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Tram service to expand

14.2 kilometers of new tracks planned to ease commutes on outskirts

By Kimberly Ashton
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
December 5th, 2007 issue

The city’s transport agency is developing nine new tram lines to accommodate the continuing migration to Prague’s periphery, reduce dependence on buses and get ready for a new metro line.
The plan, released by City Hall, calls for the extension of eight existing lines and the development of a new line in the Suchdol district of Prague 6, which would link to the Suchdol metro stop.
“One of the intentions of the municipal ground plan is to increase the share of electric traction in public transport, which means replacing bus transportation with a track-bound system,” says Eva Dydová of the Prague Public Transit Company.
The plans are part of what Dydová calls a trend across the Continent.
“In Europe in the past 10 years, tram transportation is the preferred way of transit; we can say that tram transportation is going through its renaissance period,” Dydová says. “If we want to summarize [the reason], tram service running on modern tracks brings a larger capacity, higher level of safety and higher speed when compared to bus transportation. We also have to mention the positive impacts on the environment.”
The 14.2 kilometers (8.8 miles) of new tracks is scheduled to be built over the next eight or nine years and, when complete, will bring the total number of kilometers of tram tracks to 155.1. It will be paid for in large part by an investment grant from City Hall with the possibility of a European Union contribution, Dydová says. The Jan. 1 hike in tram fares is not related to the expansion of the tram service and the proceeds from these fares “are not a direct source for funding the construction,” she says.
Connecting the dots
The first order of business will be to build a 0.75-kilometer line from K vodojemu in Laurová (Prague 5) to Radlická. This extension is due to open next year and will cost about 530 million Kč.
Next in line is the 0.4-kilometer Podbaba–ČD Podbaba extension, which is scheduled to be completed in 2010 at a cost of 350 million Kč. Also set to finish in 2010 is the 1.5-kilometer extension from Barrandov to Slivenec. This link is expected to cost 690 million Kč. The following year should see the 2.1-kilometer extension from Počernická to Sídliště Malešice.
“The tram line running through Počernická street will cover the area of the Malešice housing estate, where new building projects are planned, and will be accessible from the city center,” Dydová says. This line is expected to cost 1.5 billion Kč.
In 2013, the city expects to install a tram line extension that would run the length of Wenceslas Square. This addition would be part of a larger overhaul that would include the broadening of sidewalks, abolition of car traffic and addition of new hotels. This line will be about 0.6 kilometers long and cost 490 million Kč.
Three more links will come online the following year. Among them is the ČD Podbaba–Suchdol connection, which will be the only wholly new line added to the network.
“The tram line ČD Podbaba–Suchdol was mainly initiated by Prague 6 town hall since it wants to focus on a good tram connection to Suchdol, a district that is growing at a high rate. At the same time, they want to reduce the bus connection to this district, considering the ecological benefits,” Dydová says. “Also, the Dejvická end station won’t be as packed as it is now,” she adds.
Also set to finish in 2014 will be the 2.4-kilometer Sídliště Modřany–Nové Dvory line.  “The extension of tram lines from Modřany to Libuš and Nové Dvory is mainly aimed at creating changing spots to the new metro line D, which will lead to better accessibility of these districts,” Dydová says. This line is expected to cost 740 million Kč.
The third extension scheduled to be completed that year is the 0.4-kilometer, 980 million Kč line from Zlíchov to Dvorce.
Lastly, the ninth line added to the system will be the 1.6-kilometer link from Divoká Šárka to Sídliště Dědina in Prague 6. This is due to be finished in 2016.
— Hela Balínová contributed to this report.

Kimberly Ashton can be reached at kashton@praguepost.com


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