The last tram was delivered to Prague

Plzeň-based Škoda delivered the last of 250 ForCity Alfa trams to representatives of the Prague Public Transport Company. This was the end of one of Škoda Transportation's largest orders in history.

"It’s been almost ten years since the first red-silver, low-floor tram with a timeless Škoda design was launched in Prague. Since then, our vehicles have successfully carried passengers for over fifty million kilometers. ForCity trams are high-quality trams and there is great interest in them, as evidenced by last year's orders for up to 176 ForCity Smart trams for Ostrava and Plzeň, and especially the three German cities of Mannheim, Ludwigshafen and Heidelberg." says Petr Brzezina, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of Škoda Transportation.

"Today we received the last of a total of 250 15T trams from Škoda Transportation. This was one of our key long-term contracts, and we have concluded an important stage in the modernization of our tram fleet," says Petr Witowski, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of DPP, adding: "We are glad to have modern and comfortable trams for Prague citizens as well as tourists. They are also 100% low-floor, offering problem-free transport for passengers with reduced mobility. This is in line with Prague's strategic priority to ensure barrier-free access throughout the city's public transport network by 2025."

The ForCity Alfa Praha tram is the world's first serially produced 100% low-floor tram with a pivoting bogie, and it is the first with a unique drive with permanent-magnet, gearless motors driving all wheels of four axle-less bogies. The location of the bogie under the bellows transition and under the end of the vehicle allows for maximum variability in the interior layout.

With a length of 31.4 m and a width of less than 2.5 m, this uni-directional, three-section tram with a gauge of 1,435 mm can carry 180 passengers (4 persons/m2) - with 61 seats. Six wide, double wing doors allow for very fast exiting and boarding, and the tram's ability to smoothly drive through bends reduces travel time and speeds up traffic. "The first tram was delivered to the transport company on January 28, 2011. The 100th tram was delivered in 2014, and the 200th tram with a new design was delivered in 2017, " adds Radek Elhota, Project Manager of Škoda Transportation . In 2015 there was a change in the tram's design and interior, and several technical innovations that increased travel comfort were made. Škoda has since delivered 125 of these innovated vehicles, which also include air conditioning and Wi-Fi. The new design is particularly noticeable in the front of the vehicle, where the color of the tram was significantly modified; the center section of the front of the tram and the windscreen frame are now yellow-orange.

About Škoda Transportation

Only few brands have made the Czech Republic famous all over the world, like the Pilsen company Škoda has. People have been using its products for more than one hundred fifty years. Today, the company Škoda Transportation is focused on vehicles for public transport and for railways.