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Prague Metro Line C

Prague Metro Line C is the oldest line of the Prague Metro. Its first section, between Kačerov and Sokolovská station (today Florenc), opened on 9 May 1974.[1] Today the line links Letňany in the north with Háje in the south.[6] It is operated by the Prague Public Transit Company.[2]*

Origins

Construction began on 7 January 1966 as an underground tramway between Vrchlického sady and the Nusle Bridge. In August 1967 the government decided to change the project to a conventional metro.[1] A legacy of the tramway project is Hlavní nádraží station, which looks different from the other stations. The line was completed in 1973 and includes a section suspended in the Nusle Bridge.[4]

The first section had nine stations. At the opening ceremony the ribbon was cut by Gustáv Husák, general secretary of the Communist Party. Service was provided by three-car Soviet Ečs trains. Czechoslovak R1 units from ČKD had originally been planned, but the government rejected them before testing was complete.[4]

Extensions

On 7 November 1980 a four-station section from Kačerov to Háje opened, followed on 3 November 1984 by a section from Florenc to Holešovice. After 1989 stations with politically loaded names were renamed; Gottwaldova became Vyšehrad, Fučíkova became Nádraží Holešovice and Kosmonautů became Háje.[4] In June 2004 the line was extended from Nádraží Holešovice to Ládví.[4] On 8 May 2008 trains began running to Střížkov, Prosek and Letňany, where a park-and-ride for 700 cars and a bus terminal were built.[3]

Trains and modernisation

The line is served by M1 cars based at the Kačerov depot.[2] In April 2024 the transit company launched a tender for a fully automatic system for lines C and D. Operation without on-board staff is expected to raise the capacity of line C by up to 20 percent.[5]

Before automation the company plans to replace all wooden sleepers on the oldest section. At the end of September 2026 the line was closed for three days between Pražského povstání and Chodov for sleeper replacement. Of the total of 20,097 sleepers, 3,644 remained to be replaced.[6]

Sources

  1. Národní památkový ústav, ÚOP v Praze — 2024-07-02
  2. Dopravní podnik hl. m. Prahy
  3. Pražský deník — 2008-05-08
  4. ČT24 — 2014-05-08
  5. Dopravní podnik hl. m. Prahy — 2024-04-18
  6. Pražský patriot — 2026-09-25

* The sources are collected and the preliminary text of this entry is drafted with artificial intelligence, on the instruction of the editorial staff; the entry has not yet been verified by an editor — report a mistake.