Prague will develop a study that will assess the construction of the O circular metro line

Prague - The Prague City Hall will commission a study to assess the possibility of constructing the circular Metro line O. The document will evaluate the feasibility of the new line, determine its route, and the placement of stations. At the same time, it will assess the economic aspects of construction and the social benefits. The study will cost approximately 30 million crowns, and the city will announce a tender for its creation in the autumn, with completion expected in about 36 months. This was stated today by Deputy Adam Scheinherr (Prague Personally).

According to him, the costs of the circular line cannot be estimated at this time; it will depend, among other things, on the technologies used. The Prague Public Transport Company (DPP) is currently constructing the new Metro line D from Pankrác to Písnice.

"Today, the expert group approved the final assignment of the study, which will now go to the (city) council, and we also approved the assignment for announcing the tender for the feasibility study. The circular line will alleviate the most congested segments of the metro," said Scheinherr.

According to the deputy, the study will examine the feasibility of construction, determine an appropriate route, and the placement of stations. It will also assess technical feasibility and recommend the choice of metro system, which includes whether it will be driverless. Experts will also provide the city with a technical and socio-economic model.

The document will have three parts: analytical, design, and evaluative. The last part will contain and assess various construction options, determining when and which section to start building first. Experts will also work in the material with the tram network and include planned high-speed rail construction.

According to previous statements from city representatives, the new line should lead from Nádraží Podbaba through Dejvice, Smíchov, Dvorce, Budějovická, Vršovice, Žižkov, Vysočany, Čakovice, and then in the second phase return north back to Podbaba. According to the initial proposal, the line would measure about 36 kilometers and have 23 stations, with the first section between Podbaba and Čakovice measuring 26 kilometers with 18 stations.

Among its most significant sections in the future would be the segment from the Vltava river to Krč, which could be used by up to 140,000 passengers daily. Another is the area of the freight station in Žižkov and also the north of the city, where around 100,000 people would use it. Lastly, the section in the west is likely to be built last, from Anděl to Strahov and into Podbaba.

DPP started construction in the second half of April this year on the section from Pankrác to Olbrachtova Street, which will be followed by the section to Nové Dvory. The final section to be built will be from Nové Dvory to the Písnice Depot. Total costs, accounting for inflation, are preliminarily estimated at 52.09 billion crowns.