Prague public transport company DPP concluded an agreement for the tender transport system automation and driverless trains for Prague metro lines C and D. The agreement in the form of an Integrity Pact (PI) was signed with the non-governmental anti-corruption organisation Transparency International Czech branch (ČR – TI) in that will monitor the public contract and, in the first stage, supervise the open management and transparent selection of the supplier.
“In recent years, DPP has introduced a whole range of internal anti-corruption measures and processes, including in the area of procurement procedures. The public order for the purchase of automatic trains and a complete transport system, including maintenance, is the largest tender issued by the DPP in modern history. Its results will determine how the Prague metro will look and function in the coming decades,” Petr Witowski, the CEO of DPP said.
CZK 86 billion (EUR 3.47 billion) is the estimated value of the project, of which CZK 35.9 billion is the investment needed for the automation of both lines and the purchase of driverless trains, signalling equipment, safety platform screens and equipment for the depots and control room.
CZK 10.9 billion is the budget for the construction of Line D, while CZK 50.1 billion is the value of operating costs to ensure the maintenance the automated trains in the form of full service. 53 trains will be acquired for line C and 16 trains for line D.
The contract covers the supply of 69 fully automatic metro trains, of which 53 trains for line C and 16 trains for line. The contractor will also deliver and deploy the security equipment using CBTC technology, safety platform screen doors, the construction and equipment of a new train control room for both lines, the corresponding modernisation of the Kačerov depot and the equipment of the Písnice depot.
DPP anticipates tendering for the supplier and concluding a contract in October 2025.
The signing of the Integrity Pact with the DPP was preceded by an analysis of the procurement documentation for the public contract, which TI implemented in March 2024.
DPP plans to purchase a new transport system for the under-construction line D and the existing line C, which will be capable of fully automated metro operation at the GoA4 automation. In April 2024, DPP issued a public tender for the comprehensive delivery of the automated transport system, in the form of a competitive dialogue.
The contract includes the maintenance for the entire duration of the expected 35-year basic service life of the new trains, and the supply of certain parts of the transport system, and the platform screen doors and the transport system for 25 years.
The exact number of trains that DPP will need and will eventually purchase will emerge from the competitive dialogue, during which the bidders will have the task of calculating the simulation of traffic on the line C at a peak interval of at least 90 seconds, while also taking into account service and reserve requirements.
“In order to avoid any doubts regarding the transparency of the selection procedure worth almost 86 billion crowns, the DPP concluded the so-called Integrity Pact with the anti-corruption organisation Transparency International. As part of this pact, TI will monitor the entire public contract in detail and oversee the fair process of supplier selection. “We intend to continue our cooperation with TI in the future, with the aim of ensuring maximum transparency of all our tenders,” Zdeněk Hřib, member of DPP supervisory board said.
The Integrity Pacts are an internationally recognised tool that helps reduce corruption risks in public procurement, thus enabling their transparent procurement and execution. In addition to the individual impact on a specific contract, Integrity Pacts help build trust in public decision-making, support the investment environment, strengthen the legitimacy and credibility of public contracts and their administrators, support the involvement of civil society.
In January 2024, it was decided to prepare the implementation of automated driverless technology on Prague metro lines C and D including the procurement of new trains.
Thanks to the automation of the existing line C and the combination of this project with the planned purchase of trains and the transport system for line D, it will be possible to shorten the intervals and increase the transport capacity on the busiest line C by up to 20%, to significantly reduce annual operating costs, reaching higher hundreds of millions of crowns, and in the end as a result also to modernise the fleet of trains 81-71M in time, which currently run on lines A and B.
To implement the project, in 2020 – 2021, DPP held several rounds of preliminary market consultations with world’s leading manufacturers of fully automated metro trains, and also involves and analysis of Deloitte as part of the 2050 DPP Business Plan update. This analysis involves the saving of costs for the purchase of 16 trains for line D in the amount of CZK 950 million (EUR 38.4 million). In addition, CZK 830 million (EUR 33.6 million) would be saved in service costs for the maintenance of these 16 trains throughout their 35-year lifespan in the form of full service. Full automation of line C would reduce existing operating costs by CZK 770 million (EUR 31 million) per year. On the other hand, the commissioning of metro D between Pankrác and Nové Dvory will mean an increase in the operating costs of the metro by approximately CZK 480 million (EUR 19.4 million) per year.
In order to preserve the safety and reliability of the Prague metro operation even after 2040, it is necessary to address the need to renew the fleet of trains of type 81-71M operating the lines A and B, which are currently in the last phase of their service life cycle, and it is no longer possible to extend their lifespan without enormous investments. In addition, in 2040, even if the option is exercised, the existing contract to ensure their maintenance in the form of full service ends.
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