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 (Pražská integrovaná doprava, PID) and is operated by the Prague Public Transit Company.
Two types of rolling stock are used on the Metro: the 81-71M (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.
Basic information
thumb|300px|Prague Metro map
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 Petřín 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: Pražská integrovaná doprava, PID). Whilst the large system is zonally priced, the Metro is entirely inside the central zone.
Lines
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 4–5 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).
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Prague Metro
|-
! Line
! Color
! Opened
! Year of<br />last expansion
! Route
! Length
! Stations
|-
| Line A
| style="color:black; background-color:#51b848"|Green
| style="text-align:center"|1978
| Nemocnice Motol ↔ Depo Hostivař
| style="text-align:center"|24
|-
| Line C
| style="color:black; background-color:#ef4130"|Red
| style="text-align:center"|1974
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.
Rolling stock
thumb|left|upright=1.1|Metro M1 train on a test track
thumb|upright=1.1|81-71M train
thumb|upright=1.1|left|Inside a Metro M1 car
thumb|upright=1.1|Inside an 81-71M car
Metro M1
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 ČKD Praha, ADtranz and Siemens (during the contract, Siemens acquired ČKD 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
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 Škoda Transportation and ČKD between 1996 and 2011. DPP owns 465 81-71M cars, which form 93 five-car trains. One vehicle is stored in the Museum of Prague public transport, while one fully-operational train of five cars stays in the Zličín (B) depot for special occasions.
The Ečs 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 Zličín (B) depot.
History
thumb|left|upright|Ladislav Rott's proposal to the Prague City Council
thumb|[[Ládví (Prague Metro)|Ládví, Line C|left]]
thumb|[[Vyšehrad (Prague Metro)|Vyšehrad station on Line C]]
thumb|For its unorthodox three-level platform design, [[Rajská zahrada (Prague Metro)|Rajská zahrada station was named Czech Building of the Year in 1999.]]
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 Vladimír 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 (Hlavní nádraží) 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, ČKD Tatra Smíchov, 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 Ečs, 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 Kačerov stations.
thumb|left|Extent of flooding in the Metro network in 2002
thumb|Escalators at [[Národní třída (Prague Metro)|Národní třída]]
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 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 (Křižíkova, located in the most-damaged area – Karlín) 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:
- Radlická and Kolbenova on Line B
- Malostranská and Náměstí Míru on Line A
- Hlavní nádraží and Nádraží Holešovice on Line C (before the extension to Ládví in 2004 and to Letňany in 2008)
A number of stations were closed due to flooding in June 2013. Replacement trams ran between Dejvická and Muzeum on Line A and Českomoravská and Smíchovské nádraží on Line B, and replacement buses between Kobylisy and Muzeum on Line C due to closed sections of the track.
Extensions
thumb|Prague Metro extensions
After regular service on the first section of Line C began in 1974 between Florenc and Kačerov, 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. 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 Hostivař, opened. The station was constructed within the railway depot.
In April 2015, Line A was extended westward from Dejvická to Nemocnice Motol with four new stations: Bořislavka, Nádraží Veleslavín, Petřiny, and Nemocnice Motol. The Nádraží Veleslavín 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.
Future plans
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.
Line D
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 Vršovice, Krč, Libuš, and Písnice.
=== Line E ===<!-- Line is no longer included in future planning for the Metro. |-
| style="background: purple;color:white;" | Line E
| style="text-align: left;" | Line E (Linka E)
| Proposed circle line -->
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 sobě list endorsed the idea of a circular metro line during the run-up to the 2022 Prague municipal election.
Features
thumb|left|A medieval bridge in Můstek station
thumb|upright|The longest escalator in the EU at [[Náměstí Míru]]
The name of the Můstek 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 Náměstí Míru (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). Náměstí Míru is also the deepest station in the European Union, at 53 metres.
Between I. P. Pavlova and Vyšehrad stations, Line C runs inside the box structure of the large Nusle Bridge over a steep valley.
left|thumb|[[Anděl (Prague Metro)|Anděl (Angel) station on Line B]]
The terminal station Depo Hostivař 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.
Anděl 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. Anděl station, like the Praha-Smíchov 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.
Announcements
thumb|right|„Ukončete, prosím, výstup a nástup, dveře se zavírají. Příští stanice: Staroměstská." Line A, Můstek station.
The announcement made through the public address system when the doors are closing, "Ukončete, prosím, výstup a nástup, dveře se zavírají" ("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 směru jízdy" ("Exit on the right side in the direction of travel"), "Konečná stanice, prosíme, vystupte" ("Terminal station, please exit the train"), and "Přestup na linky S a další vlakové spoje" ("Transfer to S lines and other railway connections").
