Prague moves ahead with plans for fifth metro line

Prague's Metro D is still under construction, but city officials are already taking the first steps toward what could become the Czech capital's fifth metro line.

The proposed route would connect major districts outside the historic center, potentially creating faster links between areas that currently require a trip through central Prague. But almost everything else remains up for debate, including the final route, whether the line will be called Metro E or O, and whether parts will even resemble a conventional metro.

The project is still at a very early stage. Prague councilors on Sept. 7 approved the preparation of a feasibility study by the city's Institute of Planning and Development (IPR). The line currently has no final route, construction permit or construction start date.

The basic idea is not new. Plans for a circular Prague metro appeared in transport studies as far back as the late 1980s and were revived in 2022 by then-Deputy Mayor for Transport Adam Scheinherr.

Under the more ambitious Metro O concept, the line would eventually form a ring around Prague, allowing passengers to travel between outer districts without passing through the center. Construction could be divided into stages, with a Smíchov-Pankrác connection among the first sections.

The latest proposal from city officials is different. Dubbed Metro E, it would run from Smíchov through Pankrác, Bohdalec, Žižkov, Vysočany and Letňany toward a planned northern terminal for the high-speed rail network.

Even calling the project a "metro" may be premature. The feasibility study will examine whether parts of the route could use surface metro or light rail alongside underground sections, potentially reducing the need for a fully underground system.

The proposed line is intended to link areas that can currently be surprisingly time-consuming to travel between despite their geographic proximity. A direct connection would allow passengers to travel between outer districts without routing through central Prague, while improving connections around Pankrác, Žižkov, Vysočany, and Letňany.

Cost may ultimately determine how ambitious the project becomes. The city estimates the proposed line would cost around CZK 220 billion in today's prices if the entire route were built underground. Prague currently could not finance the project as a single investment.

Prague 9 Mayor Tomáš Portlík, a candidate for Prague mayor, said the city will need the new line as major development areas expand, but cautioned against promising construction anytime soon.

"The fifth line is currently beyond the financial capabilities of the capital," Portlík told iDnes.cz, adding that Prague should instead discuss building it in stages and establish a realistic long-term timetable.

For now, Metro E remains a proposal rather than a construction project. The feasibility study will determine whether the proposed route makes economic and transport sense, what form the line should take, and how it could be built. Any construction remains years away.