Prague has taken another important step in the development of its urban transport network by officially launching construction of a new section of Metro Line D, between Olbrachtova station and the future Nové Dvory station.
The contract value exceeds EUR 1.2 billion, and the work will be carried out by a Czech-German consortium made up of Subterra, Hochtief CZ, Hochtief Infrastructure and BeMo Tunneling. The new section is part of the city’s long-term strategy to expand rail-based public transport and create a more efficient and modern metro network. Under the contract, the works will last 72 months (six years).
The new section will be 6 km long and will include three stations.
Works already under way
The first works have already begun in the Nové Dvory area, where contractors are preparing the access tunnel portal. This point will later allow the work fronts for the new station and the related tunnels to be opened. The first underground excavations are scheduled for the second half of August, marking the project’s entry into a visible technical phase.
The site is organised across several work areas, and a total of 13 intervention zones will be set up. Seven of them will remain active in the long term, indicating that the project is complex and will be delivered over several years.
Deep and modern stations
The new section of Line D will include three stations, of which Nové Dvory will be the deepest, with platforms located 33 metres below ground level. Nemocnice Krč station will descend to around 17 metres, while Nádraží Krč will be the only above-ground station on the section.
From a technical point of view, the project combines several construction methods. A large part of the tunnels will be built using TBM boring machines, while certain sections will be constructed using the Austrian tunnelling method. In addition, short sections built by open excavation are also planned.
Once the works are completed, the public transport company DPP expects the first fully operational section of Metro Line D, between Pankrác and Nové Dvory, to be put into service in the second half of 2032.
Tunnels bored with TBM and the Austrian method
The section will include a total of 9.6 km of tunnels excavated with TBM, 2.6 km built using the Austrian tunnelling method, and more than 100 metres of tunnels constructed by open excavation.
The construction of the tunnels will combine two execution methods: TBM boring and the New Austrian Tunnelling Method, known as NATM or NRTM. The two boring machines will start from the Písnice area and will excavate the main tunnels towards Nové Dvory, Nemocnice Krč and Nádraží Krč. In this section, Nové Dvory will become the largest and deepest station, with platforms located at approximately 33 metres below ground level.
For the project, 13 construction sites will be set up, seven of which will remain active in the long term. The largest of them will be established in Nové Dvory, covering almost four hectares, and will serve as the main base for excavating the station, the technological tunnels and future links to other branches of the network.
The two TBMs will be supplied by the German company Herrenknecht, and the machines have been specially designed for the geological conditions along the route and are due to be delivered next year. After transport to the site and assembly in the launch shaft, excavation of the tunnels will begin. Assembling a single TBM will take about three months.
Investment for the future
Prague authorities consider the project essential for the city’s development and for the future of public transport.
“Large cities must think ahead. Prague’s Metro Line D shows that the city is not standing still, but preparing for the future,” said Bohuslav Svoboda, the mayor of the Czech capital.
The new metro line will not only provide a fast and environmentally friendly connection between the southern districts and the city centre, but will also support the development of new residential and service areas around the stations.
“Prague’s Metro Line D is not just a fast link between Pankrác and Nové Dvory. It is the foundation for the development of modern neighbourhoods, with housing, services and green spaces built around high-capacity public transport,” said Jaromír Beránek, the deputy mayor responsible for transport.
Prague’s new Metro Line D corridor will be about 10.6 kilometres long in total and will include 10 stations. The project is being implemented in three major stages. The first stage covers the Pankrác–Nové Dvory section, 4.6 kilometres long and comprising five stations. The second stage will extend the line to Písnice, along a 3.8-kilometre route including three stations and a new depot. In the final phase, the corridor will be extended from Pankrác to Náměstí Míru, adding another 2.7 kilometres and two stations.
After completion, the new line is expected to carry around 45 million passengers a year, strengthening the role of public transport in mobility across the Czech capital. The project is one of the largest investments in the Czech capital’s infrastructure and is intended to strengthen the link between the city’s southern districts and the centre of the metropolis.
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