New Trolleybus Routes 51 and 53: Prague Launches Two Electrified Routes

Trial operations of the new trolleybus routes 51 and 53 begin on Friday. Both replace existing bus routes and are intended to make public transport in Prague quieter and emission-free.

On Friday, 26 June 2026, Prague Public Transit Company (DPP) will officially launch trial operations of the new trolleybus routes 51 and 53. With their introduction, the company completes the expansion of infrastructure for two additional electrified bus routes in the Czech capital.

The celebrations begin at 10 a.m. at the U Matěje stop with the symbolic completion of the infrastructure for Route 51. The first public journey will then depart from the Bořislavka stop at 10:56 a.m. At midday, the official opening of Route 53 will take place at the Švandovo divadlo stop. The first trolleybus will depart from Karlovo náměstí at 12:28 p.m.

The new Route 51 replaces the former Bus Route 131. The project combines conventional overhead wires with battery-electric trolleybuses. A 7.8-kilometre overhead line has been built between Bořislavka and the Zelená stop, while the vehicles operate on battery power along the remaining sections. The project also includes a new traction substation at U Matěje and charging infrastructure at the Na Pískách terminus.

The former Bus Route 176 has also been electrified and will now operate as Trolleybus Route 53. Along the approximately 7.5-kilometre route between Smíchov and Strahov Stadium, overhead wires have mainly been installed on the steeper sections. The vehicles operate on battery power on the remaining parts of the route. Additional charging facilities have been installed at Karlovo náměstí, while a new traction substation has been built in Strahov. The existing facility in Hřebenka has also been upgraded.

According to the public transport company, both projects were designed so that the new infrastructure blends into the cityscape as discreetly as possible, while keeping the number of new overhead line poles to a minimum. The new trolleybus routes are intended to make public transport quieter, more energy-efficient and locally emission-free, particularly on heavily used uphill sections.

Timetable Route 51
Timetable Route 53