[Prague] Metro

[kokpit]

This thread is about Prague's metro (subway) current extensions.

Introduction:
The Prague Metro system is 59.3 km long with 57 stations and includes three basic lines forming a triangle in the city centre with tunnels very deep below street level.

The first section of line C (red) (north-south, 22.7 km) was opened between Sokolovská (now Florenc) and Kačerov in 1974. This line continued to Háje in the south in 1980 and crossed the Vltava river to Holešovice in 1984. Most stations have a central platform, but not Hlavní nádraží (Central Rail Station) and Vyšehrad (situated inside the motorway bridge crossing the Nusle valley). Construction of a 3.9 km line C extension from Nádraží Holešovice to Ládví began in Sept. 2000 and was completed in June 2004. The line crosses under the Vltava river and there is one intermediate station at Kobylisy. Construction of another 4.6km line C extension from Ládví to Letňany began in spring 2004 and was opened in May 2008. There are two intermediate stations, Střížkov and Prosek. Letňany is the future location of the Prague Fairgrounds.

The western branch of line A (green) (east-west, 10.9 km) (Nám. Míru-Dejvická) was opened in 1978 and until 1990 it reached its final station Skalka. Hradčanská and Staroměstská were restored in 1997/98. In May 2006, line A was extended by one station (1 km) from Skalka to Depo Hostivař, taking advantage of the tracks leading to the Hostivař depot in that location. The new terminus is served by every other train.

The newest is line B (yellow) (25.8 km). The city section between Florenc and Smíchovské nádraží opened in 1985, a first extension to the south-western suburbs in Nové Butovice opened in 1988. The line grew to the north-east (Českomoravská) in 1990, and finally in 1994 to the south-western terminus at Zličín. This section is not very deep and some station use daylight. Between Hůrka and Lužiny there is an artificial science-fiction-like bridge tunnel. The easternmost section to Černý Most opened with 3 stations on 9 Nov 1998 (Vysočanská, Rajská zahrada, Černý Most). On 15 Oct. 1999 an intermediate station was opened to the public, Hloubětín. One more station, Kolbenova was built between Vysočanská and Hloubětín, it finally opened on 8 June 2001.

Here is up-to-date map:


Mid to long term projects include 2 new lines and extensions of the existing line A:
Line D - Vysočanská - Hl. Nadraží - Nám. Míru - Pankrác - south
Line A - extension on west end from Dejvická: Červený vrch - Veleslavín - Petřiny - Motol - Bílá Hora - Dědina - Dlouhá míle - Airport Ruzyně; extension on east: new branch south from Strašnická
Line E - semicircular (Pankrác - Anděl - Hradčanská - Vltavská - Palmovka - Line D)

Section IVC2 had been opened in May 2008, VIA and VA are already confirmed

[3tmk]

do you know anything about Prague's geology?
What is the soil made of, mostly limestone like in Paris, or hard rock like Schist as in Manhattan?
Basically, how hard is it for them to dig in Prague? I know that they've had problems in Paris because of the catacombs and from time to time some foundations crack, and they need to reinforce them, while in NYC, it's hard as hell to get any tunnels done.
And a good ground is always the key to a good skyscraper :P

[kokpit]

Originally Posted by 3tmk

do you know anything about Prague's geology?
What is the soil made of, mostly limestone like in Paris, or hard rock like Schist as in Manhattan?
Basically, how hard is it for them to dig in Prague? I know that they've had problems in Paris because of the catacombs and from time to time some foundations crack, and they need to reinforce them, while in NYC, it's hard as hell to get any tunnels done.
And a good ground is always the key to a good skyscraper :P

In Prague there are mainly clayel shales and sand terraces. I have book about geology problems during digging Prague metro (but I'm amateur in geology despite I have exam in geology :-), there were a lots of problems with digging in the centre, especially under the river, where the poor roof had to be reinforced from both the bottom of the river and the forward gallery. As well there was a large archeological survey during digging vestibules under the street level and of course surrounding buildings have to be fixed and subsoil reinforced.

Here is profile of current metro line construction, you can see sandy Quaternary terraces there


here is more detailed plan of the site

[kokpit]

Visualisations of new stations at line C

Střížkov
.
.
.
.


Prosek
.

Letňany

[Kommandant Mark]

Whoa! Awesome new thread...thank god, finally we got a good Czech forumer

[kokpit]

and here are some photos made in 10/2005 along the building site

behind the current end station Ládví towards Střížkov (Prosek 1)
.
.
.
.
.
.

at the Střížkov
.
.
.
.
.

at Střížkov-Prosek
.
.
.

about Prosek
.

about Letňany
.
.
.

