The Prague Metro () is the rapid transit network of Prague, Czech Republic. Founded in 1974, the system consists of three lines (A, B and C) serving 61 stations (predominantly with island platforms), and is long. The system served 568 million passengers in 2021 (about 1.55 million daily). The metro is part of Prague Integrated Transport system (Praà ¾ská integrovaná doprava, PID) and is operated by the Prague Public Transit Company.
Two types of rolling stock are used on the Metro: the (a completely modernized variant of the original 81-717/714.1), and the Metro M1. All the lines are controlled automatically from the central dispatching, near I.P. Pavlova station.
The system is run by the Prague Public Transit Company which also manages the other means of public transport around the city, including the trams, buses, five ferries, the funicular to Petà ÂÃÂn Hill, and the chairlift inside the Prague Zoo.
Since 1993, the system has been connected to commuter trains and buses, and also to "park-and-ride" parking lots. Together, they form an extensive public transport network reaching further from the city, called Prague Integrated Transport (Czech: Praà ¾ská integrovaná doprava, PID). Whilst the large system is zonally priced, the Metro is entirely inside the central zone.
The Prague Metro has three lines and one "Line D" under construction, each represented by its own colour on the maps and signs: Line A (green, 17 stations, ), Line B (yellow, 24 stations, ) and Line C (red, 20 stations, ). There are 58 stations in total (three of which are transfer stations) connected by nearly 66 kilometres of mostly underground railways. Service operates from 4âÂÂ5 am until midnight, with two- to three-minute intervals between trains during rush hours and four to ten minutes between trains at other times. Nearly 600 million passengers use the Prague Metro every year (about 1.6 million daily).
The Prague Metro system is radial, with each line running through the city centre from termini in the outskirts; however, the lines do not meet at a single central station. Rather, the three lines form a triangle in the centre of the city, with three interchange stations at the vertices of the triangle: Florenc, Mà ¯stek, and Muzeum. Each interchange station has two halls, one hall for each line.
The depth of the stations (and the connecting lines) varies considerably. The deepest station is NámÃÂstàMÃÂru, located under the ground. Parts of the tracks in the city centre were mostly bored using a tunnelling shield. Outer parts were dug by a cut-and-cover method, and these stations are only a few metres under the surface. Part of Line B runs in a glassed-in tunnel above the ground.
Most stations have a single island platform in the centre of the station hall (tunnel) serving both directions. The sub-surface stations have a straight ceiling sometimes supported by columns, while the deep-level stations are larger tunnels with the track tunnels on each side. The walls of many stations are decorated using coloured aluminium panels; each station has its own colour. Some stations are considered among the finest in Europe.
Many stations are quite large, with several entrances spaced relatively far apart. This can often lead to confusion for those unfamiliar with the system, and a solution to resolve this is being implemented; a new wayfinding system in several phases across Prague, and its public transportation, called Legible Prague..
Metro M1 trains have operated on Line C since 2000; they completely replaced older cars on this line in 2003. DPP owns 265 of these cars, which form 53 five-car trains. These cars were developed specially for Prague, and were manufactured there between 2000 and 2003 by a consortium consisting of ÃÂKD Praha, ADtranz and Siemens (during the contract, Siemens acquired ÃÂKD Praha). The total length of the train is , the acceleration is , and the total capacity of the train is 1,464 people (224 sitting, 1,240 standing). This unit was also adapted for use in Venezuela on the Maracaibo Metro.
81-71M trains are a modernized variant of the old Soviet 81-717 trains with new traction motors, technical equipment, interiors, and exteriors. They have operated on Lines A and B since 1996. The modernization was conducted by à  koda Transportation and ÃÂKD between 1996 and 2011. DPP owns 465 81-71M cars, which form 93 five-car trains. The total length of the train is , and the acceleration is identical to that of the Metro M1 cars, at . Similar reconstructions were also made on the Tbilisi Metro and Yerevan Metro, as well as a near-identical version exported to Kyiv from Metrowagonmash as part of the Slavutich project, designated 81-553.1, 81âÂÂ554.1 and 81-555.1.
