Krnáčová: Prague is not considering extending metro line A to the airport

Prague - Prague is not considering extending metro line A from Motol to Václav Havel Airport. It will seek to construct a rail connection instead. Mayor Adriana Krnáčová (for ANO) stated this during today's tour of the new metro stations, which currently end at the hospital in Motol. According to her, the city will look for financing options with the Ministry of Transport. The extension of metro line A from Dejvická station to Motol is expected to cost around 20 billion crowns. Passengers will first be able to use the new stations on April 6.
    Regarding whether to build additional metro stations to the airport or to pursue the construction of a railway, political parties were not united before last year's municipal elections. Krnáčová herself, then a candidate for mayor, leaned towards extending the metro. However, that would cost Prague tens of billions. "The connection between the city and Prague airport is absolutely essential, however, I cannot imagine that we would further expand the metro," the mayor stated today.
    Preparations for the launch of trial operations are reaching their peak at the four new metro stations from Dejvická to Motol. According to Jaroslav Ďuriš, director of the transport company, it will begin in March and metro trains will pass through the stations at intervals according to the timetables. Only after the tests are completed can the transport company start operating with passengers.
    There are four stations on the line - Bořislavka, Nádraží Veleslavín, Petřiny, and Nemocnice Motol. Currently, a total of 19 trains operate during peak hours on line A, and after opening the new stations, there should be 24 or 25. The extended section will have a so-called zoning system, meaning not all services will go all the way to Motol. The same operation is applied in the terminal sections of line C or between Skalka and Depo Hostivař stations on line A.
    Construction of the metro A extension began in 2009. The planned budget for the approximately six-kilometer section is 22.5 billion crowns. According to the director of the transport company, the final bill will be about two billion lower. The transport company should draw about seven billion crowns from European subsidies for the construction.