[kokpit]

Originally Posted by Kommandant Mark

Whoa! Awesome new thread...thank god, finally we got a good Czech forumer

Yes, I'm glad to find this site

[KOKOLOGIST]

Wow thanks for the photos...very impressive.

[3tmk]

Originally Posted by kokpit

In Prague there are mainly clayel shales and sand terraces. I have book about geology problems during digging Prague metro (but I'm amateur in geology despite I have exam in geology :-), there were a lots of problems with digging in the centre, especially under the river, where the poor roof had to be reinforced from both the bottom of the river and the forward gallery. As well there was a large archeological survey during digging vestibules under the street level and of course surrounding buildings have to be fixed and subsoil reinforced.

Well I'm into geology too (seismology to be precise is a hobby of mine).
Subway construction has always been hard, either because the soil is too hard to dig, not stable enough, or because the underground infrastructure of the city nowadays is too dense to permit wide open digs, like they used to do last century (when they opened up Paris or London by closing boulevards and destroying buildings on its path).
Now they need to dig deeper, especially in hilly cities, etc. Or take the subway over ground, sometimes that's easier to do (ie Chicago and the El, the soil doesn't extensive permit digging, a problem for skyscrapers too).
Anyway, as for the metro, the new stations are looking great, that Strizkov station reminds me a little of what Calatrava did for the WTC PATH hub.

[kokpit]

Originally Posted by 3tmk

Well I'm into geology too (seismology to be precise is a hobby of mine).
Subway construction has always been hard, either because the soil is too hard to dig, not stable enough, or because the underground infrastructure of the city nowadays is too dense to permit wide open digs, like they used to do last century (when they opened up Paris or London by closing boulevards and destroying buildings on its path).
Now they need to dig deeper, especially in hilly cities, etc. Or take the subway over ground, sometimes that's easier to do (ie Chicago and the El, the soil doesn't extensive permit digging, a problem for skyscrapers too).
Anyway, as for the metro, the new stations are looking great, that Strizkov station reminds me a little of what Calatrava did for the WTC PATH hub.

Lines that were being built last years in Prague are mainly going through not so dense areas and suburbs, so digging it's much easier than in 70ties and 80ties, when all main centre areas were being touched by metro. As I said, main problems were with undergoing the river and building vestibules near street level.
In some time I'll try to gather more informations about this matter.

[Singidunum]

I am glad to see Prague metro is getting modern extensions. Can`t wait for Budapest news as well.

[Singidunum]

Btw did you take these photos? If yes then we got ourselfes a Czech updater

[kokpit]

unfortunately I didn't, I found it on net.

[lindenthaler]

oh wow impressive job!

[mic of Orion]

great stuff kokpit looks impresive

[SaRaJeVo-City]

wow amazing...very very nice...

[Prase1]

here is visualisation of new station in Hostivar depot. It suppose to be open in april-may. Along with this project a large parking lot and bus terminal will be build near. It should ease traffic congestion in this part of Prague.

[kokpit]

jj, metroweb to jistí, taky z něj čerpám :-) Každopádně ti děkuju, staví se toho u nás dost tak by jsme to tu mohli občas rozhýbat. Valmez znám, jezdíme tamtudy na chalupu, co je tam nového? Slyšel jsem před časem o nějakých investorech.

[Prase1]

tak s tim souhlasim. Neni tu zrovna moc ceskych forumaku.
Co se tyka investic tady ve valmezu me ted zrovna napada asi stavba tovarny RWE SCHOTT solarni panely. Firma vyhrala v minulem roce 3. misto v soutezi Investor roku CR. vice zde
Jinak v centru je proluka kde se ma stavet neco vetsiho ale uz to asi trikrat odlozili tak nevim. Kazdopadne az se trochu otepli chci vzit fotak a obejit to tu trochu, nafotit a pak to dat do fototeky.

[alien]

chalani, mohli by ste spravit taky highrise list prahy, ako som spravil ja pre bratislavu.

inak u nas v Blave sa metro chysta uz x rokov. teraz to zmenili na rychlodrahovu elektciku. Malo by sa zacat stavat este tento rok prvy usek z petrzalky do stareho mesta. Len sa dohaduju ze ci povedie na estakadach, na zemi, alebo polozapustene. Ja preferujem estakady. V centre uz ma pokracovat pod zemou.
a zavidim Prahe ako rychlo sa prazske metro rozsiruje. tu v bratislave len kecaju a kecaju.