New trams for Praha presented

On 10 January 2024, representatives of the City of Praha, DPP (Dopravní podnik hlavního města Prahy, the city transport operator) and Škoda Group presented the concept and design of a new Type Škoda ForCity Plus Praha 52T tram, arising from the tender, awarded on 9 November 2023.

The tender was for up to 200 trams, with a minimum of 40 to be obligatorily delivered; the first 20 are due to be delivered to DPP by the end of 2025 and the next 20 by the end of 2026. The option can then be applied in separate orders consisting of a maximum of 30 vehicles each. The total value of the contract (including the option) is 16.602 billion CZK (around 676 million EUR).

The length of the five-section unidirectional 100% low-floor Type 52T tram will be 32 m, bodyshell width 2,500 mm. All bogies will be powered, two (front one and rear one) will be fully pivotable, the other two will have limited pivotability. The maximum design speed will be 80 km/h. The parking and emergency brake will be electromechanical, which was one of the tender evaluation points (in addition, of course, it will have an electrodynamic brake, operating up to zero speed, and an electromagnetic rail brake). The diameter of the new wheels is 640 mm, using conventional wheelsets. The empty weight of the vehicle is to be 48 t. The tram will be equipped with the Škoda anti-collision system.

The capacity of the vehicle will be 173 passengers, of which 70 will be seated. There will also be two places for a pram and two for a wheelchair. Compared to the previous Type 15T trams, the capacity of the new ones will increase by 33 passengers, or almost 16 %. Entry to the vehicle will be through five double-leaf doors with a clearance of 1,300 mm. Height of the entrance door thresholds will be 350 mm above the TOR. The interior will be air-conditioned using eco-friendly refrigerant, and lighting will consist of LEDs.

While the earlier trams supplied by Škoda to DPP (Types 14T and 15T) replaced the Praha’s older high-floor types, one of the objectives of the new contract is to increase the number of trams on the network in view of its growth (three new sections were opened last year alone and more are in the planning stages). The vehicle is a combination of proven components that Škoda has applied from its successful projects. The bogie frames are from the ForCity Smart trams for Ostrava, Plzeň and Brno, while the traction motor is taken from the ForCity Plus project for Frankfurt, Cottbus and Brandenburg. In terms of the vehicle's structure, the inspiration came from the five-section ForCity Plus tram for Bratislava.