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Prague Metro Plans Extension To Airport + New Line
http://www.praguepost.com/articles/2...-expansion.php City plans metro expansion Network extension includes a new line and airport link By Kimberly Ashton Staff Writer, The Prague Post September 5th, 2007 "Prague officials want to expand the A line of the metro to Ruzyne Airport in a 40 billion Kc ($2 billion) project that could be paid for, in part, by European Union funds. Officials plan to spend 15 billion Kc in city money to start building the A line extension in 2009 to Petriny, according to Eva Dydová, a spokeswoman at the Prague Transport Agency. It could take until 2018 to complete the 14-kilometer (8.7-mile) line all the way to Ruzyne Airport, said Radovan Steiner, city councilor for transport. Between Dejvická and Letiste Praha-Ruzyne, the line will stop at Cervený Vrch, Veleslavín, Petriny, Motol, Bílá Hora, Dedina and Dlouhá Míle. "The priority is building the A line to Dlouhá Míle terminal, which is of key importance for car and bus transport," Steiner said in a council press release. "Another benefit is the improvement of the traffic situation in Prague 6, mainly on Evropská street and in the surroundings of Vítezné námestí, it will become calmer." Expanding the A line is the city's top priority, according to the city council. Including more of Prague 4 But officials are also discussing building a completely new, fourth metro line."Building both stretches of the metro is very important for the city," Steiner says. Construction of the D line will begin in 2010, according to Dydová. The first stretch will run about 5 kilometers from Pankrác through Olbrachtova, Nádrazí Krc, and Zálesí to Nové Dvory and will cost 18.5 billion Kc. The next stage will extend the line from Nové dvory through Libus to the terminus at Písnice. The last phase will take the line from Pankrác to Hlavní nádrazí via Námestí míru, where it will provide a connection to the A line and Námestí bratrí Synku. The entire 11-kilometer line is expected to cost 40 billion Kc, as well, Steiner said. The city wants to create a public-private partnership to pay for the line, Dydová said. With such a system, a private investor would pay to build the new line then take in the revenues until it's paid off. After that, the city would own the line. Under the public-private aspect, the new line would still be covered by the city's public transportation system, including the metro pass. A 'classic modern' approach Prague officials are currently looking at other European metro systems to see if a traditional subway, which runs deep underground, would be a better option for the new line than a "light metro," which runs closer to the surface and can navigate tighter turns. "According to the preliminary results, we think the best thing would be a classic modern underground that combines the features of the classic underground and light underground," Dydová said. But the city has taken one thing from the analysis so far: "We plan to run the trains without conductors," she said. While the city gears up to expand the A line and build the D line, it will continue work on the C line, where construction began in 2004 to extend the line from Ládví to Letnany, at a cost of 15.5 billion Kc. / |
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Prague Metro Plans Extension To Airport + New Line
"Prague officials want to expand the A line of the metro to Ruzyne
Airport in a 40 billion Kc ($2 billion) project that could be paid for, in part, by European Union funds. What a colossal waste of money. Just about nobody uses the existing bus services to get to anywhere in between the present terminus of Line A and the airport. And there are, what, ten buses an hour? How the hell does that justify several kilometres of hole in the ground? I was on that bus this morning. It works fine, there is rarely any congestion on the route. The metro would only be a marginal improvement. More spacious buses that were easier to board would help - bendies with more widely spaced seats, maybe. And either on-street ticket machines that gave change and took Euros. Or just make the service free - the subsidy required would cost far less than building the proposed line. There is also an existing surface tram line that goes more than halfway. That could be extended for a fraction of the cost of a metro line. ============== j-c ====== @ ====== purr . demon . co . uk ============== Jack Campin: 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland | tel 0131 660 4760 http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/ for CD-ROMs and free | fax 0870 0554 975 stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 557 |
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Prague Metro Plans Extension To Airport + New Line
Jack Campin - bogus address writes:
What a colossal waste of money. Just about nobody uses the existing bus services to get to anywhere in between the present terminus of Line A and the airport. That'll be because they're buses. A completely inferior mode of transport. -- http://lastcarriage.com/ - Independent Travel |
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Prague Metro Plans Extension To Airport + New Line
Jack Campin - bogus address wrote:
