Prague Tram System
Encyclopedia
The Prague
tram
(streetcar) system is the largest tram system in the Czech Republic
, consisting of 140 kilometres of track, over 900 tram cars, and 33 lines with a total route length of 540 km. It is operated by Dopravní podnik hlavního města Prahy a.s., a company owned by the City of Prague. The system served 356 million passengers in 2008. The first horsecar
tram line was opened in 1875, the first electric tram ran in 1891.
The day lines run from 4:30AM until 1:00AM (Su - Th) 1:30AM (Fr, Sa) the next day. Most of the lines run everyday from early morning to late night. Some lines also only run at selected times (usually workdays) and/or rush hours.
- National Theater
. The owner and the entrepreneur of this road was Eduard Otlet, from Belgium
. This way lead to the theater, along the Národní Třída street. Tracks went approximately in direction of today's Metro Line B
.
In 1876, the track was extended west of the National Theater, through the Újezd hub to the Smíchov
Railway Station. In 1882 the network was extended to Vinohrady
and Žižkov
. At that time, they were independent suburbs of Prague, but now they are incorporated into city. In 1883, the size of the entire network was 19.43 kilometers.
, a popular place of recreation
in Prague. This line led from the upper terminal of the Letná Funicular to the pavilion of the Jubilee Exhibition
through Ovenecká street. After two more years, this line was extended to the Governor's Villa, a further distance of 1.4 km. In 1896, on March 19, František Křižík
opened a second, more important tram line, which lead from Florenc
to Libeň
and Vysočany, joining the industrial suburbs of Prague with its residential area in the center.
In a continuation of the rapid growth of Prague's trams, another new lined was opened in 1897. This time it was a suburban route from Smíchov
to Košíře
. It was named "Hlaváčkova electric railway". Later, a new passenger railroad in Královské Vinohrady was opened. The Prague to Vinohrady stretch spanned 5.8 kilometers, had 17 stations, and passed through Nové město
(New Town).
At another side of the city, thanks to above-listed railway between Anděl and Smíchov, it allowed Prague tram to provide one-seat-ride between Košíře and Vinohrady. Eventually, the municipal enterprise, Prague Transportation Company, was formed.
In 1898 the horse railway was bought by the company. Due to this, construction of new track started along with electrification of the existing tracks.
was formed to provide transportation in the city. It began to electrify the horse tram and soon the Otlet Prague trams came under the control of competitors of the electric enterprises. As the monopoly grew, it took over the tracks of the rest of its private competitors. The last private track, the work of František Křižík
, was transferred to the city by the year of 1907. In 1905, the electrification works were finished. Even the last horse tram route through the Charles Bridge was electrified (also a project of František Křižík). The tram route through the Charles Bridge
operated until 1908.
.
, Nusle
and Žižkov
. In 1927 the length of the network exceeded 100 km. At that time the new unidirectional tram types were introduced and the dead-end terminals were rebuilt into loops.
and the trams were expected to gradually phase-out similarly to most of the western cities. In this time, several important track sections were destroyed, including the line on the Wenceslas Square
. However, in the eighties, the communist government understood advantages of a modern tram system and began ordering new tramcars, such as the Tatra KT8D5
as well as more Tatra T3
, and started constructing new track sections, most of which were completed soon after the Velvet revolution
. There weren't many new tracks opened during the first twenty years after the revolution, since much more attention was paid to modernizations of existing tracks and vehicles. The modernization project is still underway, causing major service disruptions every summer.
3]]
cars to the modern Škoda 14 T
low-floor trams. These trams are distributed across seven depots across the city. Besides these, the company owns also a fleet of heritage streetcar
s kept within the transport museum and several trams especially equipped for use for driver training or snowplowing, bringing the total number of vehicles to over 1000.
articulated tramcar, of which 49 were delivered. More than a half of these were modernized and equipped with a low-floor section. After the Velvet revolution
, the company has decided not to continue with the deliveries and instead ordered a delivery of 150 standard-length Tatra T6A5
cars. Shortly after these deliveries ended, the traditional producer of trams for Prague, ČKD Tatra, went bankrupt, stopping new tram deliveries for several years.
. 60 Škoda 14 T
trams, dubbed Porsche by the locals, were delivered between 2005 and 2009, to be followed by 250 of a more modern 100% low-floor Škoda 15 T from 2010.
