T for transport
Welcome to a brand new episode of the ABC of Czech. Our letter for this week is T, which brings us to the topic of transport.
Today we start with a quote from our listener, Celvin Ruisdael from Norway. Celvin has sent in this email:
"Some years ago, I visited Prague. I stayed near Holesovice metro station. One of my best memories from that tour was the announcement of the stations of the metro of Prague by the conductors."
Celvin from Norway is not the only one who is intrigued by the announcements in Prague metro. Unfortunately, Nadrazi Holesovice is one of the metro stations stanice metra which remain closed after the floods damaged their interior and technical equipment. But the larger part of the metro system is in operation and so we could record the announcements for our programme. Let's listen to the most frequent one.
"Ukonèete prosím výstup a nástup, dveøe se zavírají. Pøí¹tí stanice: Muzeum."
Before the doors close a recorded voice announces: Please stop getting off and on, the doors are closing, and the name of the next station follows. The voice will also announce the terminus. Before the floods it used to say at which stations you could change for another line. At the moment it tells you which tram or bus to take instead.
For a few years now, other means of public transport in Prague, that is trams tramvaje and buses autobusy - have been playing recordings with names of their stops too. I must say I appreciate it, especially when travelling somewhere I've never been or right now when some bus or tram routes are changed to replace the closed parts of the metro. Special trains vlaky also run between Prague's railway stations and help the congested city centre.
Tune in again next week if you can for more means of transport but now watch out, the doors are closing
See also Living Czech.