"Prague officials want to expand the A line of the metro to Ruzyne Airport in a 40 billion Kc ($2 billion) project that could be paid for, in part, by European Union funds. What a colossal waste of money. Just about nobody uses the existing bus services to get to anywhere in between the present terminus of Line A and the airport. And there are, what, ten buses an hour? How the hell does that justify several kilometres of hole in the ground? Growth? A lot of ****-ups in public transport are based on the miscalculation of people wanting to use a route in increasing numbers. As a Brit, I'm surprised that didn't occur to you. -- (*) ... of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate http://www.davidhorne.net - real address on website "He can't be as stupid as he looks, but nevertheless he probably is quite a stupid man." Richard Dawkins on Pres. Bush" |
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Prague Metro Plans Extension To Airport + New Line
Prague does have traffic congestions. Last year I had to take a taxi to the
airport and was lucky to catch my plane. The taxi fare is 850 crowns from downtown (about 25 Euro). An underground line would make it much faster, easier and cheaper, except for the taxi drivers. Some of the Prague taxi drivers are infamous for their rip-off methods. But if you want a real adventure, take a train from Prague to Germany. You probably have to change train several times. Do not fail to photograph the old rattletrap trains. |
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Prague Metro Plans Extension To Airport + New Line
"Prague officials want to expand the A line of the metro to Ruzyne
Airport in a 40 billion Kc ($2 billion) project that could be paid for, in part, by European Union funds. What a colossal waste of money. Just about nobody uses the existing bus services to get to anywhere in between the present terminus of Line A and the airport. And there are, what, ten buses an hour? How the hell does that justify several kilometres of hole in the ground? Growth? A lot of ****-ups in public transport are based on the miscalculation of people wanting to use a route in increasing numbers. Prague is similar in size to Edinburgh and its airport is similarly located. For Edinburgh there's a strong argument for a much better transport link out to the airport - so strong that my guess is the only reason it hasn't happened is that the taxi firms and their organized-crime owners have bent officials for years to stop it. But the route to Edinburgh airport goes through areas of high-density housing and enormous business parks, and the airport is handy for the Forth Bridges and the motorway to Glasgow. Prague doesn't have anything like that; low-density middle-income housing, a few small commercial sites, then a small patch of green fields. Nothing *but* the airport to motivate the project. Prague is expanding, but not in that direction and it isn't likely to. Maybe the proposal was to take the Metro A trains up to the surface a bit west of Dejvicka rather than dig a hole (there's lots of spare road width to use), but even so they're far too big for the demand. They could limit the frequency out beyond the present end of the line, but for an air travel link you want a frequent service, not a high- volume one with long intervals. ============== j-c ====== @ ====== purr . demon . co . uk ============== Jack Campin: 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland | tel 0131 660 4760 http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/ for CD-ROMs and free | fax 0870 0554 975 stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 557 |
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Prague Metro Plans Extension To Airport + New Line
-- Jack Campin - bogus address wrote: "Prague officials want to expand the A line of the metro to Ruzyne Airport in a 40 billion Kc ($2 billion) project that could be paid for, in part, by European Union funds. What a colossal waste of money. Just about nobody uses the existing bus services to get to anywhere in between the present terminus of Line A and the airport. And there are, what, ten buses an hour? How the hell does that justify several kilometres of hole in the ground? Growth? A lot of ****-ups in public transport are based on the miscalculation of people wanting to use a route in increasing numbers. Prague is similar in size to Edinburgh and its airport is similarly located. For Edinburgh there's a strong argument for a much better transport link out to the airport - so strong that my guess is the only reason it hasn't happened is that the taxi firms and their organized-crime owners have bent officials for years to stop it. But the route to Edinburgh airport goes through areas of high-density housing and enormous business parks, and the airport is handy for the Forth Bridges and the motorway to Glasgow. Prague doesn't have anything like that; low-density middle-income housing, a few small commercial sites, then a small patch of green fields. Nothing *but* the airport to motivate the project. Prague is expanding, but not in that direction and it isn't likely to. Airport traffic is growing fast, and the PRG airport authority wants to build a new runway to handle the increase in traffic; there is even talk of a new facility for the exclusive use of low - fare carriers (this would actually utilise an old aerodrome). Some random articles from Google: http://www.praguepost.com/articles/2...