The Czech Railway Administration is preparing the construction of a new double-track line on the 3rd transit corridor connecting the Prague-Smíchov and Beroun stations and including the 24 km Beroun tunnel. The Prague- Beroun section is part of the Prague-Pilsen main line.
The new double-track corridor line will start with the modification of the exit from the Prague-Smichov station, where two more tracks will be added to the two existing. The route of the new line will be mainly in a 24.7 km tunnel , which will start below Barrandov and end at Beroun. Furthermore, the new corridor will continue with an overpass over the Berounka valley. On the Prague side of the tunnel, a branch to the Branický Bridge in the direction of Prague-Krč will be built, and on the Beroun side of the tunnel, a branch will be prepared for the adjacent new high-speed line in the direction of Hořovice /Pilsen.
Due to the operation of both passenger and freight transport in the tunnel, the design speed is 200 km / h, with a reduction in front of the Prague-Smíchov station to 100–120 km / h and in front of the Beroun station to 160 km / h. The two single-track tunnels will be connected every 400 m with bypasses. Five escape shafts to the surface in Prague-Slivence and the municipalities of Orech, Tachlovice, Lodenice and Svaty Jan pod Skalou are designed.
The main benefits of the new line include reducing the travel time in the section from Prague-Smichov - Beroun to about 12 minutes, speeding up and improving regional traffic in the section Prague - Beroun and the entire southwestern part of the Central Bohemian Region in relation to Prague, speeding up and improving domestic and international traffic in the section Prague - Pilsen - Nuremberg / Munich. Therefore relieving the current congested railway along the Berounka from long-distance passenger and freight transport will then make it possible to increase the frequency of suburban trains on this line.
Most of the tunnel excavation will be performed by TBM at a 150 m depth below the surface. Construction work is expected to begin in 2028 and be completed in 2042.
The CZK 160.5 million tender for the preparation of an update of the documentation for the zoning procedure for the construction of the new Prague-Smíchov - Beroun line has been cancelled and it will be re-announced in 2021: click cz/41 for tunnelbuilder tender archive. For further information https://www.spravazeleznic.cz/. 14/21.
