After 10 months of closure, the Jiřího z Poděbrad metro station in Prague-Vinohrady has reopened to the public. The station, part of Line A of Prague’s metro network, underwent a comprehensive renovation, restoring its original features from its inauguration and installing new escalators and lifts for barrier-free access. The total cost of the work is estimated to be around 1.3 billion koruna.
Petr Witowski, Director of the Prague Public Transit Company, said at the opening, “This has been the most complex revitalization of a metro station after forty years of operation.” The station now boasts refurbished pavements, claddings, and suspended ceilings in the escalator tunnel. It also received upgrades to its cabling, air conditioning, fire protection equipment, and lighting.
The station’s renovation aimed to restore its original architectural form from 1980, which also meant limiting advertising carriers. “We are trying to find another place for them so that it does not disturb the overall aesthetic and architectural impression of the station,” explained Witowski.
The station now also has LTE and 5G signal coverage, the last metro station in Prague to be covered by modern data signals. Following Palmovka station on Line B, Jiřího z Poděbrad is another place where the city is testing a new visual navigation and information system with a dominant black color.
The “side navigation” feature for passengers is a new feature added to the project. “We want to navigate passengers when they arrive at the station so they know which side to go. And we also have the opportunity to add the direction to the city center, especially for tourists so that they can better orient themselves,” said Petr Tomčík, director of the Regional Organizer of Prague Integrated Transport (ROPID).
Despite the reopening, renovation works are not yet completed. Lifts, which will provide barrier-free access to the station, are expected to be operational by mid-2024. The station’s reconstruction, which began in September 2021, was carried out by a consortium of the STRABAG and AŽD Praha companies. The total costs of the station’s revitalization, including the construction of lifts, will be 1.29 billion koruna.