81-71 manufactured by Metrovagonmash were gradually phased out and replaced by the modernized versions, with their service ending on 2 July 2009. One vehicle is stored in the Museum of Prague public transport, while one fully-operational train of five cars stays in the ZliÃÂÃÂn (B) depot for special occasions.
The EÃÂs trains manufactured by Metrovagonmash, that ran on Line C, were in service from 1974 to 1997. One vehicle is also stored in the Prague Public Transport Museum, while one fully-operational train of three cars is stored in the ZliÃÂÃÂn (B) depot.
Although the Prague Metro system is relatively new, the idea of underground transport in Prague dates back many years. The first proposal to build a sub-surface railway was made by Ladislav Rott in 1898. He encouraged the city council to take advantage of the fact that parts of the central city were already being dug up for sewer work. Rott wanted them to start digging tunnels for the railway at the same time. However, the plan was denied by the city authorities. Another proposal in 1926, by Bohumil Belada and VladimÃÂr List, was the first to use the term "Metro", and though it was not accepted either, it served as an impulse for moving towards a real solution of the rapidly developing transport in Prague.
In the 1930s and 1940s, intensive projection and planning works took place, taking into account two possible solutions: an underground tramway (regular rolling stock going underground in the city centre, nowadays described as a "premetro", "Stadtbahn" or "subway-surface line") and a "true" metro having its own independent system of railways. After World War II, all work was stopped due to the poor economic situation of the country, although the three lines, A, B and C, had been almost fully designed.
In the early 1960s the concept of the sub-surface tramway was finally accepted and on 9 August 1967 the building of the first station (Hlavnànádraà ¾ÃÂ) started. However, in the same year, a substantial change in the concept came, as the government after criticism by architects and urban planners, subsequently supported by Soviet advisers, decided to build a true metro system instead of an underground tramway. Thus, during the first years, the construction continued while the whole project was conceptually transformed. During the construction of the metro, a Czech rolling stock manufacturer, ÃÂKD Tatra SmÃÂchov, was charged with designing the trains. Two prototype two-car units under the name R1 were constructed in 1970 and 1971 and were used for field testing. However, the then-Czechoslovak government decided instead to order the trains for the underground from the Soviet Union (which would soon become EÃÂs, part of the Soviet "E" series, standing for "E Czechoslovak"). The R1 rolling stock would later be scrapped in the 1980s, near the end of the Cold War. Regular service on the first section of Line C began on 9 May 1974 between Sokolovská (now Florenc) and KaÃÂerov stations.
Since then, many extensions have been built and the number of lines has risen to three.
On 22 February 1990, 13 station names reflecting mostly communist ideology were changed to be politically neutral. For example, Leninova station, which contained a giant bust of Vladimir Lenin before the Velvet Revolution, was renamed Dejvická after a nearby street and surrounding neighbourhood. Other changes were: Dukelská â Nové Butovice, à  vermova â Jinonice, Moskevská â AndÃÂl, Sokolovská â Florenc, FuÃÂÃÂkova â Nádraà ¾Ã Holeà ¡ovice, Gottwaldova â Vyà ¡ehrad, Mládeà ¾nická â Pankrác, Primátora Vacka â Roztyly, Budovatelà ¯ â Chodov, Druà ¾by â Opatov, Kosmonautà ¯ â Háje.
In August 2002, the system suffered disastrous flooding that struck parts of Bohemia and other areas in Central Europe (see 2002 European flood). 19 stations were flooded, causing a partial collapse of the transport system in Prague; the damage to the Metro has been estimated at approximately 7 billion CZK (over US$225 million in exchange rate at that time). The affected sections of the Metro stayed out of service for several months; the last station (Kà Âià ¾ÃÂkova, located in the most-damaged area â KarlÃÂn) reopened in March 2003. Small gold plates have been placed at some stations to show the highest water level of the flood. Service was suspended between:
A number of stations were closed due to flooding in June 2013. Replacement trams ran between Dejvická and Muzeum on Line A and ÃÂeskomoravská and SmÃÂchovské nádraà ¾Ã on Line B, and replacement buses between Kobylisy and Muzeum on Line C due to closed sections of the track.