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
(streetcar) system is the largest tram system in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, consisting of 140 kilometres of track, over 900 tram cars, and 33 lines with a total route length of 540 km. It is operated by Dopravní podnik hlavního města Prahy a.s., a company owned by the City of Prague. The system served 356 million passengers in 2008. The first horsecar
Horsecar
A horsecar or horse-drawn tram is an animal-powered streetcar or tram.These early forms of public transport developed out of industrial haulage routes that had long been in existence, and from the omnibus routes that first ran on public streets in the 1820s, using the newly improved iron or steel...
tram line was opened in 1875, the first electric tram ran in 1891.
Prague trams today
As of 1 March 2011, the Prague tram network includes:- 24 day routes (numbered 1 to 26 [excluding 13 and 23]),
- 9 night routes (numbered 51 to 59) and
- 1 historical route, number 91 (in service between April and October, weekends only).
The day lines run from 4:30AM until 1:00AM (Su - Th) 1:30AM (Fr, Sa) the next day. Most of the lines run everyday from early morning to late night. Some lines also only run at selected times (usually workdays) and/or rush hours.
Night trams
Night trams operate between midnight and 5:00 or 6:00. Their routes are different to the daily ones, since in the night the trams have to substitute for the Metro. All lines converge at Lazarská in the city centre, although other interchanges exist. At Lazarská, passengers can change between all routes within 5 minutes, although individual services only run once every 30 minutes. Trams operating on the night lines start their shifts at about 8:00 PM on normal day lines, changing their routes at midnight and returning to their depots at the start of normal operations.Horse tram
The horsecar trams started to operate on September 23, 1875 along the route KarlínKarlín
Karlín is a cadastral area of Prague, part of Prague 8 municipal district, former independent town . It is bordered by the river Vltava and Holešovice to the north, Vítkov hill and Žižkov to the south, New Town to the west and Libeň to the east.-History:The building of the Karlín district began in...
- National Theater
National Theatre (Prague)
The National Theatre in Prague is known as the Alma Mater of Czech opera, and as the national monument of Czech history and art.The National Theatre belongs to the most important Czech cultural institutions, with a rich artistic tradition which was created and maintained by the most distinguished...
. The owner and the entrepreneur of this road was Eduard Otlet, from Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. This way lead to the theater, along the Národní Třída street. Tracks went approximately in direction of today's Metro Line B
Line B (Prague Metro)
Line B is a line on Prague Metro. Chronologically the third to open, it was first opened in 1985 and continued to expand in the 1990s. Currently it is the longest line in the network with 24 stations and of track.-History:-External links:...
.
In 1876, the track was extended west of the National Theater, through the Újezd hub to the Smíchov
Smíchov
Smíchov is a district of Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, and is part of Prague 5. It is located on the west bank of the Vltava river....
Railway Station. In 1882 the network was extended to Vinohrady
Vinohrady
Vinohrady is a cadastral district in Prague. It is so named because the area was once covered in vineyards dating from the 14th century...
and Žižkov
Žižkov
Žižkov is a cadastral district of Prague, Czech Republic. Most of Žižkov lies in the municipal and administrative district of Prague 3, except for very small parts which are in Prague 8 and Prague 10. Prior to 1922, Žižkov was an independent city....
. At that time, they were independent suburbs of Prague, but now they are incorporated into city. In 1883, the size of the entire network was 19.43 kilometers.
Electric trams
In 1891 the first electric tram line was opened in LetnáLetná
Letná is an informal quarter of Prague, the Czech Republic. It belongs to Holešovice and Bubeneč quarters.The main part of Letná is Letná Plain , a large empty plain, and Letná Park . The football stadium of AC Sparta Prague, Generali Arena, is located here....
, a popular place of recreation
Recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...
in Prague. This line led from the upper terminal of the Letná Funicular to the pavilion of the Jubilee Exhibition
General Land Centennial Exhibition (1891)
The General Land Centennial Exhibition was a World's fair held in 1891 in Prague, then in the Austria–Hungarian Empire.Many buildings were erected for this exposition, including the Průmyslový palace .-Summary:...
through Ovenecká street. After two more years, this line was extended to the Governor's Villa, a further distance of 1.4 km. In 1896, on March 19, František Křižík
František Križík
František Křižík was a Czech inventor, electrical engineer and entrepreneur. The main belt asteroid 5719 Křižík was named in his honor....
opened a second, more important tram line, which lead from Florenc
Florenc
Florenc is a Prague Metro station providing the interchange between Lines B and C. It serves the city's central bus station.The station was formerly known as Sokolovská....
to Libeň
Liben
Libeň is a Cadastral area and district of Prague. It was connected to Prague in 1901.- People :* Herz Homberg, born here* Ernestine Schumann-Heink, born here* Bohumil Hrabal, lived here...
and Vysočany, joining the industrial suburbs of Prague with its residential area in the center.
