Praha Masarykovo nádraží

Praha Masarykovo nádraží (English: Prague Masaryk railway station) is a terminal railway station near Republic Square (náměstí Republiky) in the New Town area of Prague, Czech Republic.

Praha Masarykovo nádraží
Masaryk railway station
General information
Location	Prague, Havlíčkova 1028/5 Hybernská 1014/13
Coordinates	50.088°N 14.433°E / 50.088; 14.433
Owned by	Správa železnic
Platforms	4(7)
Tracks	7
Construction
Architect	Jan Perner Antonín Jüngling
Other information
Station code	54572362
Fare zone	PID: P[1]
History
Opened	20 August 1845; 179 years ago (1845-08-20)
Electrified	1926-1928

It was the first railway station in the city to serve steam trains, and the second oldest railway station in Prague (the first is Praha-Dejvice, formerly Bruska on the Lány Horse-drawn Railway). The station was designed by Antonín Jüngling and came into service in 1845.

During the Prague uprising against German occupation in 1945, the station was captured by the Waffen-SS on 8 May and 53 surrendered resistance fighters and non-combatants were massacred.^[2]

Nowadays the station only serves regional and suburban trains, because the larger Praha hlavní nádraží does not have enough capacity. In 2010 it served 48,838 trains and 9.6 million passengers.^[3] The station is currently being reconstructed, and will become the terminus of the planned railway connection with Václav Havel Airport Prague.

Names

Since it opened in 1845, Masaryk Railway Station has had the following names:

• 1845–1862 Praha (German: Prag) - "Prague"
• 1862–1919 Praha státní nádraží (German: Prag Staatsbahnhof) - "Prague State Station"
• 1919–1940 Praha Masarykovo nádraží (German: Prag Masarykbahnhof) - Prague Masaryk Station
• 1940–1945 Praha Hybernské nádraží (German: Prag Hibernerbahnhof) - Prague Hibernia Station, the station is on Hybernská street
• 1945–1952 Praha Masarykovo nádraží
• 1953–1990 Praha střed - Prague Central
• March 1990– Praha Masarykovo nádraží

For much of its existence, the station has been named after the founder of Czechoslovakia, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk.

Services

View on the platforms at Prague Masarykovo nádraží

Preceding station	Esko Prague			Following station
Terminus		S1		Praha-Libeň towards Kolín or Pardubice hl. n.
		S2		Praha-Vysočany towards Nymburk hl. n. or Kolín
		S22		Praha-Vysočany towards Milovice
		S4		Praha-Holešovice zastávka towards Kralupy nad Vltavou or Ústí nad Labem hl. n.
		S5		Praha-Bubny towards Kladno
		R5		Praha-Dejvice towards Rakovnik

Future development

In 2012, the reconstruction of the Masaryk Railway Station building began, led by the company Penta, which had purchased the surrounding land. The station was leased to the company for long-term rent as part of the reconstruction contract. The renovation included the roofing of the hall, restrooms, facade, and non-residential areas. New ticket counters were built closer to the platforms. The concept of the reconstruction was designed by architect Marek Tichý.

New Masaryčka building in Prague (2023)

Near the station, on the site of former service and technical areas, a modern administrative and commercial center is being constructed in several phases. The "Masaryčka Connects" project is a significant urban regeneration effort in the centre of Prague, transforming the city's first railway station, into a modern transport hub. In 2015–2016, Zaha Hadid supervised the conceptual design of a new mixed-use building that replaced a formal cargo terminal.The construction took place in 2020–2023, as some delay was caused by negotiations with heritage protection authorities. ^[4]

As part of the complete renovation of the station, a new vestibule for waiting passengers will be constructed. The plan includes partial platform over the tracks, which will connect the areas of Náměstí Republiky and Florenc with Žižkov, and also create a new connection between the eastern ends of the platforms with these areas, the Florenc bus station, and the metro line C. Escalators, stairs, and elevators from the floor will lead to the individual platforms. In front of Masaryk Station, near one of the exits of metro line B, a new square was created.

Masaryk Railway Station in Prague will also be the terminal station of a planned railway connection to Václav Havel Airport and further to Kladno.

In the former engine shed of the station, the National Technical Museum is preparing a railway exhibition.

References

1. "Železnice v PID" (PDF). Prague Integrated Transport. 11 December 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
2. "Masakr na Masarykově nádraží 8. 5. 1945" (in Czech). Retrieved 1 July 2018.
3. Ročenka dopravy Praha 2010 Archived 2012-03-21 at the Wayback Machine
4. "Central Business District was designed for Prague by Zaha Hadid". penta investments. Retrieved 2023-12-21.