Aim of this paper is to explore the railway as a transformative force in the city. The topic will be factually introduced on the example of Smíchov, one of the oldest industrial districts of Prague, located in the vicinity of the historical core. Method used in this paper is research on the district´s development in the past and present with special focus on the dynamic interrelations between railway and the district´s urban development, for simplification demonstrated on two distinct areas of Smíchov: Smíchov railway station and the traditional focal point of Smíchov – the area of Anděl crossroad with former Ringhoffer factory, respectively. There are three distinct periods in the history of Smíchov, distinguishable by the role railway played in the development of the district, which are subject of single chapters of this paper: In the second half of the 19th century, there was enormous potential of railway to generate city life and actually create a modern metropolis. This period was followed by the time of stagnation of railway and the city in the course of 20th century. Last chapter is focused on the emancipated urban development of Anděl in1990s, creating distinctive areas of wealth and disrepair, and on the conditions of prospective development of Smíchov railway station, seen from the perspective of Anděl´s blossoming.