Renovated bridge and tunnel in the Czech Republic

Správa železnic completed the reconstruction of the bridge and tunnel near Děčín. Earlier Thursday, the first freight trains moved through the reconstructed section. It is reported by Railway Supply magazine with reference to RailTech. The section is an important part of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) for rail freight transport across Europe.

Reconstruction of the line began in August last year. The section in question is single track, only 1.4 km long, but with large structures. The biggest challenges were the replacement of the over 100-year-old steel structure of the bridge over the Elbe River and the complete refurbishment of the Děčín Tunnel.

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Správa železnic carried out a complete reconstruction of the line, including overhead lines, signaling and communication equipment. About 700 meters of noise barriers have been built where the line passes through urban areas to reduce noise pollution. When the construction is fully completed, the speed of the line will increase from 30 to 50 kilometers per hour. For freight transport, it is important to ensure the passage of larger and heavier trains.

The reconstruction of the 265-metre-long bridge over the Elbe consisted of replacing the steel superstructure from 1916 with one of a similar shape. A load test was carried out in November. Workers are now dismantling the original bridge structure, work that will continue into spring.

The Děčín Tunnel dates from 1874 and is 395 metres long. The reason for the reconstruction was the discovery of unpredictable changes in its subsoil. The bottom of the tunnel had to be excavated and adjustments were made to allow the water to drain.

The total cost of the project is over 56 million euros. The European Union finances 83.81% of the costs through the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). National funding is provided by the State Transport Infrastructure Fund.

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