-expansion.php http://www.radio.cz/en/article/37018 Maybe the proposal was to take the Metro A trains up to the surface a bit west of Dejvicka rather than dig a hole (there's lots of spare road width to use), but even so they're far too big for the demand. They could limit the frequency out beyond the present end of the line, but for an air travel link you want a frequent service, not a high- volume one with long intervals. It's considered very desirable for an airport to have "train to the plane" service, it's seen as being a very "user - friendly" feature...whether it's "necessary" is perhaps a matter of opinion. ;-) More FYI: http://www.praguepost.com/articles/2...port-metro.php "City moves closer to airport metro But disagreement over who's to foot the bill likely to cause delays By Brandon Swanson Staff Writer, The Prague Post February 1st, 2006 Under the proposal, travelers headed to Ruzyne Airport would no longer have to disembark the metro at Dejvická and take a bus. Recent zoning changes in Prague 6 appear to bolster the chances for a long-awaited extension of the metro to Prague Ruzyne Airport that would include eight new stops west from Dejvická. But financial squabbling between city and state departments over who is going to foot the bill for the 14 kilometer (8.7 mile) extension seems likely to keep the project years away from coming to fruition. Talks about building the rail connection began nearly a decade ago alongside a separate discussion to open a new airport terminal. While the new terminal opened Jan. 18 and created the space for millions of additional travelers, the rail project has languished in discussion and disagreement. The Prague City Council approved the zoning changes Jan. 26. Currently, three bus lines from the airport to Dejvická, Nové Butovice and Zlicín serve as the only public transportation between the airport and the city. Officials are aware that there are many hurdles to the rail link. "This first step allows us to begin with the territory proceedings, and consequently the construction proceedings, which should then lead to the construction permit issuance," said City Councilor Radovan Steiner. "These processes could take two to three years." Passing the funding buck Since its inception, the estimated cost of the metro extension has ballooned. City officials say the project could now cost as much as 38 billion Kc ($1.7 billion) - nearly double its original estimate - and there is debate over who will pay for the project. Mayor Pavel Bém said he was confident that the city would find the funds to get the project going. "I trust we shall find support in the state budget and we'll succeed in obtaining money from European funds," he said. The city is likely to get help from the European Investment Bank (EIB), which has lent it more than $255 million to extend metro line C over the years. But Transportation Ministry spokeswoman Marcela Zizková said that if the city wants to go ahead with the project it would not get any extra help from the state budget. "Everything concerning the metro is in the city's command," she said. The ministry gives the city 412 million Kc annually, and "it is up to the city what they do with the money." Annual funding from the Transportation Ministry amounts to 1 percent of the total estimated cost of the metro extension. Steiner said that since the state owns the airport, it is obligatory for the state to finance the project. The state currently pays for 10 percent of the cost of Prague's public transportation, the lowest of any European Union capital city. In Rome, the state covers 70 percent of public transportation costs; in Amsterdam, the state covers 90 percent. "Prague expects a clear commitment of the state on financing this project," Steiner said. "Without such a commitment, it is not currently possible to determine responsibly the exact date when the connection starts to operate." The Transportation Ministry could render the disagreement moot, he said, if it were to transfer ownership of the airport to regional authorities as it has in Brno, Ostrava and Karlovy Vary. Steiner said that general public transit fares would not increase regardless of whether or not the state offers to help fund the project, but he added that he could envision a special tariff on passengers going to and from the airport. Need to extend The one thing that city and state officials agree on is that a direct connection between the airport and city center is necessary. Deputy Mayor Jan Bürgermeister said officials need to address the airport transportation problem and even Zizková called the plan "essential." With the new terminal, the airport increased its potential annual capacity from 6 million to 11 million travelers, and that number will continue to rise. Airport officials are already planning to boost annual capacity to 20 million people by the end of the decade. "We open new airport terminals and expect more tourists to visit Prague, but we do not provide them with adequate transportation to the city," Bürgermeister said. "Many people travel daily from Kladno to work in Prague. Every day the route is used