Praha hlavní nádraží

Praha hlavní nádraží (IATA: XYG) is the largest railway station in Prague, Czech Republic.

Prague main railway station Praha hlavní nádraží (in Czech)
Prague main train station - Praha hlavní nádraží.
Location	Vinohrady, Prague Czech Republic
Coordinates	50°04′59″N 14°26′09″E
Owned by	České dráhy SŽDC
Platforms	8
Construction
Architect	Vojtěch Ignác Ullmann Antonín Viktor Barvitius Josef Fanta
Other information
Station code	570762
IATA code	XYG
History
Opened	14 December 1871 (1871-12-14)
Rebuilt	1901–1909 1972–1979
Electrified	1926–1928
Services
Preceding station   České dráhy   Following station Terminus   EuroNight   Tábor toward Zurich Terminus   EuroNight EN Slovakia   Kolín toward Košice Terminus   EuroNight EN Bohemia   Kolín toward Humenné Praha-Smíchov toward Františkovy Lázně   Supercity Pendolino   Pardubice hl.n. toward Ostrava Terminus     Terminus Railjet Pardubice hl.n. toward Graz Turning point or terminus   EuroCity   Praha-Holešovice toward Hamburg-Altona     Kolín toward Brno or Olomouc Praha-Smíchov toward Munich   Die Länderbahn   Terminus Praha-Smíchov toward Plzeň or Písek   Regional fast trains   Terminus Praha-Smíchov Terminus   Regional fast trains   Praha-Libeň toward Pardubice Terminus     Terminus   Regional fast trains   Praha-Libeň toward Havlíčkův Brod Terminus   Regional fast trains   Praha-Holešovice toward Chomutov Praha-Vršovice toward České Budějovice   Regional fast trains   Terminus Terminus   Regional fast trains   Praha-Vysočany toward Hradec Králové Preceding station   Esko Prague   Following station Praha-Vršovice Terminus S3 Praha-Vysočany toward Byšice, Mělník or Mladá Boleslav hl. n. R3 Praha-Vysočany toward Tanvald Terminus R4 Praha-Holešovice toward Děčín hl.n. Praha-Smíchov sev. nást. toward Hostivice S65 Terminus Praha-Smíchov toward Beroun S7 Terminus Praha-Libeň toward Úvaly Praha-Vršovice toward Čerčany S8 Terminus Praha-Vršovice toward Dobříš S80 Praha-Vršovice toward Strančice or Benešov u Prahy S9 Praha-Vysočany Terminus Terminus Preceding station   Leo Express   Following station Terminus   Leo Express   Pardubice hl.n. toward Bohumín Preceding station   RegioJet   Following station Terminus   IC RegioJet   Pardubice hl.n. toward Havířov Preceding station   Arriva   Following station Terminus   ARRIVA expres (AEx)   Pardubice hl.n. toward Nitra Čerčany toward Český Krumlov   ARRIVA expres (AEx)   Terminus
Location
Prague main railway station Praha hlavní nádraží (in Czech) Location within Location within Czech Republic Show map of Czech Republic Prague main railway station Praha hlavní nádraží (in Czech) Location within Europe Show map of Europe

It opened in 1871 as Franz Josef Station, after Franz Joseph I of Austria. During the First Republic and from 1945 to 1948 the station was called Wilson Station (Czech: Wilsonovo nádraží), after former President of the United States Woodrow Wilson.

In 2014, the station served 224,505 trains (610 daily) and more than 53,000,000 passengers.[1][2]

Overview

Art Nouveau building of the station from 1909, photo from 2017

The Art Nouveau station building and station hall were built between 1901 and 1909, designed by Czech architect, Josef Fanta, on the site of the old dismantled Neo-Renaissance station designed by Czech architects Antonín Viktor Barvitius and Vojtěch Ignác Ullmann.[3] The station was extended by a new terminal building, built between 1972 and 1979, including an underground metro station and a main road on the roof of the terminal. The new terminal building claimed a large part of the park, and the construction of the road cut off the neo-renaissance station hall from the town.

Interior of the new Terminal building completed in 1977, refurbished in 2011

In 2011 a partial refurbishment of the station was completed by Italian company Grandi Stazioni,[4] which has leased retail space for 30 years from 2002.[5] In 2016 Grandi Stazioni has lost the concession after failing to complete the renovation of the historic building by the extended contractual deadline.[6]

The station was the embarkation point for the children evacuated by Nicholas Winton who were evacuated to London Liverpool Street station via the Port of Harwich. In 2009 a statue was unveiled on platform 1 commemorating this.

Train services

Platforms at the main train station and Railjet ÖBB train after arrival from Austrian capital Vienna

The former main entrance, now the entrance to Fanta's Cafe (Fantova Kavárna)

Look into the main hall of the Art-Nouveau station building (Fantova budova)

Long-distance services

The station is an international transport hub, handling services to Germany (Munich, Bavaria-Bohemia RE (Regio-Express) services, and EuroCity/EuroNight services to Berlin, Dresden and Hamburg), Poland, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Serbia, Russian Federation, Ukraine and Croatia in summer. Services are operated by express trains, and also by ČD Class 680 Pendolino. Services to Moravia, Silesia, Slovakia and Poland are also operated by open-access train operators LEO Express, RegioJet and Arriva.

Regional services

In addition to the international services, trains serve most of the larger Czech cities, such as Brno, Plzeň, České Budějovice and Olomouc.

Suburban services

The station is served by most of the Esko Prague lines which are not dispatched from the nearby Masaryk Railway station.

Bus services

In front of the main station building are situated bus stops towards Český Krumlov, České Budějovice, Tábor and other Czech cities. Also Airport Express bus service to Václav Havel Airport Prague maintained by České dráhy departs from Wilsonova street in front of the historical building.

Panoramic view of the entrance hall

Local transport

The station is served by the Prague Metro's Line C, and numerous tram routes call outside the station.

See also

• Hlavní nádraží (Prague Metro)
• Praha Masarykovo nádraží
• Nové Spojení

References

1. "Česká republika - vlaková nádraží". www.goeuro.cz. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
2. "Přehledně: Nejvytíženější pražská nádraží a tratě. Počty cestujících vzrostly o 14%". Zdopravy.cz (in Czech). 23 January 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
3. Pavel Schreier. "Čekárny na nádražích i pro honoraci". cd.cz.
4. "Czech station lease signed". Railway Gazette International. 1 February 2004.
5. "Presidential opening for Praha Hlavní". Railway Gazette International. 29 May 2011.
6. UK, DVV Media. "Grandi Stazioni loses Praha concession". Railway Gazette. Retrieved 24 November 2016.