After regular service on the first section of Line C began in 1974 between Florenc and KaÃÂerov, building of extensions continued quite rapidly. In 1978, Line A was opened, and Line B opened in 1985, thus forming the triangle with three crossing points. Since then, the lines have been extended outwards from the centre.
In 1980 and 1990, Line A was extended eastward from NámÃÂstàMÃÂru to à ½elivského and Skalka. Line B was extended from Nové Butovice to ZliÃÂÃÂn in 1994 and from ÃÂeskomoravská to ÃÂerný Most in 1998, and the Kolbenova and HloubÃÂtÃÂn stations were opened in 2001. Expansion of Line C was carried out in 1980 (KaÃÂerov â Háje) and 1984 (Florenc â Nádraà ¾Ã Holeà ¡ovice).
A northern extension of Line C was opened on 26 June 2004, with two more stations, Kobylisy and LádvÃÂ. New tunnels were built under the Vltava river using a unique "ejecting-tunnels" technology. First, a trench was excavated in the riverbed and the concrete tunnels constructed in dry docks on the riverbank. Then the docks were flooded, and the floating tunnels were moved as a rigid complex to their final position, sunk, anchored, and covered.
Line A was extended to the east on 26 May 2006, when a new terminus, Depo Hostivaà Â, opened. The station was constructed within the railway depot.
Line C was extended to the northeast to connect the city center to the housing blocks at Prosek and a large shopping centre at Letà Âany. Three stations (Stà ÂÃÂà ¾kov, Prosek, and Letà Âany) opened on 8 May 2008.
In April 2015, Line A was extended westward from Dejvická to Nemocnice Motol with four new stations: Boà Âislavka, Nádraà ¾Ã VeleslavÃÂn, Petà Âiny, and Nemocnice Motol. The Nádraà ¾Ã VeleslavÃÂn station is also the new terminus of the 59 trolleybus to Václav Havel Airport.
Plans for an extension to the airport have been proposed, but never put into action. According to estimates from 2018 the project would cost about 26.8 billion crowns and take 11 years to complete.
Another phase of the extension of Line A was planned from Nemocnice Motol to the Václav Havel Airport, but this has been scrapped in order to prioritise a rail line connecting to the airport.
The construction of a new line, Line D (blue) has begun, starting from 2022, which will connect the city centre to southern parts of the city. According to current plans, the line will run for 11 kilometers and start in the city center and lead to Vrà ¡ovice, KrÃÂ, Libuà ¡, and PÃÂsnice. There will be 10 stations: NámÃÂstàMÃÂru (transfer to Line A), NámÃÂstàbratà ÂàSynkà ¯, Pankrác (transfer to Line C), Olbrachtova, Nádraà ¾Ã KrÃÂ, Nemocnice KrÃÂ, Nové Dvory, Libuà ¡, PÃÂsnice and Depo PÃÂsnice. Line D is very important for improving the traffic situation in the southern and southeastern part of the city. In the second stage it is planned to extend this line from Pankrác to NámÃÂstàMÃÂru (Peace Square). The first part of Line D is planned to be built between 2022 and 2029.
There are also plans for Line E, which will probably be circular. The exact route has not yet been determined. In the beginning of the 21st century, there were discussions regarding it in the connection with plans to organise the Summer Olympic Games in Prague, which were however cancelled. The Praha sobÃÂ list endorsed the idea of a circular metro line during the run-up to the 2022 Prague municipal election.
The name of the Mà ¯stek station means "little bridge" and refers to the area around the station. The origin of the area's name was not known until remains of a medieval bridge were discovered during construction of the station. The remains were incorporated into the station and can be seen near the northwestern exit of the station.