to maximum capacity." The project would help alleviate traffic on Evropská street, the main thoroughfare to the airport, he said. Many Prague 6 residents don't have direct access to the metro and rely on trams and buses. Nine out of 10 residents approve of the project, according to a study published by Factum Invenio in 2005. The district is the most heavily populated in Prague, with nearly 200,000 residents. The Transportation Ministry scrapped plans to spend 25 billion Kc modernizing the Bustehradská rail line between Kladno and Prague that would have had an airport stop, after it was rejected by Prague 6 residents last year. - Petr Kaspar and Sylvie Dejmková contributed to this report. ----------------- The slow track: Plans to extend the metro to Ruzyne Airport have encountered numerous hurdles: 1997 Transportation Ministry and Prague City Council make rail connection between the airport and city center a priority 1998 Ministry insists on extension and reconstruction of Bustehradská railway to allow for high-speed rail service from the airport to Masarykovo Nádrazí downtown January 2005 Prague 6 rejects high-speed rail service May 2005 Prague districts 5, 6, 13 and 17 make a deal with city on definite concept of metro extension November 2005 According to a survey, nine out of 10 Prague 6 residents support the extension " / |
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Prague Metro Plans Extension To Airport + New Line
Jack Campin - bogus address wrote:
"Prague officials want to expand the A line of the metro to Ruzyne Airport in a 40 billion Kc ($2 billion) project that could be paid for, in part, by European Union funds. What a colossal waste of money. Just about nobody uses the existing bus services to get to anywhere in between the present terminus of Line A and the airport. And there are, what, ten buses an hour? How the hell does that justify several kilometres of hole in the ground? Growth? A lot of ****-ups in public transport are based on the miscalculation of people wanting to use a route in increasing numbers. Prague is similar in size to Edinburgh and its airport is similarly located. For Edinburgh there's a strong argument for a much better transport link out to the airport - so strong that my guess is the only reason it hasn't happened is that the taxi firms and their organized-crime owners have bent officials for years to stop it. But the route to Edinburgh airport goes through areas of high-density housing and enormous business parks, and the airport is handy for the Forth Bridges and the motorway to Glasgow. And of course, a major rail line passes within feet of the edge of the runway, built before the airport! I've never understood why they didn't have a station there, and a shuttle bus to the terminal. -- (*) ... of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate http://www.davidhorne.net - real address on website "He can't be as stupid as he looks, but nevertheless he probably is quite a stupid man." Richard Dawkins on Pres. Bush" |
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Prague Metro Plans Extension To Airport + New Line
"Paul Dwerryhouse" wrote in message ... Jack Campin - bogus address writes: What a colossal waste of money. Just about nobody uses the existing bus services to get to anywhere in between the present terminus of Line A and the airport. That'll be because they're buses. A completely inferior mode of transport. You mean in comparison to heavy rail like BART to the San Francisco airport which attracts a very small number of riders at an incredibly high cost. |
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Prague Metro Plans Extension To Airport + New Line
Paul Dwerryhouse wrote:
Jack Campin - bogus address writes: What a colossal waste of money. Just about nobody uses the existing bus services to get to anywhere in between the present terminus of Line A and the airport. That'll be because they're buses. A completely inferior mode of transport. Not at all. If they're frequent and fast enough, people will take them. The service from Manchester city centre to Liverpool airport (non-stop, with 2 pick ups in town) is a good example. Very popular, and frequent service- in fact the Italian company terravision entered the market in competition with arriva, and the price has gone down, and the service frequency has gone up, as has the hours of operation, meaning that people use it for the very early and late flights which are a feature of many low-cost routes. The 4am service from Manchester is always packed, for example. By contrast, I wouldn't dream of taking the bus to Manchester airport, because it will stop in lots of places and take a lot longer than the 15-20 minutes the frequent trains from city centre stations will take... I did it once, when there were rail engineering works going on. Luckily it was was early on a Sunday morning, so either anyone got on or off, but it was still tedious for the stops it did make, as well as the slighly ciruitous route. -- (*) ... of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate http://www.davidhorne.net - real address on website "He can't be as stupid as he looks, but nevertheless he probably is quite a stupid man." Richard Dawkins on Pres. Bush" |
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