Three sections of the Moravian part of the fast connections network are fit for construction using P

14/10/2024Press releases

The government discussed the results of a feasibility study for the Morava Fast Connections project, which recommends the adoption of the public-private partnership (PPP) method to build three parts of the network for fast trains in Central, Southern and Northern Moravia. Next up is the selection of the transaction advisor.

Three sections of the Moravian part of the fast connections network are fit for construction using P

"We urgently need more resources to fund new fast rail lines. We have already tried it on motorways with South Bohemian D4 and are going to try it on railways as well. The construction of the Moravian part of the project is particularly suited for financing and building by private companies. It is a total of 205 km of fast lines with investment costs of CZK 179 billion,” says transport minister Martin Kupka.

The assumption that PPP will bring the required savings to the state compared with the conventional procedure should be fulfilled specifically for these sections:
- 91 km long HSL Moravian Gate with investment costs of CZK 96 billion.
- 39 km long HSL South Moravia with investment costs of CZK 23 billion.
- The third project is the 75 km long fast connection Central Moravia with investment costs of CZK 60 billion.
The Moravian Gate HSR project is a green-field high-speed line investment between Brodek u Přerova and Ostrava-Svinov station, an essential part of the fast connection between Brno and Ostrava. It will significantly reduce the time spent on the train journey between Central and Northern Moravia. It will then be possible to get from Olomouc to Ostrava in only 30 minutes, compared to about 50 today.

The South Moravia HSL project is part of the international connection between the Czech Republic, Austria and Slovakia, between Brno and the state border at Břeclav. It will significantly reduce the time spent on the train journey between Central and Northern Moravia. It will be possible to get from Brno to Vienna or Bratislava in one hour, compared to about one and a half hours today.

The Fast Connections (RS) project Central Moravia will, among other things, significantly reduce travel times on the routes Brno – Ostrava, Brno – Olomouc and Brno – Zlín, on the Brno-Přerov branch to about 30 minutes, compared to today's about 75 minutes.

The aim of the study discussed was to find a solution that would be technically and legally feasible and would bring the state good value for money. (Value for money represents the hypothetical financial savings that PPP will bring compared to implementation through a traditional series of separate public contracts.)

In all three projects, the private partner (concessionaire) will have to carry out the construction, secure the necessary financing for the construction and maintain the sections in the long term in such quality as agreed in the contract. The state will pay the concessionaire only starting from the time of commissioning and payments will be based on availability.

Individual projects are to be implemented separately on the basis of separate tenders, gradually in time, with sufficient intervals with regard to land acquisition, implementation of other (PPP) transport infrastructure projects in the Czech Republic, the macroeconomic situation and other related factors.

The project of Fast Connections as such is part of the government's plan for the development of key backbone transport infrastructure in the Czech Republic and it is a strategic project for the regions connected. It can help in the development of economic prosperity and social cohesion of the regions, contribute to improving transport accessibility, i.e. connectivity at regional, national and transnational level. It will also offer a significant increase in passenger rail transport capacity by up to 60,000 passengers per day on the busiest sections and free up capacity for freight transport, where it will allow an increase of up to 40% on available routes.

Once the government approves this method, the next step will be to prepare the selection of the transaction advisor and the preparation of the tender for the private partner.