Prague's new airport railway line to connect to main train station

Good news for travelers in Prague! The Czech capital's new airport railway line, currently under construction, was originally only intended to connect with city-center Masarykovo nádraží train station. But plans now include a stop at the city's main train station Hlavní nádraží.

The new connection will provide passengers with a more comfortable and convenient way to travel to and from the airport, and quicker access to connecting trains from the main station. Czech Transport Minister Martin Kupka announced the news heading into the weekend.

"The key impulse was to be able to ensure a comfortable connection between Prague Airport and future high-speed express lines" Kupka told journalists on Friday. "It also falls in line with conditions with other large cities such as Berlin or Vienna. So that people who want to use Prague Airport have a significantly easier journey."

Kupka added that while regional connections will end at the Masarykovo nádraží station, trains primarily aimed at transporting passengers from Prague airport will also pass through the main station.

The plan includes building a new underground station called Opera, which is now in the first round of negotiations between the Ministry of Transport and the Railway Administration.

The new connection to Prague's main train station will significantly increase the number of trains that pass through it. However, reconstruction of the check-in halls at Hlavní nádraží, currently in its planning phase, will take this into account.

"The key task will be to find a capacity solution for connecting other regional lines, including the new connection from Václav Havel Airport," Kupka stated, referring to an architectural competition for redesigning the check-in halls at Hlavní nádraží.

Prague's new rail line from Václav Havel Airport into the city center was originally expected to be completed by 2028. Due to fundamental changes in its construction, that date has now been pushed back to 2030.

Work on the new airport railway line is currently underway in the Prague 7 district of the Czech capital. Construction in this section alone, which includes the establishment of a new transport hub, is expected to run over the next two years.