This is a developing story
UPDATE: As of 12:35 p.m., all metro lines in Prague have resumed operation. Trains on line A will not stop at Želivského station. Trams are still affected: the following lines are either not running or are heavily disrupted: 2 through to 19 inclusive, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 on the right (east) side of the Vltava. Most households in the capital have regained electricity.
A widespread power outage disrupted life across Prague and several Czech regions on Friday, halting public transport, cutting electricity to homes and businesses, and forcing emergency services into action.
The blackout, which began just after midday, affected much of the capital as well as the Central Bohemian, Ústí nad Labem, and Liberec regions. Czech officials confirmed the cause was a fallen power line near the Ledvice power plant, which triggered a cascade failure in the national grid.
“There’s no indication of cyberattack or sabotage,” said Interior Minister Vít Rakušan.
“It was a technical failure that overloaded a substation and knocked part of the country offline.”
What’s working, what’s not
As of 4 p.m., metro and tram services in Prague have mostly resumed, though tram lines on the city’s east side were still experiencing delays. National rail services, however, remain significantly disrupted.
Trains between Prague and Kolín, Kutná Hora, and other regional lines are not operating. Passengers are advised to check Czech Railways and RegioJet for the latest updates.
In the north, Liberec trams came to a standstill, and in Ústí nad Labem, traffic lights were out and trams in Most were suspended. Replacement bus services are being arranged in affected cities.
Stuck in elevators, businesses can’t operate
The blackout left thousands of Prague residents without electricity. Many were trapped in elevators as the city’s fire department handled over 200 rescue calls. Emergency teams were deployed to areas including Chodov, Žižkov, Vysočany, and Letňany.
Across Czechia, over 215 elevator rescues were reported. Some shops, ATMs, and factories were forced to shut down as power was cut without warning.
Hospitals remained operational thanks to emergency backup systems, according to Health Minister Vlastimil Válek. “Patient care was not endangered at any point,” he confirmed.
Why did this happen?
According to grid operator ČEPS, a high-voltage power line near the Ledvice power station collapsed, triggering a chain reaction that overloaded a nearby substation. This disconnected a significant portion of the country from the national grid.
Power has since been restored to all major transmission substations, and regional networks are gradually coming back online.
Energy experts sound the alarm
The incident has exposed vulnerabilities in Czechia’s energy infrastructure—especially during the summer, when high solar output and low demand can lead to imbalances.
“This was a wake-up call,” said Martin Pacovský of ARETE Energy Transition.
Václav Skoblík of United Energy Commodities & Distribution warned of an imbalance between high solar output and low summer demand, advocating for storage, local sources, and consumption management.
Radim Dohnal, analyst at Capitalinked.com, said the system is prepared but still needs upgrades.
KEY RESOURCES
This is a developing story. Check back for further updates as the situation evolves.