Prague to build two new tram lines

The tramway system in the Czech capital Praha (Prague) has a rich history; on 21 September a grand parade of 42 tram vehicles or sets will celebrate 150 years of tramway operation. The horse tramway started carrying passengers on 23 September 1875, and electric trams in the city's streets arrived in March 1896. Today the 144km system has 26 lines operated by some 880 trams under the auspices of Dopravni podnik hlavniho mesta Prahy as part of the Prague Integrated Transport system (PID). 

But things never stand still for long on the Praha tramway network. The Modrany-Libus line that opened in 2023 is now to be extended by another 1.8km to Nové Dvor, where there will be a single-track loop. Construction will be completed in 2027 and cost CZK 1.4bn. And a tender has been invited for another extension to link Zizkov with the city boundary at Jacobo, using ehe alignment of the disused Zizkov–Malesice freight railway. This 2km tramway is also expected to start construction in 2026, for completion in 2027 at a cost of about CZK 709M. 

All this means there will be plenty of work for the 20 Skoda 52T 100% low-floor trams being delivered this year, with 20 more in 2026, the first of a fleet that could reach 200 by the end of the decade. They started running on line 12 from 20 June.