In a continuation of the rapid growth of Prague's trams, another new lined was opened in 1897. This time it was a suburban route from Smíchov
Smíchov
Smíchov is a district of Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, and is part of Prague 5. It is located on the west bank of the Vltava river....
to Košíře
Košíre
Košíře is a part of a municipal area Prague 5. It is situated in a valley of Motol brook between the city quarters Smíchov and Motol. Košíře was an autonomous city during 1896-1921.- History :...
. It was named "Hlaváčkova electric railway". Later, a new passenger railroad in Královské Vinohrady was opened. The Prague to Vinohrady stretch spanned 5.8 kilometers, had 17 stations, and passed through Nové město
New Town, Prague
The New Town is a quarter in the city of Prague in the Czech Republic. New Town is the youngest and largest of the five independent towns that today comprise the historic center of modern Prague...
(New Town).
At another side of the city, thanks to above-listed railway between Anděl and Smíchov, it allowed Prague tram to provide one-seat-ride between Košíře and Vinohrady. Eventually, the municipal enterprise, Prague Transportation Company, was formed.
In 1898 the horse railway was bought by the company. Due to this, construction of new track started along with electrification of the existing tracks.
Early 20th century
In the early 20th century, a monopolyMonopoly
A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
was formed to provide transportation in the city. It began to electrify the horse tram and soon the Otlet Prague trams came under the control of competitors of the electric enterprises. As the monopoly grew, it took over the tracks of the rest of its private competitors. The last private track, the work of František Křižík
František Križík
František Křižík was a Czech inventor, electrical engineer and entrepreneur. The main belt asteroid 5719 Křižík was named in his honor....
, was transferred to the city by the year of 1907. In 1905, the electrification works were finished. Even the last horse tram route through the Charles Bridge was electrified (also a project of František Křižík). The tram route through the Charles Bridge
Charles Bridge
The Charles Bridge is a famous historic bridge that crosses the Vltava river in Prague, Czech Republic. Its construction started in 1357 under the auspices of King Charles IV, and finished in the beginning of the 15th century...
operated until 1908.
World War One
The coming of war added new strains to the network. In favor of earlier-coming sanitation trains from a war frontier, sanitation trams were rebuilt too. The lack of horse wagons – then the transportation problems in metropolis construction – by itself, forced the imposition of such tram elaborations as transporting the warfare and fuel, raw materials, and food. During the war, the product of ammunition, warfare should go for every price with an increasing demand, It came also to the melting of trams and falls in capacities (the melted trams were used to produce grenades and bombshells, etc.). This situation ended by the year of 1918, by signing the Peace Treaty noted as Czechoslovak RepublicCzechoslovak Republic
Czechoslovak Republic was the official name of Czechoslovakia between 1918 and 1938 and between 1945 and 1960. See*First Czechoslovak Republic*Second Czechoslovak Republic...
.
First republic
Again, the tram network underwent expansion, mainly to the newly built quarters of the expanded metropolitan Prague, such as DejviceDejvice
Dejvice is a historical community, a municipal quarter of the Prague 6 district of Prague, Czech Republic. Its history can be traced back to the late Roman era. Dejvice is known for its appeal to the upper middle class, and as a university district...
, Nusle
Nusle
Nusle is a district of Prague, created in 1922). Part of Nusle is in Prague 2 while most is in Prague 4. Nusle are located south of the city centre in Nuselské údolí on the Botič brook. There are interesting a rustically building of Nusle Town Hall from the year 1908, and a late old Nusle brewery...
and Žižkov
Žižkov
Žižkov is a cadastral district of Prague, Czech Republic. Most of Žižkov lies in the municipal and administrative district of Prague 3, except for very small parts which are in Prague 8 and Prague 10. Prior to 1922, Žižkov was an independent city....
. In 1927 the length of the network exceeded 100 km. At that time the new unidirectional tram types were introduced and the dead-end terminals were rebuilt into loops.
