The Czech Railway Administration Správa železnic has, following successful load testing, opened a reconstructed bridge.
The 174m replacement bridge 24m above the Lužnice River in the southern Czech city of Tábor is a close copy of the original, with an additional suspended pedestrian crossing that will open in August or September 2026.
Správa železnic’s chosen contractors Firesta-Fišer started work in January (link opens in new tab).
Rail services over the new bridge will be quieter and faster, because the tracks are laid on a gravel bed. The top speed on the old bridge was 20km/h, while the new bridge permits a speed of 50km/h.
Load testing on the new bridge over the Lužnice River. Credit: Správa železnic
Low mist hangs over the river during load testing. Credit: Správa železnic
The city of Tábor has asked citizens to respect new barriers on the bridge and to not to walk on the tracks, reminding them that visibility is poor at this time of year and that trains will run more frequently, more quietly and at greater speed. It reports that it continues to work on the forecourts and approaches to the pedestrian crossing.
The crossing dates to 1905 and was built to carry the first electric railway in Austro-Hungary.
