Metro Line D will cost 60 billion, construction will start in 2017

Prague - The planned construction of the new metro line D from the Náměstí Míru station to Písnice will cost 60 billion crowns. Work on the construction of the first section between the Pankrác and Depo Písnice stations could start in 2017. Prague Mayor Tomáš Hudeček (TOP 09) announced this at today's Žofín Forum. According to him, Prague is not able to finance such a large project on its own. The state must help, he stated.
    A transfer station will be created on the new route of the Prague metro in Pankrác. According to Hudeček, construction will begin precisely in the section between the Pankrác and Depo Písnice stations. It will cost about 30 billion and could be completed in 2022. Prague has already obtained the zoning decision. The route will connect from Pankrác to Náměstí Míru. "In the future, the route could be extended all the way to Náměstí Republiky station," he added.
    Hudeček stated that the city could draw European subsidies for the investment in the range of seven to eight billion crowns. Earlier, there was discussion about the possibility of involving private capital through a so-called PPP project. "However, this would mean further debt for the city," the mayor mentioned.
    The new D route will be over ten kilometers long and will serve several residential areas in the Krč, Lhotka, Libuš, Nové Dvory, and Písnice regions, as well as other catchment areas. It will also relieve line C. This will create an alternative to the critically transport-important Nuselský Bridge, which needs repairs. Prague had previously considered building a branch from the current metro line C at Pankrác. However, this option was ultimately dismissed. The branch would complicate the construction of the subsequent section and would also extend the intervals of the metro on line C.
    Prague, which operates with a budget of around 44 billion crowns, is completing the construction of the Blanka tunnel complex for just under 37 billion crowns and the completion of metro line A, which will cost more than 20 billion crowns. The investment in a rail connection to the airport and the completion of the external road ring of the city, which will be paid by the state, are also being discussed.