Post-war era
In the sixties, construction began on first underground sections of the Prague's tram network. While the works were already underway, the project was changed to become a full Metro systemPrague Metro
The Prague Metro is a subway, underground public transportation network in Prague, Czech Republic. It is the fastest means of transportation around the city and serves about one and a half million passengers a day, which makes it the seventh busiest metro system in Europe and the most-used in the...
and the trams were expected to gradually phase-out similarly to most of the western cities. In this time, several important track sections were destroyed, including the line on the Wenceslas Square
Wenceslas Square
Wenceslas Square is one of the main city squares and the centre of the business and cultural communities in the New Town of Prague, Czech Republic. Many historical events occurred there, and it is a traditional setting for demonstrations, celebrations, and other public gatherings...
. However, in the eighties, the communist government understood advantages of a modern tram system and began ordering new tramcars, such as the Tatra KT8D5
Tatra KT8D5
Tatra KT8D5 is bidirectional light rail vehicle operating in Europe and Asia. In several variations, it was designed and manufactured by Czech engineering corporation ČKD Tatra from 1984 to 1999...
as well as more Tatra T3
Tatra T3
The T3 is a type of tramcar produced by Tatra. During its period of production, between 1960 and 1989, 13,991 multiple units and 122 sidecars were sold worldwide, mostly in Central and Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union...
, and started constructing new track sections, most of which were completed soon after the Velvet revolution
Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that took place from November 17 – December 29, 1989...
. There weren't many new tracks opened during the first twenty years after the revolution, since much more attention was paid to modernizations of existing tracks and vehicles. The modernization project is still underway, causing major service disruptions every summer.
3]]
Planned network development
Restoration of some lines cancelled in the 1970s and 1980s, including the construction of new lines, is being considered. Some tracks are already included in the zoning plan, the fate of most of the proposed projects should be regarded as uncertain.Rolling stock
The Prague public transport company has currently available for standard operations a sizable fleet of 968 trams of varying types, ranging from the classic Tatra T3Tatra T3
The T3 is a type of tramcar produced by Tatra. During its period of production, between 1960 and 1989, 13,991 multiple units and 122 sidecars were sold worldwide, mostly in Central and Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union...
cars to the modern Škoda 14 T
Škoda 14 T
The Škoda 14 T is a five carbody section low-floor uni-directional tram, developed by Škoda for the Prague tram system.The vehicle's body was designed by Porsche Design Group. The 14 T has six axles, and the low-floor area represents 50 % of the entire vehicle floor...
low-floor trams. These trams are distributed across seven depots across the city. Besides these, the company owns also a fleet of heritage streetcar
Heritage streetcar
Heritage streetcars or heritage trams are a development of the heritage railways that are becoming popular across the world. As with modern streetcar systems, the vehicles are referred to as trams or tramcars in the United Kingdom, Australasia and certain other places , but as streetcars or...
s kept within the transport museum and several trams especially equipped for use for driver training or snowplowing, bringing the total number of vehicles to over 1000.
Tatra T3 and modifications
The various modifications of the Tatra T3 tram cars, which are common all over the former Eastern bloc, form the bulk of the fleet, since they were produced in Prague in large numbers for both domestic use and export. More than half of the classic streetcars have undergone modernization during the first ten years of the 21st century, which equipped them with new engines and electrical equipment, new audiovisual information system for the passengers and refurbished interiors. The renovated trams were named Tatra T3R.P, where R stands for Renovated and P for the used electrical equipment. Both the original design and the modernizations have proved so successful that the transport company has decided to produce newly built trams according to the original design, but with a low-floor section in the middle.Newer Tatra trams
In the eighties, it was decided to produce a higher-capacity tram vehicle. The result was the Tatra KT8D5Tatra KT8D5
Tatra KT8D5 is bidirectional light rail vehicle operating in Europe and Asia. In several variations, it was designed and manufactured by Czech engineering corporation ČKD Tatra from 1984 to 1999...
articulated tramcar, of which 49 were delivered. More than a half of these were modernized and equipped with a low-floor section. After the Velvet revolution
Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that took place from November 17 – December 29, 1989...
, the company has decided not to continue with the deliveries and instead ordered a delivery of 150 standard-length Tatra T6A5
Tatra T6A5
Tatra T6A5, also known as Tram 6 and nicknamed "Iron" is a unidirectional high-floor light rail vehicle made for rapid transit systems in Bratislava, Košice, Brno, Prague and Ostrava....
cars. Shortly after these deliveries ended, the traditional producer of trams for Prague, ČKD Tatra, went bankrupt, stopping new tram deliveries for several years.
