Prague Transport Company has officially broken the construction deadlock of the largest rail transit project in Prague in decades, issuing a construction contract worth 29.99 billion kronor, approximately 1.45 billion US dollars, to a consortium consisting of Subterra, Hochtief CZ, and BeMo Tunnelling. This key contract covering the section from Olblatova to Novodovo marks the comprehensive acceleration of the construction of Prague Metro Line D after a long legal battle, and is expected to start construction in the coming weeks.

Accelerated progress after the removal of legal barriers

This contract award was made after the Czech competition authority and the Supreme Administrative Court successively rejected bid objections, completely clearing the legal obstacles that had hindered the project for several months. The new section is 10.6 kilometers long, and the core project includes excavating nearly 6 kilometers of underground tunnels and constructing three deep buried stations, which will continue to extend the currently under construction Pankrats Olblatova section (expected to open in 2029) southward. As the first fully autonomous and unmanned subway line in Prague, the construction of Line D is not only related to traffic efficiency, but also regarded as a key indicator of urban modernization. According to DPP's latest financial disclosure, the estimated total cost of the entire D-line project has been raised to 86 billion kronor, an increase of about 15% from the initial budget, mainly due to inflation and geological complexity.

Fully automated operation and deep network integration

The technological ambition of Line D is not limited to the construction of new lines. According to the plan, the D line will be deeply integrated with the existing C line, sharing a fleet of 69 five car unmanned trains, and upgrading the existing 22.4-kilometer line to full automation (GOA4 level). An international tender launched in April 2024 is seeking new car supply and 35 year maintenance services, expected to attract giants such as Siemens and Alstom to compete. In addition, a newly constructed single track tunnel will connect the D and C lines at Pankrats Station, forming a closed loop of the road network. Keywords: international infrastructure, subway

With the upcoming bidding for the follow-up contracts of the D line extending northward to Namisti Milu and southward to Depp Pisnic, Prague is attempting to build a modern rail transit framework with a daily capacity increase of 20% by 2032. For this historic city, the D line is not only a complement to its transportation infrastructure, but also a key bet for maintaining its competitiveness in the China Europe economic map.Editor/Cheng Liting