Will this Czech city's residents delay the country's first high-speed railway?

Construction noise and traffic disruptions are among the chief concerns for the people of Usti nad Labem

If everything goes according to plan, Czechia should see the construction of its first high-speed railway take off in 2027. The plan of the authorities is to link the capital Prague to the German city of Dresden passing through Ústí nad Labem, in northern Bohemia, which lies more or less in the middle.

It turns out, however, that despite the great transport and economic development opportunities that such a grand project implies, not all residents of Usti nad Labem are excited about the route passing through their town.

In fact, some 600 complaints have been filed from the community raising objections about things like the risks, the noise pollution and the traffic-related disruptions that the construction of the railway would invariably entail. There have even been calls to divert the route so that it bypasses the city.

According to Expats.cz, the Czech Transport Minister Martin Kupka has responded by saying that the government has taken every step to listen to the concerns and to involve the community in the decision-making process and that working mediating groups will be formed. Nevertheless, the authorities are adamant that the project will proceed as planned.

From Prague to Dresden in 1 hour

The project timeline indicates that construction is set to begin somewhere in 2027 and that the first section to be constructed will be a 58-kilometre stretch between Prague and Usti nad Labem, which will take 6 years to complete. The Bohemian city will be equidistant from both Dresden and Prague, with the expectation that it will take half an hour to either of these destinations departing from it.

In certain parts, trains will reach up to 320 km/h and the overall route should be ready somewhere between 2038 and 2045.