capacity. In other words, there is simply no more room for additional trains, as the tracks are already operating at full capacity. Different types of rail traffic—suburban, long-distance, and freight trains— also share the same tracks, leading to inevitable delays and irregular service. Suburban passenger rail also lacks fast connections from key regions and seamless integration with all metro lines. Many stations are outdated and fail to provide passengers with adequate comfort. However, new state and city investments in the coming years aim to change all that.
In the following segments, we present the most important changes through a blueprint of the shape of Prague's rail transport in 2050.
02 High-speed lines
One of the main drivers of change for Prague’s railway hub is the planned expansion of high-speed rail. Prague is set to be integrated into the European high-speed rail network, where express trains can reach speeds exceeding 300 km/h. With these new high-speed lines, a train from Ústí nad Labem will reach Prague’s Main Station in just 26 minutes and from Roudnice nad Labem in only 18 minutes. The high-speed network will connect Prague with Dresden, Wrocław, and Vienna, with construction on the first sections beginning in the coming years. The entire system is expected to be operational by 2050. To integrate into the high-speed rail network, Prague will not only need new tracks for high-speed trains but also better distribution of the passengers arriving from long-distance routes.
03 Railway tunnels under the centre of Prague
A key element of the future railway hub is the addition of two new railway tunnels that will run beneath the very centre of Prague. They will serve mainly the suburban lines marked with the letter S. The two tunnels, approximately 11 kilometres long, will connect the area between Smíchov, Vršovice and Masaryk stations. Up to 16 trains per hour will run in each direction, stopping at four new underground stations—Karlín, Florenc, Wenceslas Square, and Charles Square. The heart of the line will be Prague Main Station, where two underground platforms will be added. The new tunnels will help separate regional and long-distance traffic, and improve access from Central Bohemia to the city center. Prague’s biggest challenge is not just inner-city transport but handling the influx of commuters from surrounding areas.
04 Rail Connection to Kladno and Václav Havel Airport
The highest number of commuters traveling to Prague from Central Bohemia comes from Kladno and its surrounding areas. The current single-track railway line to Kladno is not sufficient to handle tens of thousands of passengers each day, so most commuters have to rely on buses or cars. The modernization of the Prague–Kladno railway will include station renovations and six brand-new stops along the line. A key part of this project is the rail connection to Václav Havel Airport, integrating it with Prague’s city center. The upgraded line will also support the development of a few districts, including Ruzyně, Hradčanská, and the new district Bubny-Zátory, where a railway station is currently under construction. Masaryk Station will also undergo modernization, including a new direct connection to Prague Main Station, Prague’s most important transit hub.
05 Main Station
Prague Main Station serves as a central hub for suburban and long-distance train lines, allowing passengers to travel quickly and efficiently to the city center. Unlike terminal stations where trains must stop, Prague’s Main Railway Station is a through station, allowing for continuous service. Plans are underway for a new departure hall with a tram stop directly in front of the station. As part of railway network improvements, a two-level underground station will be built beneath the Main Station, where Metro S tunnels will intersect and, in the future, the new Metro D line is also expected to extend to the Main Station. The station will accommodate over 350,000 passengers daily once completed, connecting them to various rail transit modes.
06 Metro D
Prague’s metro expansion in recent decades has focused on extending existing lines further into the suburbs. But construction is now underway on Metro D, a brand-new line. Its first phase will run from Pankrác through Krč to Nové Dvory, then further south to Libuš and Písnice. The line will eventually extend north from Pankrác through Náměstí Míru, Prague Main Station, and Náměstí Republiky. New urban development is also planned around Metro D stations. Examples include Nové Dvory, which will see a new residential district with affordable housing for 5,000 people, and Krč station, which will offer direct rail connections and access to a proposed sports and recreation area along the Kunratice Creek valley.
07 New Tram Lines
Prague has one of Europe’s largest and busiest tram networks, spanning 150 kilometers and carrying 368 million passengers annually. But some key tram lines were dismantled in the 1970s and '80s during the construction of the metro, leaving gaps in capacity and a lack of alternative routes to the busiest lines. Tram tracks are now being reinstated on Wenceslas Square to address this, and new lines will connect redeveloped areas such as Bubny-Zátory and the area around the former freight station in Žižkov. Tram routes will also continue expanding towards the city’s outskirts and strengthening tangential connections—routes that bypass the city center. Examples include the new tram line between Smíchov and Podolí via Dvorecký most, currently under construction, and a future extension from Budějovická to Michle.
08 Development and transformation areas
Rail transit is reliable, high-capacity, and sustainable, and nearly three-quarters of Prague’s public transport passengers rely on it. Urban planning therefore prioritizes the integration of new city districts with metro, tram, and rail networks. The reverse is also true - if a new line is to pass through the city, it is important to look for the potential that this artery may have in terms of serving and developing particular parts of the city. Prague is advocating for a "Terminal North" high-speed train station in Letňany, for example, around which a new district for 10,000 residents could be developed. A new transit hub is also planned for Hostivař, while additional neighborhoods will emerge around Metro D stations at Nové Dvory, Libuš, and Písnice.