Minister Kupka in Vienna: We will improve the railway connection to Austria via České Velenice27/3/2023|Press releasesBetter cross-border rail connections, electromobility development, motorway connections D3 – S10 and D52 – A5. These were the main topics of today's meeting between transport minister Martin Kupka and Austrian Federal Minister for Climate Protection and Transport Leonore Gewessler. A joint declaration was signed to support the development of the cross-border railway connections on the Veselí nad Lužnicí – Gmünd – Vienna route. "We consider the development of transport connections with Austria to be one of the main priorities of the Ministry of Transport. Work on the South Bohemian part of the D3 motorway is in full swing and should be completed by the end of 2026. But we of course remember the railway as well. We signed today a joint memorandum with minister Gewessler, committing to the modernisation of the railway line through České Velenice, known as the Franz-Josefs-Bahn," says transport minister Martin Kupka after the meeting in Vienna. Preparations for the electrification of the Veselí nad Lužnicí – České Velenice are under way in the Czech Republic, bringing an alternative connection between Prague and Vienna via Gmünd, both for passenger and freight transport. Work to upgrade this link is expected to be completed in 2028. "The modernisation of this line is also crucial for the direct connection of important regional centres such as Tulln in Austria or the Czech towns of Třeboň and Tábor. Passengers from these towns can look forward to these connections in the form of two train pairs per day from next year," added minister Kupka. Currently, there is one direct pair every day and a second pair at the weekend. The ministers also discussed plans for the construction of the Via Vindobona high-speed rail link connecting the Central European cities of Berlin, Prague and Vienna and the Prague-Linz-Salzburg rail link where minister Kupka informed Austrian Minister Gewessler about the modernisation of the IV. railway corridor towards České Budějovice. Another important topic of the meeting was the motorway connection. Minister Kupka presented the progress in the construction, or rather preparation, of the border sections of the D3 and D52 motorways. "We are making rapid progress on the South Bohemian part of the D3 motorway. A total of 28.4 kilometres around České Budějovice are currently under construction and this year we want to start construction near Nažidla and the last section near Dolní Dvořiště," minister Kupka presented the construction progress. ŘSD, the motorway manager, continues its preparations of applications for the necessary permits. The construction has faced objections from opponents of transport infrastructure for many years. Besides transport infrastructure, minister Kupka and minister Gewessler also discussed zero-emission mobility in the context of the European Commission's current proposals for reducing emissions and the charging and refuelling infrastructure as well as further cooperation in autonomous mobility and space activities. At the end of the meeting minister Kupka invited his Austrian colleague to Prague for the PIARC World Road Congress, which will take place from 2 to 6 October 2023. It is the world's most important event on road infrastructure, its development and technological progress.