Prague Plans to Tender for CZK 86 Billion for Driverless Metro Trains

The Prague Transport Company (DPP) plans to launch a competition with an estimated value of 86 billion crowns to automate traffic on the C metro line along with the purchase of automatic trains for the under-construction D line.

City councilors approved the move, with representatives yet to vote.

The contract will include the purchase of 52 automatic sets for Line C, 16 sets for Line D, and necessary modifications and necessary station modifications.

Deputy mayor Zdeněk Hřib (Piráti) emphasized the urgency of announcing the tender promptly due to the testing and homologation needs of the trains. The city aims to select a winner within approximately two years.

“Automation will reduce the interval to 90 seconds, significantly boosting the capacity of the C line,” added the deputy. For line D, currently under construction, automated operation is planned from the outset.

Preparatory work and car development will occur in 2026 and 2027, followed by the production, certification, and homologation of the first cars between 2027 and 2028. A test run is expected between 2028 and 2029, paving the way for serial production and the delivery of the ordered trains.

The primary motivation for automating the C line lies in its high workload, particularly in central sections from Nádraží Holešovice to Vyšehrad, where capacity is stretched to the limit. Without automation, reducing intervals, currently at around 115 seconds during peak times, would be unfeasible.

The construction of the new D Line is divided into four phases or sections, the first of which is the section I.D1a (Pankrac – Olbrachtova), followed by I.D1b (Olbrachtova – Nové Dvory) with the construction of three stations and interstation tunnels, I.D3 (Namesti Bratří Sinku – Namesti Miru), and I.D2 with three stations and the depot in Písnice.