The official start of the Masaryk railway station’s reconstruction in Prague took place today.

The project includes the installation of an elevated platform above the tracks, improved connections with Florenc, and an expansion from the current seven tracks to a total of nine.

Additionally, a new vestibule and rest area will be introduced. The completion date for this extensive redevelopment is 2027, with a total cost estimated at CZK 3.39 billion.

Transport Minister Martin Kupka (ODS), Director General of the Railway Administration (SŽ) Jiří Svoboda, and various representatives from the capital, construction firms, and Penta, the owner of surrounding buildings, inaugurated the renovation today.

The companies STRABAG Rail and STRABAG are the appointed contractors for the project. Notably, SŽ secured nearly 84% of the funding required for the station’s reconstruction from European funds.

Masaryk railway station, the oldest in the capital, serves up to 30,000 passengers daily.

Following the completion of the Prague to Kladno and Václav Havel Airport in Ruzyně line reconstruction, the station will become the launching point for the railway to the airport.

Older than 150 years Masaryk Station, the oldest railway station in Prague, has a rich history. The first train arrived there on August 20, 1845, marking the start of railway transportation in the city. Before that, the station only served as a terminus for horse-drawn carriages in 1831.

The station was designed by Jan Perner, with building architect Antonín Jüngling, and was built by a consortium of Vojtěch Lanna and the Klein brothers between 1844 and 1845.

It initially served as the final stop for the railway from Olomouc and Vienna to Prague.