Tram on test as Praha network grows ‘like mushrooms after rain’

CZECH REPUBLIC: The first ForCity Plus 52T tram for Praha is now on test at Škoda Group’s Plzeň factory, 13 months after the signing of the order and eight months after the start of production.

‘After almost 20 years, Praha is getting a completely new type of tram’, said Zdeněk Hřib, Praha’s Deputy Mayor for Transport and Chair of the supervisory board of transport operator DPP, on January 27. ‘We have started an unprecedented tram boom in Praha. New lines are growing like mushrooms after rain in the capital, which is why it is necessary to expand the tram fleet substantially.’

The December 2023 framework contract covers up to 200 trams worth KC16·6bn, with a firm order for an initial 40 to be delivered in 2025-26. More than 230 sub-suppliers are working on the project, of which 76% are from the Czech Republic.

The 100% low-floor trams are designed to offer higher comfort than current vehicles, with a more spacious interior, wider gangways, full air-conditioning and a modern information system. Electromechanical brakes and energy recovery are intended to lower maintenance costs and energy consumption.

Testing of the first tram in Praha, including calibration of the anti-collision system, is expected to begin in April. The trams will be commissioned and maintained at the rebuilt Hloubětín depot.

Cleaner and more pleasant city

DPP has recently received planning approval for two tramway extensions, both approximately 2 km long and scheduled to open in 2027.

The first is planned along Počernická ul from the intersection with Vinohradská to the intersection with Dřevčická, where a double-track loop is planned.

Another will run from Olšanská to Habrová using the corridor of the disused railway from Praha-Malešice to the former Žižkov freight terminal which is being redeveloped as a residential district.

Hřib said ‘trams are a symbol of modern and ecological transport, making Praha a cleaner and more pleasant city to live in’.