Construction of first high-speed rail lines will start in 202513/5/2019|Press releasesConstruction of the first high-speed rail lines from Prague-Běchovic to Poříčany and from Přerov to Ostrava shall start in 2025. One billion Czech crows is invested in upgrades of railway stations in 2019. These were the topics the transport minister Vladimír Kremlík was discussing with the head of the railway administration organisation SŽDC Jiří Svoboda today. SŽDC said at today's meeting that negotiations are under way with Société nationale des chemins de fer français (SNCF) regarding the preparation of high-speed rail lines in the Czech Republic. This partnership shall lead to the creation of a manual for SŽDC how to design high-speed rail lines and so reduce the preparation time by up to five years. "Negotiations are now starting with the French side regarding the correct construction of tunnels, bridges and traction lines on high-speed rail lines following the example of TGV. And construction of the first high-speed rail lines should start in 2025," says the transport minister Vladimír Kremlík. The transport minister was also interested in investments in repairs of railway station buildings. SŽDC will invest one billion crowns in them this year and one billion next year. Between 2017 and 2022 about CZK 8.4 billion will have been spent on these upgrades.