It’s been 50 years since the metro has been running in Prague. The first idea for the construction of an underground railway appeared as early as 1888. Ladislav Rott, a businessman from the well-known Prague ironworks, came up with it.
Finally, the construction of the metro began only in 1966. Originally, it was supposed to be an underground tram, but based on the recommendations of the Soviet commission, it was decided that it would be better to separate the underground line from the tram network.
By moving the slider to the right, the entire historical photo will always open, and by moving it to the left, the entire current image of the same place will open.
The turnstiles at the Hlavní nádraží station on line C of the Prague metro in the picture from January 9, 1975 are already a thing of the past.
Even before the opening of the metro, on November 24 and 25, 1973, the Metro transport company organized an open day for the Month of Czechoslovak-Soviet Friendship. Prague residents and visitors to the capital city viewed the Gottwaldova metro station (Vyšehrad since 1990) and the Soviet train set. The contemporary caption to the photo reads, “Gottwaldova station is one of the most architecturally beautiful stations on the IC route of the Prague metro. Visitors view the Soviet train set with great interest.”
Photo reportage
What does it look like in the subway when the last passenger gets off?
A period photograph from April 16, 1974 shows the completed interiors of the Budějovická station. Half a century later, the most significant change is the change in graphic markings.
The biggest challenge of the first section of the newly built metro was to get it through the Nuselské údolí. For this purpose, the Klement Gottwald bridge was built between 1967 and 1973, renamed Nuselský in 1973.
The photograph taken on June 8, 1972 is accompanied by the caption: “The Ostrava metallurgical assembly has started the installation of the steel grate in the tube of the Nusel bridge construction. These are 700 tons of steel crossbars and stringers with a length of approximately 483 meters. The main purpose of assembling this structure is to distribute the axle pressure of the subway when passing through the bridge tube.”
Literary reportage by Jonáš Zboril
And here already in completed form.
Budějovická náměstí has undergone a major transformation, the construction of Budějovická station is visible in the photo from February 29, 1972.
Enormous construction changes also took place between the Hlavní nádraží and Muzeum stations. On the picture from April 1, 1969, one of the ventilation shafts is being created.
Construction of the new hall of the Main Railway Station in Prague.
Tags: Photos Tram underground metro launched years compare history today