The entrance hall of the Hradčanská station still features the coat of arms of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and the motto Všechna moc v Československé socialistické republice patří pracujícímu 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.
Tickets
thumb|150px|upright|Validating a ticket using the date and time stamp machine
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.
As of 1 January 2026, basic single tickets valid for 90 minutes cost 46 CZK (or 50 CZK for a paper ticket). Shorter-term single tickets valid for 30 minutes are sold for 36 CZK (39 CZK paper). 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 (140 CZK/150 CZK paper) and 3 days (340 CZK/350 CZK paper). As of 2019, single tickets and short term passes can be purchased online using the PID Lítačka 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.
In efforts to get riders to use the "PID Lítačka" smartphone app, a new surcharge was implemented in January 2026 which applies to all paper and SMS tickets.
Longer-term season tickets can be bought on the smart ticketing system Lítačka 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).
Gallery
Examples of stations on Line A
<gallery>
File:Borislavka (03).jpg|Bořislavka station
File:Hradčanská, východ z metra.jpg|New entrance to Hradčanská station
File:Metro Můstek A.jpg|Můstek station
File:Metro Strašnická vestibul večer 7.jpg|Entrance to Strašnická station
File:Depo Hostivař, nástupiště metra.jpg|Depo Hostivař station
</gallery>
Examples of stations on Line B
<gallery>
File:Zličín metro nást. 1.jpg|Zličín station
File:Metro B Hůrka vstup 2.jpg|Hůrka station
File:Metro - Smíchovské nádraží 1.JPG|Metro platforms at Smíchovské nádraží
File:Národní třída, stanice metra, mezipatro (01).jpg|Entrance to Národní třída station
File:Praha Invalidovna metro 4.jpg|Invalidovna station
File:Prago, metroa stacio Rajská zahrada, okcidenta enirejo, 1.jpeg|Rajská zahrada station
</gallery>
Examples of stations on Line C
<gallery>
File:Prague Metro Haje Platform.jpg|Háje station
File:Praha Kacerov nast.jpg|Kačerov station
File:Praha, Hlavní nádraží, nástupiště.JPG|Metro platforms at Hlavní nádraží (Central Railway Station)
File:Prague metro station Nadrazi Holesovice.jpg|Metro platforms at Nádraží Holešovice
File:Metro C Kobylisy kolej.jpg|Kobylisy station
File:Praha, Střížkov, stanice metra Střížkov, nástupiště III.jpg|Střížkov station
File:Metro Letňany 1.jpg|Letňany station
</gallery>
Transfer corridors
<gallery>
File:FlorencB (01).jpg|Transfer corridor in Florenc
File:Praha, Můstek, přestupní chodba.JPG|Transfer corridor in station Můstek
File:Stanice Muzeum, linka C.jpg|Entrance to the transfer corridor in the station Muzeum
</gallery>
Current subway cars
<gallery>
File:Národní třída, stanice metra, souprava 81-71 M (02).jpg|81-71M, originally a subway car made in the USSR, reconstructed in Czech Škoda Transportation
File:Metro M1, stanice Ládví.jpg|M1, made in Siemens and ČKD
</gallery>
Historic subway cars
<gallery>
File:Muzeum MHD, vlak metra Tatra R1.jpg|Prototype R1 made in ČKD Tatra (never in official operation)
File:Praha, Nádraží Holešovice, příjezd soupravy EČS.jpg|Metrovagonmash Ečs, in operation in 1974–1997
File:Praha, stanice Florenc, souprava metra 81-71.JPG|81-71 (81-717.1/714.1), in operation 1978–2009
</gallery>
Related constructions
<gallery>
File:NuselskyMost.jpg|Nuselský most (Nusle bridge)
File:Nuselský most, od stanice metra Vyšehrad (02).jpg|Station Vyšehrad under the Nusle bridge
File:Praha Stodůlky most metro 3.jpg|Metro tube between stations Hůrka and Lužiny
File:Praha Stodůlky most metro 7.jpg|Metro tube between stations Hůrka and Lužiny
File:Metro Černý Most tubus.jpg|Metro tube between stations Černý most and Rajská zahrada
File:Černý Most, most metra, k Rajské zahradě.jpg|Sidewalk above the subway tube between station Černý most and Rajská zahrada
</gallery>
Network map
See also
- List of metro systems
- Trams in Prague
- Buses in Prague
Notes
References
External links
- including maps, fare information, etc.
- : photogallery