The first passengers could ride the new cable car to Petřín next summer

Prague – The first passengers could ride the new cars of the Prague funicular on Petřín next summer. Workers have completed the demolition work on the track, and are now continuing with the preparation of the concrete sub-bases that will serve as the foundation for the new line. In the autumn, the rails will be delivered to the construction site, which will be installed on the newly built support slabs. By the end of the year, workers are expected to paint the first of two new cable cars that are set to arrive in Prague in the spring of next year. This was communicated by Daniel Šabík, the head of communications for the Prague Public Transit Company (DPP). The Petřín funicular stopped operating exactly one year ago, on September 13, due to heavy rains. Due to the damaged and impassable track, the public transit company did not resume its operation and began preparatory work for its reconstruction.

The two cars that will operate on Petřín will be manufactured in Switzerland for DPP by the Austrian-Swiss group Doppelmayr/Garaventa for 137.7 million crowns. It emerged as the winner of the competition announced by the company.

Work on the new Petřín funicular is currently progressing according to schedule, Šabík reported. Delivery of the manufactured cars and their attachment to the newly built track is expected in the spring of next year. Trial runs without passengers will follow. "We anticipate that the first passengers will ride the new funicular cars on Petřín next summer as part of a trial operation with passengers," Šabík stated.

Workers have completely finished the demolition work along the entire track. They have removed the cables, guide pulleys, track superstructure, original concrete slabs, drainage system, service stairs, and other components of the original funicular. Earthworks necessary for access by heavy machinery and the construction of pile walls that will stabilize the slope in the area of the track have also been completed.

At the construction site, workers are now adjusting the substrate and pouring the layers of the base, of which about 40 percent is completed. The construction company Metrostav DIZ will then lay the final supporting concrete slabs. So far, about 20 percent of these are completed, which is roughly 100 meters of the total length of approximately 500 meters of the track. Work is progressing simultaneously from both the lower and upper stations towards the intermediate station Nebozízek.

"Components for the new Petřín funicular cars are being produced in parallel at the facilities of Doppelmayr/Garaventa in Switzerland," Šabík stated. Workers will begin assembling the cabins in the second half of September, and by the end of the year, the first of the two cars should be painted.

The new cars will have more glass compared to the existing ones, improving the view for passengers. According to company information, they will be 12.3 meters long and 2.45 meters wide, divided into four non-passing sections. There will be 19 seats, and the capacity for standing passengers will be up to 100 people. The delivery will also include new control and monitoring systems.

The Petřín funicular first started operating in the summer of 1891 on the occasion of the Jubilee Land Exhibition. Throughout its existence, it has had two long shutdowns. In 1916, it stopped due to World War I, and operations resumed in 1932. In 1965, extensive landslides destroyed the line, and the funicular restarted in 1985. At the turn of 2015 and 2016, it underwent significant track repairs. The current reconstruction of the track is necessary mainly due to the movement of the Petřín slope.