Will the trains go as far as Krupka? Regional politicians claim that the state agrees to the repair, the ministry refused

Debates about the future of the so-called Goat Railway in the Telnice – Krupka section have taken an unexpected turn. Two politicians from the Ústí Region, who are part of the regional government there, announced yesterday that the state has approved money for the repair of this section and that trains will run there this year. But the Ministry of Transport announced today that nothing of the sort happened.

“The information about the approval of funds for the resumption of traffic on the Telnice – Krupka section by the Central Commission is not true. The MD Central Commission has not yet taken cognizance of such material. It wasn’t on the program yet,” said František Jemelka, spokesman for the Ministry of Transport.

The information was sent yesterday as a press release to the media directly by the regional politician: Jan Růžička. When asked who it is possible to confirm the information about the approval, he said that it was information from an employee of the regional directorate of the Railway Administration.

In the afternoon, the news about the approval of the repair costs was announced by the political movement Spojenci pro kraj, which has been fighting for the restoration of the line for a long time.

Restoration up to Louka u Litvínov

The Ministry and the Railway Administration have long been opposed to the plans to restore another part of the line. However, a possible change of opinion can also be a concession for discussing the management of the high-speed line in the Ústí Region.

Ústí Region: The state approved the operation of the Goat Railway up to Krupka

“After taking over the leadership of the region in 2020, with the support of coalition partners, we began complex negotiations on the restoration of the Goat Track. This led to the start of operations in 2022, at least on the Děčín – Telnice section. However, the railway administration for a long time resisted putting into operation the rest of the line with a connection to the mining monuments under UNESCO protection,” explained Deputy Governor Jiří Řehák. According to him, the Railway Administration should start repairing the eight-kilometer section between Telnica and Krupka in the summer. “Our next goal will be the connection of the Goat Railway and the Moldavian Mountain Railway at the Louka u Litvínov railway station, which the region is taking over,” he added.

The goat track was opened 153 years ago and has gone through industrial and political history. Originally, the coal line from Děčín to Chomutov in the foothills of the Ore Mountains changed its length and route several times due to coal mining. From 1961, there was a service from Děčín to Oldřichov near Duchcova, in 2007 the service stopped being ordered.

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Goat track Ministry of Transport Ústí Region

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