Prague Metro: "Flora" Station Renovation Delayed by Three More Months Over Hidden Structural Damage

The renovation of Flora station on Prague's Green Line will take three months longer than originally planned. According to Prague's transport operator (DPP), the delay is due to structural deterioration far worse than expected — most of the platform ceiling's reinforced concrete and steel beams, damaged by water leaks, will need to be replaced, and the missing fire-protection elements still have to be installed.

Why the problem wasn't caught sooner

Standard surveys carried out during the design phase failed to reveal the full extent of the damage. "With a renovation on this scale — a complete overhaul of the station — you can never be one hundred percent sure of its condition until you strip everything down to the bare structure and reach even the most inaccessible spots," explained DPP spokesman Daniel Šabík. The need to replace the beams was confirmed by an expert assessment from the Klokner Institute at the Czech Technical University.

What's happening at the construction site

Work is currently underway on several parts of the station at once. In the vestibule, renovation of the retail spaces is being completed, and cabling and ventilation systems are being installed. On the platform level, damaged beams are being replaced, structures reinforced, fireproof coatings applied, and escalators installed.

"Delivery of the new escalators, which will replace the old Soviet-era ones, is now being finished. Rough installation is underway, after which work will begin on fitting out the machine room, assembling the staircases, and getting the whole mechanism running," said Petr Velička, project manager for Strabag.

Work is also under way on step-free access. On the platform, the prepared elevator shaft is already visible — it will be located in the central span opposite the escalators. Excavation work will continue for several more weeks. Fully barrier-free access with elevators is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2028: the entrance will be on Vinohradská Street near the stairs leading to Olšany Cemetery, from where passengers will reach the elevator down to the platform via an underground passage.

Timeline and cost

Flora station opened in 1980 and has never undergone a major renovation since. The operator closed it for reconstruction in early February this year — trains currently pass through without stopping. Opening at least the vestibule by December, as some passengers had hoped, will not be possible.

"The vestibule is being used as a passage for workers, a storage area for materials, and for bringing in new material and removing used material. The station has only one vestibule, and builders have no other way to access the site," Šabík explained. Oversized materials are delivered by train during the nighttime service breaks.

According to initial estimates, the full modernization of the station was expected to cost 1.29 billion crowns excluding VAT. The operator cannot yet say by how much the additional work will increase the budget — the final cost will only be known once the station enters trial operation, and later full service.

A DPP representative said the delay will have almost no effect on plans to renovate Hradčanská station, which was due to begin right after Flora's completion, from the start of January 2027. "The two stations are essentially at opposite ends of the line, and the overlap in closure periods will only be two months — January and February, when demand for public transport is at its lowest," Šabík added.

Read also: Prague Metro: Map and Tickets

Source: novinky.cz