Prague tram extension opened

 

After a ribbon-cutting ceremony on 26 May (involving preserved 1915 Ringhoffer tram 351), passenger service for line 17 on the 1.8km extension from Sídliste Modrany to a bus interchange at Libus started on 27 May. 

 

The new terminus has a stub layout meaning that the 65 double-ended Tatra KT8 trams from 1986-1991 (modernised 2004-2014 with a low-floor centre section) will be used. The line will be further extended to Nové Dvory (interchange with future metro line D) in 2026. The extension was built by a consortium of Ohla ZS and Strabag Rail at a cost of CZK 304M, with work starting in April 2022. EU funding covered 85% of the cost. 

 

Jan Surovsky, Technical Director of Praha transport operator DPP said, ‘With our network now extending to 146km, we have caught up with Leipzig and overtaken Brussels and are approaching Budapest. However we rank first in the Eu when it comes to the number of trams in operation (882), thanks to which we have the highest average occupancy of trams in the world (370M passengers/year).