The Ministry of the Environment has approved the construction of a railway tunnel between Dejvice and Veleslavín in Prague.

The tunnel is part of the railway connection linking Prague with Václav Havel Airport and Kladno, the Railway Administration (Správa železnic, SŽ) said.

The tunnel, which will run beneath Střešovice, forms part of the wider Prague–Airport–Kladno rail project, one of the country’s largest transport investments. According to SŽ, construction is scheduled to begin in 2028, following the completion of permitting procedures.

Railway officials said the selected tunnel route has been assessed for years by Czech and international specialists, who identified the Střešovice alignment as the safest and most suitable among several alternatives. The route has already received political backing from both Prague City Hall and the Prague 6 district council.

Earlier this year, engineers carried out geological and technical surveys along the proposed tunnel corridor. Data gathered during these works will now serve as a foundation for detailed planning and future building permits.

Moving rail traffic underground will allow the existing surface corridor to be reused. Správa železnic said the space is expected to be turned into a green route for pedestrians and cyclists.

The full modernization of the Prague–Kladno railway, including the airport branch, is divided into 11 separate structures. Some sections have already been completed, while others remain under construction. The entire line is expected to be finished around 2029 or 2030, with total costs estimated at close to 50 billion crowns.

Several milestones have already been reached in recent years. The historic Negrelli Viaduct underwent a full reconstruction between 2017 and 2020. Since August, trains have been stopping at the new Bubny station and at Výstaviště, while upgraded services are also running between Kladno-Ostrovec and Kladno.

The section between Ruzyně and Kladno already holds a valid building permit.

SŽ plans to begin selecting a contractor next year for construction works between Výstaviště and the planned underground station in Dejvice, another crucial step toward a direct rail link from the city center to the airport.

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