Plans to build a high-speed rail network in the Czech Republic will greatly impact Prague, which will alone require investment of at least CZK 80 billion, iHned.cz reported. Among expected projects are tunnels and an underground extension of the city’s Main Station, Radio Praha writes.

The Czech capital can look forward to the most expensive transport construction in its history after the government on Monday approved the building of a national high-speed rail network. The entire costs are expected to reach up to CZK 650 billion.

Announcing the decision, the minister of transport, Dan Ťok, said it spelled a switch from theory to real preparations and construction work.

At present Prague’s Main Station is already greatly stretched, with trains having to wait outside it for platforms to free up, iHned.cz said. This pressure will only increase with the construction of a high-speed network.

Shorter travel times are likely to win over passengers who might otherwise travel by bus, car and even plane and in future Prague’s Main Station could see high-speed trains arriving and departing every three minutes.

On top of this, there has been a sharp rise in demand for suburban trains, which require shorter intervals so more frequent access to platforms.

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