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At 142.4 kilometres, the 140-year-old Prague Tramway is the largest streetcar network in the country. Its massive multi-generational fleet of 968 tram cars, some of which date to the 1960s, annually carryies more than 325 million riders across a combined total route length of 518 kilometres. In continuous use since its debut in 1875 — the network celebrated its 140th anniversary just last year — the Prague Tramway is the pride of the bustling historic capital, the lifeblood of the streets within the City of a Hundred Spires. This edition of Once Upon a Tram will take an in-depth look at the fascinating 140-year history of the Prague Tramway.
In 1875 the Prague Tramway debuted like so many other streetcar systems of its day, as a limited-use horse-drawn service, which was implemented by Belgian entrepreneur Eduard Otlet. Ferrying passengers to and from the National Theatre, and thus proving an essential service for the well-heeled ladies and gentlemen of Prague who wished to save themselves the trouble of arriving to the opera on foot, the Prague Tramway began as a luxury service, before expanding to become the sprawling transit system it is today.
Throughout the 1880s, the Prague Tramway was expanded several times, growing to a total length of roughly 20 kilometres by the end of the decade. Before long, the tramway's rapid expansion had begun to outpace the natural limitations of a horse-drawn transit network, and the need for modernization led to the network's transition to electrification that began in 1891.
Following electrification, the Prague Tramway entered into an intensified period of expansion. The new technology allowed service to be brought to Prague's inner and outer suburbs, and the buyout and eventual retirement of the horse-drawn service allowed all future expansions to continue with electrification in mind. Before long, the network had expanded to include dozens of stations spread across the inner city and suburbs, and the growth of the city from this point forward was inexorably tied to the success of the Prague Tramway.
Into the 20th century, the Prague Tramway continued to thrive, with the patchwork of private tracks strewn across the city eventually bought up by City Hall and the entire network coming under public ownership and control in 1907. The creation of a monopoly allowed for further efficiency with the use of a unified track gauge, implementation of a coordinated car construction schedule, and ongoing electrification efforts, along with the overall operation of the ever-expanding network. Before the outbreak of war in 1914, the Prague Tramway was allowed to expand and grow into a modern service worthy of the metropolitan European capital that Prague had become.
During the First World War, with strict rationing protocols in place, expansion efforts were put on a temporary hiatus before returning with gusto following the rise of the First Czechoslovak Republic during the interwar period. By the late 1920s, the Prague Tramway had expanded to a total length of just over 100 kilometres, and had nearly reached its modern-day zenith.
In light of the devastation and upheaval of the Second World War, during which time the City of Prague was under Nazi control, expansion efforts were once again put on hold. Along with all other public services and private enterprises, the network was brought under Soviet control from 1945 to 1990. Spared from much of the destruction which befell numerous other European cities during the war, Prague's tram network continued to operate as before, with the exception being the inclusion of both Czech and German stop announcements and signage put in place throughout the duration of the Nazi occupation.
Following the war and subsequent half century of Communist rule, the Soviet regime sought to modernize and expand the Prague Tramway once again. The construction of the first generation of Tatra-built cars began, with subsequent iterations to come and go as the decades wore on. Into the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s, while the network itself remained virtually untouched, the various generations of Tatra's were introduced into the system, replacing the well-worn pre-war fleet, few of which remain today.
By the late 1980s, and into the 1990s, the Post-Communist-Era Prague Tramway once again entered into an era of mass expansion, with the opening of a series of new lines over the course of the 90s and early 2000s. In support of the ongoing expansion efforts, the older Tatra cars were updated and refurbished, and a new generation of modern Skoda-built "T" cars brought the fleet into the 21st century.
Today operating with a multi-generational fleet of tram cars which date anywhere from the 1960s to the 2010s, the Prague Tramway, supported as of 1974 by the Prague Metro, has survived as one of the most comprehensive public transit systems in Europe. While nowhere near as modern or flashy as those found in London or Paris, there is an undeniable charm to be found among the hundreds of refurbished Tatras rolling through the streets, mingled as they are with the later Skoda models.
A rare survivor among a countless array of reanimated tram networks found across Europe today, the Prague Tramway is virtually unique in its staying power. The 140-year history of the city's robust network includes two world wars, decades of political upheaval, and a fast-tracked Westernization which has unfolded at breakneck speed here as in many other former Soviet Republics. The lifeblood of the city, the Prague Tramway has endured through the generations as a symbol of public pride and determination, with its continuous operation through war, peace, and everything in between, a testament to the city's enduring will.
SkyriseCities will return soon with a new edition of Once Upon a Tram, which will take an in-depth look at the transit legacy of a city near you. In the meantime, feel free to join the conversation in the comments section below. Got an idea for this series? Let us know!
