Tram on test as Praha network grows ‘like mushrooms after rain’

CZECH REPUBLIC: The first ForCity Plus 52T tram for Praha is now on test at Škoda Group’s Plzeň factory, 13 months after the signing of the order and eight months after the start of production.

‘After almost 20 years, Praha is getting a completely new type of tram’, said Zdeněk Hřib, Praha’s Deputy Mayor for Transport and Chair of the supervisory board of transport operator DPP, on January 27. ‘We have started an unprecedented tram boom in Praha. New lines are growing like mushrooms after rain in the capital, which is why it is necessary to expand the tram fleet substantially.’

The December 2023 framework contract covers up to 200 trams worth KC16·6bn, with a firm order for an initial 40 to be delivered in 2025-26. More than 230 sub-suppliers are working on the project, of which 76% are from t…