EU Cohesion policy: €160 million to modernise the rail transport in Czechia

Entering the 2021 EU Year of Railway, the European Commission has approved today an investment of over €160 million from the Cohesion Fund to replace the single line between Sudoměřice u Tábora and Votice in Czechia with a new 17 km-long double-track railway. This will enable the passage of long-distance, high-speed trains and more freight and regional trains. Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira, commented: “This project will modernise rail transport in Czechia making its railway network more competitive and attractive compared to other more polluting and dangerous transport modes. This will greatly benefit people and businesses not only in Czechia but also in the rest of Central Europe.” The project will contribute to greater capacity and competitiveness of railway transport. This should encourage a shift from road to rail transport, which will bring environmental benefits, in the form of less noise and air pollution, while contributing to socio-economic development in south and central Bohemia. The new line on Prague-České Budějovice railway corridor will facilitate access to the cities of České Budějovice and Prague and the town of Tábor, making it easier for people to meet the demand for jobs in these urban centres. This project is part of the trans-European railway linking Germany and Austria via Czechia and it is expected to start being operational in the first quarter of 2023.