Economic and social implications of HSR introduction in the Czech republic

Efforts to develop plans and projects for establishing a HSR network in the Czech Republic date back to the 1970s, however construction works are not to begin until after 2025. Due to its insufficient advancement compared to other modes of transportation, rail transport currently does not realize its full potential which can be strengthened by substituting road and air transport modes for short and medium distances. Additionally, there is little space for much-needed greater shift of a larger volume of freight transport to railway mode as there is limited capacity. Europe as a whole and its post-communist part especially lags behind countries such as Japan or urbanized parts of China in terms of high-speed railway density and accessiblity in spite of its robust conventional railway coverage. Slow travel times also limit the potential of domestic travel and commute as well as opportunities for social development in less developed regions, as confirmed by the HSR routing analysis which compares transport modes operating on selected connections. In today‘s and future interconnected Europe, where there is an effort to reduce disparities in living standards, Czechia occupies a unique central position. Therefore, it must strive for a stable, advanced, and attractive economy with quality infrastructure, including an appropriate HSR network with characteristics respecting geographical and demographic conditions. There is an identifiable demand on selected routes, which is determined with traffic intensity analysis. Future main routes will be connected to foreign cities within the European transport network, taking into account tariff conditions within the common market.