The escalators at NámÃÂstàMÃÂru (Peace Square) station in Vinohrady are the longest escalators in the European Union (length 87 m, vertical span 43.5 m, 533 steps, taking 2 minutes and 15 seconds to ascend). NámÃÂstàMÃÂru is also the deepest station in the European Union, at 53 metres.
Between I. P. Pavlova and Vyà ¡ehrad stations, Line C runs inside the box structure of the large Nusle Bridge over a steep valley.
The terminal station Depo Hostivaà  was constructed within the buildings of an existing railway depot. The extension is the first segment of the system to be built above ground and not through a tunnel. There are no reversing tracks in the terminus; trains depart from the same track on which they arrive.
AndÃÂl station was known as Moskevská (Moscow station) until 1990. It opened on the same day in 1985 as the Prazhskaya (Prague) station on the Moscow Metro. It contains several pieces of art promoting Soviet-Czechoslovak friendship. AndÃÂl station, like the Praha-SmÃÂchov railway station, contains some of the best-preserved examples of Communist-era art remaining in Prague. Works were carried out from 2014-15 to make the station accessible for wheelchair users.
The announcement made through the public address system when the doors are closing, "UkonÃÂete, prosÃÂm, výstup a nástup, dveà Âe se zavÃÂrajÃÂ" ("Please finish exiting and boarding, the doors are closing") has become a symbol of Prague for many tourists, and is possibly the first clear Czech phrase many travellers hear. The announcement has changed little since 1974, when the first line was opened; the original version did not include the word "please". The announcements are voiced by on Line A, by on Line B, and by on Line C.
Other announcements include: "Vystupujte vpravo ve smÃÂru jÃÂzdy" ("Exit on the right side in the direction of travel"), "KoneÃÂná stanice, prosÃÂme, vystupte" ("Terminal station, please exit the train"), and "Pà Âestup na linky S a dalà ¡Ã vlakové spoje" ("Transfer to S lines and other railway connections").
The entrance hall of the HradÃÂanská station still features the coat of arms of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and the motto Và ¡echna moc v ÃÂeskoslovenské socialistické republice patà ÂàpracujÃÂcÃÂmu lidu ("All the power in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic belongs to the working people"), which were parts of the station's original socialist-realist design.
During the communist period, rumours circulated that large and palatial "survival chambers" were being built for high officials of the government in case of a nuclear attack. After the fall of communism such areas were shown indeed to exist, but on neither the scale nor the luxury envisioned.
The Prague Metro operates on a proof-of-payment system, as does the rest of the PID network. Passengers must buy and validate a ticket before entering a station's paid area. There are uniformed and plainclothes fare inspectors who randomly check passengers' tickets within the paid area.
Basic single tickets cost 40 CZK (as of 1 August 2021) for a 90-minute ride or 30 CZK for a 30-minute ride. In November 2007 SMS purchase for basic single transfer tickets and day tickets was introduced (available only from Czech mobile phones).
Short-term tourist passes are available for periods of 24 hours (120 CZK) and 3 days (330 CZK). As of 2019, single tickets and short term passes can be purchased online using the PID LÃÂtaÃÂka smartphone app. Since April 2019 single and 24hour tickets can be also bought on board of every tram and in all metro stations, using contactless payment, including payment apps like Google Pay or Apple Pay. Such tickets are already validated from the time of purchase.
Longer-term season tickets can be bought on the smart ticketing system LÃÂtaÃÂka card, for periods of one month (550 CZK), three months (1480 CZK) or the annual pass for 3650 CZK (10 CZK/day). Students studying in the Czech republic with a valid student license ISIC, children under 18 years old, and seniors over 60 years of age can buy season tickets at reduced prices. Reduced ticket prices are: 130 CZK for 30 days, 360 CZK for 90 days, and 1280 CZK for a year.
Senior citizens aged 65 or older and children up to 14 years old can ride for free. The tickets are the same for all means of transport in Prague (metro, trams, buses, funiculars and ferries).