Today it is exactly 50 years since the Prague metro started operating. On May 9, 1974, Gustáv Husák cut the ribbon at the Kačerov station and the trains set off on their first run. During the first day, however, the metro carried only selected personalities, the public could use the new mode of transport only a day later, and 300,000 passengers used it.
Metro rides in celebration of the 50s.
| Video: Diary/Radek Cihla
The metro is currently an obvious part of Prague public transport, but it was not always like that. You can read about what went into building the individual parts in our series.
The Diary series, part 1: How was the subway built? In the main role of string and cellars
The Diary series, part 2: How was the subway built? 1898 letter and help from Georgia
It is celebrated several days ahead of time
The half-century celebrations have been in full swing in Prague for several days. Those interested could take a look, for example to the Kačerov depotwhere they enjoyed a display of current technology and historical vehicles, or a peek into spaces where one cannot normally get.
Interesting things were also offered by the metro traffic dispatching system or an exhibition showing the development of escalators, which are an inherent part of the metro.
Traveling exhibition with historical photos and stories also circulates around Prague. The new traveling exhibition for the 50th anniversary of the Prague metro started on Wednesday, April 24. The exhibition maps the subway from ancient history to automation. It is now located in the Kačerov metro station, where it will be until May 17, when it will move to another location, this time on Jungmann square.
50 years of the metro: Passengers received a retro edition of Večerní Prague
A surprise awaited passengers even exactly a week ago, on Thursday, May 2, when colporteurs and camel girls distributed one hundred thousand copies special edition of Večerní Prague. A total of twenty selected stations offered free newspapers just as part of the celebrations. The printout included information from both the start of operations in May 1974 and the present – construction of metro line D.
Day D
Even the anniversary day itself will offer a lot of activities and experiences, not only for metro and public transport lovers. There will also be a presentation of milestones in the history of the subway, prepared by Darvní podnik hl. City of Prague (DPP) together with the Institute of Planning and Development city of Prague (CAMP).
It is in CAMP that historical documents from the 1970s will be screened: among other things, a presentation of metro travel itself, as well as rides on escalators and a close-up of the first metro cars.
And if you are not going to the celebrations in person, but would like to remember, for example, the names of individual metro stations, you can try our quiz.
Quiz: Do you know what subway stations used to be called?
Information about the Prague metro in 2024
Operator: Transport enterprise hl. city of Prague
Network length: 65.4 km
Average cruising speed: 35.85 km/h
Number of lines: 3 – A, B, C (in building D)
Total number of stations: 61
Number of excavated stations: 33
Number of barrier-free stations: 46
Number of passengers: over 338 million/year 2022
Date Opened: May 9, 1974 (Line C)
Last extension: April 6, 2015 (line A)
The deepest station: 53 m (Náměstí Míru)
Longest escalator: 87.2 m (Náměstí Míru station)
The longest distance between stations: 2,748 m (Kobylisy – Holešovice Station)
Shortest distance between stations: 425 m (Museum – Main station)
Parameters
Subway type: classic Soviet-style subway
Track gauge: 1,435 mm (normal)
Power supply: power rail (bottom tap)
Voltage: 750 V DC
Cars and background
Used car types: 81-71M (lines A and B), M1 (line C)
Total number of cars: 730
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