The transport company of the capital city of Prague has been building the fourth metro line for a year. Route D will lead from Náměstí Míru to Písnice, and should be ready by the end of 2029. In the first twelve months, 1.6 kilometers of tunnels were dug on the first section of Pankrác-Olbrachtova. The transport company has already put over 1.8 billion crowns into construction. Metro D is the biggest Prague investment of this century.
Every day, the subway route is deepened by approximately two meters. Underground work is carried out 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To connect the Pankrác and Olbrachtova metro stations D, 60 meters of soil remain to be dug. Workers have completed the excavation of the double-track tunnel and are now working on the connecting tunnel of the C and D lines, the train turning area and the escalator locations. In total, the construction of the first section will cost 14 billion crowns. “We are keeping the budget and the schedule,” said chief construction manager Radek Kozubík.
Work on the first section of the metro will continue until the turn of 2025 and 2026. The transport company would then like to start the second section from Olbrachtova station to Nové Dvory this fall. An evaluation committee is currently meeting to assess the offers of suppliers for the construction of the connecting section.
The transport company calculated that the second stage would cost 23 to 24 billion. But according to its general director Petr Witowski, the companies applying are demanding more money than originally estimated. “Among other things, inflation and energy and labor prices have an effect on the price,” said Witowski. The section from Nové Dvory to Depo Písnice will be the last to be built.
“In Nové Dvory, we are planning the construction of a short-distance urban district with two thousand apartments, schools, kindergartens and a cultural center,” said Deputy Mayor Petr Hlaváček (STAN).
The new transport system of route D can help to improve the existing metro lines in the future. The busiest route of the Prague metro C could be the first to be offered. For example, autonomous cars without drivers will be a novelty. “The metro without drivers is a trend in both European and non-European countries. It is a matter that will allow us to shorten the operating intervals and thereby increase the transport capacity. Strengthening is necessary and it will not be possible without train automation,” said Deputy Mayor for Transport Zdeněk Hřib (Pirates ), who was mayor in the previous election period.
The start of construction of the fourth line was preceded by complications. The city had to come to an agreement with the landowners along the planned route. So far, this has only been achieved for the Pankrác – Nové Dvory section, already in 2019. However, the remaining section of the route to Písnice still lacks the necessary permits. “However, it does not hinder us in anything,” said the CEO of the transport company Witowski. According to him, this does not threaten the schedule of the entire construction, as the construction between Pankrác and Olbrachtová will take the longest.
Year of construction of the first section of metro D in numbers
Total length of tunnels and tunnels excavated since construction began: 1,082 meters Total length of tunnels excavated during geological survey: 520 meters Total rubble mined since construction began: 67,848 cubic meters Total volume of concrete used since construction began: 17,831 cubic meters Total amount of steel used reinforcement: 1,473 tons
At the same time, on Wednesday, April 26, on the first anniversary, the Information Center will open for the public in Neveklovská street, which will be available every Wednesday from 2 to 5 p.m. The aim is to provide citizens with information on current construction. A visualization of the first section of metro D will also be on display.
The 10.6 kilometer long line will have ten stations. It will start in the center at Náměstí Míru station on route A, cross route C at Pankrác station and then continue to the southern edge of the city to Písnice.
Video: The first section of metro D on footage from a drone
Shots from the excavation of the Prague metro D. | Video: Transport company of the capital city of Prague