Škoda trams
After strong demands both from the handicapped community and from the general public, the Prague transport company has decided to order new low-floor trams from Škoda WorksŠkoda Works
Škoda Works was the largest industrial enterprise in Austro-Hungary and later in Czechoslovakia, one of its successor states. It was also one of the largest industrial conglomerates in Europe in the 20th century...
. 60 Škoda 14 T
Škoda 14 T
The Škoda 14 T is a five carbody section low-floor uni-directional tram, developed by Škoda for the Prague tram system.The vehicle's body was designed by Porsche Design Group. The 14 T has six axles, and the low-floor area represents 50 % of the entire vehicle floor...
trams, dubbed Porsche by the locals, were delivered between 2005 and 2009, to be followed by 250 of a more modern 100% low-floor Škoda 15 T from 2010.
| Image | Tram Car Type | Modifications and subtypes | Board numbers | Depot Allocations | Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tatra T3 Tatra T3 The T3 is a type of tramcar produced by Tatra. During its period of production, between 1960 and 1989, 13,991 multiple units and 122 sidecars were sold worldwide, mostly in Central and Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union... |
Tatra T3 Tatra T3 The T3 is a type of tramcar produced by Tatra. During its period of production, between 1960 and 1989, 13,991 multiple units and 122 sidecars were sold worldwide, mostly in Central and Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union... , Tatra T3SUCS, Tatra T3M, Tatra T3M.2-DVC, Tatra T3R.P, Tatra T3R.PV, Tatra T3R.PLF |
*T3 67xx-69xx *T3SU 7001-7020 *T3SUCS 7021-7292 *T3M 8005-8106 *T3RP 8211-8245, 8300-8554 , *T3R.PV 8151-8181 T3R.PLF 8251-8258 | Hloubětín, Pankrác, Strašnice, Kobylisy, Vokovice, Žižkov | 699 | |
| Tatra KT8D5 Tatra KT8D5 Tatra KT8D5 is bidirectional light rail vehicle operating in Europe and Asia. In several variations, it was designed and manufactured by Czech engineering corporation ČKD Tatra from 1984 to 1999... |
Tatra KT8D5 Tatra KT8D5 Tatra KT8D5 is bidirectional light rail vehicle operating in Europe and Asia. In several variations, it was designed and manufactured by Czech engineering corporation ČKD Tatra from 1984 to 1999... , Tatra KT8D5R.N2P (23 trams modernized till May 2008) |
9001-9048 non-modernized (without 9006 - damaged), 9051-9098 modernized. When a tram gets modernized 50 is added to its board number | Hloubětín | 47 | |
| Tatra T6A5 Tatra T6A5 Tatra T6A5, also known as Tram 6 and nicknamed "Iron" is a unidirectional high-floor light rail vehicle made for rapid transit systems in Bratislava, Košice, Brno, Prague and Ostrava.... |
Tatra T6A5 Tatra T6A5 Tatra T6A5, also known as Tram 6 and nicknamed "Iron" is a unidirectional high-floor light rail vehicle made for rapid transit systems in Bratislava, Košice, Brno, Prague and Ostrava.... |
8600-8750 | Motol, Strašnice, Žižkov | 150 | |
| Škoda 14 T Škoda 14 T The Škoda 14 T is a five carbody section low-floor uni-directional tram, developed by Škoda for the Prague tram system.The vehicle's body was designed by Porsche Design Group. The 14 T has six axles, and the low-floor area represents 50 % of the entire vehicle floor... |
Škoda 14 T Škoda 14 T The Škoda 14 T is a five carbody section low-floor uni-directional tram, developed by Škoda for the Prague tram system.The vehicle's body was designed by Porsche Design Group. The 14 T has six axles, and the low-floor area represents 50 % of the entire vehicle floor... |
9111-9170 | Motol | 60 | |
| Škoda 15 T Škoda 15 T Škoda 15T is a 100% low floor tram developed by Škoda for the Transport Company of Prague in the years 2005-2008. The order and subsequent construction was influenced by experiences with operation of the Škoda 14 T in the Prague tram network... |
Škoda 15 T Škoda 15 T Škoda 15T is a 100% low floor tram developed by Škoda for the Transport Company of Prague in the years 2005-2008. The order and subsequent construction was influenced by experiences with operation of the Škoda 14 T in the Prague tram network... |
9201-(class of 250 under construction) | Pankrác | 30+ |