“The first new tram 52T is already here! This is a significant milestone because after almost 20 years, Prague is getting a completely new type of tram. The super-modern low-floor Škoda ForCity Plus 52T trams will offer air conditioning, quiet operation and an advanced anti-collision system. By the end of the year, the first 20 of these top-of-the-range vehicles will arrive, and within a few years, the total number could reach 200,” says Zdeněk Hřib, 1st Deputy Mayor for Transport and Chairman of the Prague Public Transit Company Supervisory Board, adding: “We have started an unprecedented tram boom in Prague. New lines are growing like mushrooms after rain in the capital, which is why it is necessary to expand the tram fleet substantially. In the next two years, we will launch several new lines, for example to Malešice, Strahov, Nové Dvory, Žižkov, or the Museum, where we will build on the already implemented line on Wenceslas Square. In short, trams are a symbol of modern and ecological transport, making Prague a cleaner and more pleasant city to live in.”
“We are preparing intensively for the arrival of the new trams. In Prague, the construction of the new Hloubětín depot is nearing completion, and pre-acceptance of the first technological units has begun these days. The Hloubětín depot will be the home of the new trams. It will be the place where they will be commissioned after their return from the factory, sent out on test runs and subsequently into regular operation. I firmly believe that the manufacturer will be able to fulfil all further steps according to the schedule and the contract,” adds Jan Šurovský, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors and Technical Director of Prague Public Transit Company – Surface.
“Supplying trams for the capital of our country is not only a great honour for us, but also a great responsibility. This project brings stability and employment opportunities to thousands of people across the industry in the Czech Republic. We believe that the new tram will not only be a symbol of technological sophistication, but also of the ingenuity and commitment of all those involved in its development,” concludes Petr Novotný, CEO Škoda Group.
What awaits the first Škoda 52T trams in the coming months?
In the coming weeks, the first three trams for Prague will be completed in Pilsen. After the commissioning and dynamic tests on the test track, they will be transported to Prague, where they will begin test runs without passengers in the first phase as part of the homologation of the new vehicle type. These will also include the calibration of the anti-collision system and its unit tests. In the second phase, test runs with passengers will follow. After meeting the requirements of the Czech Railway Authority and successful completion of the test runs, the trams will be homologated for operation in the Czech Republic. In the meantime, the serial production of other trams will continue in Pilsen, and they will be delivered to Prague gradually according to the contract.
