The renovated platforms of the main train station will open in December

Prague - The complete renovation of the first four platforms and the western part of the tracks at Prague's Main Train Station will be completed this December, so that operations can resume with the new timetable. The entire project will cost 1.6 billion korunas, with up to 85 percent of the funding potentially covered by European Union funds. This was stated by Jan Komárek, director of the Railway Infrastructure Administration, at today's press conference.
The reconstruction of the oldest platforms, which have been in public service since 1911, began this January. Its completion is scheduled for the same time that full operations on the so-called New Railway Connection under Vítkov Hill will commence. The new connection consists of a system of four-track viaducts and tunnels at an estimated cost of eight billion korunas, aimed at improving train transit through Prague.
“This will bring us closer to an optimal state of the railway for urban and suburban transport,” said Komárek. According to him, the new connection will significantly speed up and improve train operations between the Main Train Station, Holešovice, Vysočany, and Libeň, while creating a direct line between Masaryk Station and Vysočany. The city of Prague intends to utilize this to increase the number of urban and suburban railway lines.
The reconstructed platforms at “hlavák” are expected to provide greater comfort to passengers. The platform edge will be raised for better boarding and alighting from trains; workers will install a new information system, including digital boards, and all platforms will be easily accessible for the disabled. Concurrently with the platforms, the access tunnels underneath them are also being modernized.
The tracks, which the builders will connect to the New Connection, as well as part of the historic iron structure above the platforms, will also be renovated. The lower part of the structure has been drained; workers have also uncovered a unique joint anchoring to the ground. Passengers can already view this today at the third and fourth platforms. The overall renovation of the iron hall, including new glazing, will take place as a separate project later.
Due to the intensive construction, significant restrictions had to be placed on operations at the largest train station in the country. Most trains have been diverted to other Prague stations, while after the completion of the work, operations will increase due to the greater capacity of the tracks.
In addition to the tracks and platforms, the station's ticketing halls, including the historic Fant's building, are now being reconstructed. The Italian company Grandi Stazioni plans to transform the station into a commercial and transport center with restaurants, shops, and banks for approximately 800 million. The reconstruction began a year and a half ago and will last for about another four years.