After nearly two decades, Prague is getting new trams again: from Monday, the first Škoda 52T vehicles will enter regular service. The modern trams are designed to offer more comfort and lower energy consumption.
From Monday, 3 November, the first seven new Škoda ForCity Plus 52T trams in Prague will begin regular passenger operations. The Prague Public Transport Company (DPP) will deploy the new vehicles on line 12 (Lehovec – Sídliště Barrandov). By the end of the year, all 20 ordered trams of this type are expected to gradually enter service. Delivery of the last vehicle of the first batch is anticipated in early December. The purchase of the 20 trams, with a total value of around 1.2 billion Czech crowns, is co-financed from European Union funds under the National Recovery Plan.
The production and delivery of the first batch are proceeding according to plan. Following the completion of test operations in early September and type approval by the Czech Railway Authority in mid-October, the first seven vehicles received their operating permits. These vehicles were officially handed over to DPP by the manufacturer, Škoda Group, and can now be used in regular service.
As all seven trams are currently operational, the transport company has decided to deploy them together on line 12 initially. From 3 November, the new vehicles will make up roughly one-third of all trams in service on this line. The remaining trams are expected to follow gradually by the end of the year and will also operate from the Hloubětín depot across various lines.
From tomorrow, all passengers will be able to try the new generation of Prague trams on line 12. The modern Škoda 52T trams will run there regularly and are easy to spot even without checking the timetable.
Škoda ForCity Plus 52T
The new trams for Prague are fully low-floor and offer higher comfort for passengers than the previously used vehicle types. The interior is more spacious, with wider passageways between the segments, and the entire vehicle air-conditioning system uses a natural, environmentally friendly refrigerant. The new trams are equipped with a modern information system that improves orientation during the journey. Technological solutions such as bogies with axles, electromechanical brakes, and energy recovery reduce maintenance costs and energy consumption. Thanks to these features, the new trams will be not only an environmentally friendly but also a cost-effective solution for urban transport.
Over 230 suppliers are involved in the development and production of the new trams for Prague, 76% of which are from the Czech Republic.
