The governments of the Czech Republic and Germany have approved an agreement on the planning, construction and operation of the Krušnohorský Tunnel under the Ore Mountains, pending ratification by the two countries' parliaments. The tunnel will form part of the new high-speed rail (HSR) line between Prague and Dresden. The 30 km tunnel, 12 km of which will be in the Czech Republic, will reduce the journey time between Prague and Dresden to one hour. Construction will be financed by national and European Union funds, with the Czech Republic contributing 39% of the estimated cost of €1.8 billion (CZK 45 billion). Completion is scheduled for 15 years. The tunnel will have two single-track tubes with a speed of 200 km/h for passenger rail transport and 120 km/h for rail freight transport.
