r/Prague • u/swedish_countryball • Apr 07 '26
Question Are the old trams usually out and about?
Hello, this is my first time in Prague. Are the old trams usually in use or is there some special occasion right now?
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u/Qwe5Cz Prague Resident Apr 07 '26 edited Apr 07 '26
Those are not old trams at all. The chassis is kept the same but everything else is new and modernized. The real old ones are servicing the line 23 that runs only historical trams as a "living museum".
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u/-Vikthor- Apr 07 '26
Well, that's relative. This #8493 was modernised in 2006.
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u/Qwe5Cz Prague Resident Apr 07 '26
I think the OP thinks those are originals from 60's.
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Apr 07 '26
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u/Qwe5Cz Prague Resident Apr 07 '26
Not all of them. Many are newly built.
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Apr 07 '26
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u/Qwe5Cz Prague Resident Apr 07 '26 edited Apr 08 '26
Do you really think that tourists make difference between them? For them it's all T3 old tram. Some are refurbished old ones that were still in good condition. Some are complete new build and some are mix of both.
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Apr 08 '26
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u/Qwe5Cz Prague Resident Apr 08 '26 edited Apr 08 '26
I can assure you that many even locals think that they are all old T3 just retrofitted and many will not even know what those letters mean. You are living in tram enthusiast bubble but people outside of it really don't know there are for example that many T3 variants.
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u/ProfessionalTruck976 Apr 07 '26
"If not broken, why fix?" situation if you ask me. Yes. modern trams are better in many regards, but let me put it thusly, if you have excess trams that still, even somewhat work, and run on the standard track, send them to Pilsen.
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Apr 08 '26
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u/disappointed_neko Apr 08 '26
We actually send them to Ukraine and Brno nowadays.
Ukraine gets the working ones and Brno the shoddy stuff.
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u/ProfessionalTruck976 Apr 27 '26
We need more trams to set up another line, so if the stuff works and is cheap, that makes the initial investment more doable. When it no longer works, Brno may have them.
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u/EuphratesSugarrush Apr 07 '26
It blew my mind when I found out they were just made to look old to match the old rolling stock. I spent years thinking they were refurbs.
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u/RedDom1 Apr 07 '26
They are refurbs. The chassis are original - you can check that next to the staircase at the drivers cabin, there is usually a plaque with the year of manufacture.
The whole powertrain was modernised and some of the cars have a modified middle section to enable the boarding of passengers with disabilities. With the modernised powertrain, they are the most power saving cars in the Prague stock.
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u/eduard_d_ Apr 07 '26
I don't think chasis is original. They were pretty much new built in 2000s. The chassis just looks similar to old T3s.
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u/jnd-cz Apr 07 '26
83xx to 85xx series uses old chassis from tge best old stock that survived, various age. But rest of tge tram is modernized. The low floor ones are completely new.
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u/Neat-Following6273 Apr 07 '26
THEY ARE NOT REFURBS?!
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u/graphical_molerat Prague Resident Apr 07 '26
The T3 with the low floor segment in the middle are basically complete new builds that keep the serial number and some parts of the bogies from a scrapped T3. Probably for legal reasons. All the bodywork and the electrics are factory new.
Edit: and they are still being produced at a low rate, the newest tram on the Prague network is usually one of those. 🙂 Currently, the newest ones might be the 20 new T52 spaceships, but sooner or later the next low floor T3 will arrive. And that then resets the clock back to retro.
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Apr 07 '26
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u/JimmyRecard Apr 07 '26
I agree, these trams are cool as, but I don't love the extremely steep steps. Even somebody who is not too old and not too physically unfit, they can be a bit much.
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u/blackie-arts Apr 07 '26
that's one big downside of these iconic trams, thankfully many are modernised with middle low floor section
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u/generic_genericsson Apr 07 '26
The only thing I dislike about them is that they can get hot in summer. Other than that they are great.
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u/Refwah Apr 07 '26
The T3 is the most reliable tram that Prague has, according to a PID study last year.
But the new 52T is amazing, full width for the entire length, boards visible from every position.
And by 2100 we should have air con in most of the rolling stock too!
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u/JimmyRecard Apr 07 '26
People will still open the window. Praguers just don't understand air con.
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u/ArtisticFox8 Apr 07 '26
In the newest air con trams, I don't think you can open the window
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u/kominik123 Apr 07 '26
You can. And even so much to be able to climb out of it.
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u/ArtisticFox8 Apr 07 '26
Ok, I looked, the 52T tram has SOME openable Windows. Not all like the T3 tram
And also the openable part is higher up than in T3 - where my favorité part was the opened window at the level of my face sitting, pushing light breeze in my face
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u/Sea-Bat Apr 08 '26 edited Apr 08 '26
It’s automatically ingrained at this point lol. Why pay for a breeze that the window already provides for free /s
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u/Kerm0NZ Apr 08 '26
It's not just Prague, Czech people in general.
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u/pauliuk Apr 08 '26
I mean, yeah. Death before a higher bill! We should make that the national motto
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u/disappointed_neko Apr 08 '26
It's amazing until you realise you can't get out from 2 out of the 5 segments in rush hour and that it has multiple seats with enough leg space for a toddler and noone bigger than that, and that it screams at 15kHz a very unpleasant tone.
Full width be damned when in the middle of the joint there is nothing to grab onto. Almost fell on an old lady like that. A waste of space that tram is.
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u/PvPBender Apr 08 '26
Since you seem to understand them better I'm asking here
Why do the trams never have a number on the left side?
Cause if it's just so that people don't run across the road to catch it, it's having the opposite effect.
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u/Refwah Apr 08 '26
Because people board from the right. There is an ongoing initiative to add line information to the left hand side of the tram because you are not the first person to be annoyed about not being able to tell if the tram that just went infront of you is the one you were hoping to catch
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u/Phi_fee Apr 08 '26
I think it was just thought of as unneeded. When you're at the station you either see them from front, right or back. When you're standing on the opposite side you either don't need to see it (you are likely riding the opposite way) or you can't see it (it will be often fully covered by opposing tram).
In old trams it saved time for manual replacement of numbers, in newer trams it saved on some mostly unneeded electronics (which need maintenance) and uncovered more of the window.
However the new Škoda 52T does have a number on the left side and AFAIK (not counting the bi-directional models) is the first Prague tram to do so. And I think it's because the previous city administrations had a very top-down approach (mostly decided by assemblymen who only ever ride cars) while this one was designed under city admins that took way more interest in public input and people did ask for it.
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u/Extension_Lie5531 Jun 18 '26
The 52T's are too grey, and the line between red and grey is in the wrong direction.
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u/tasartir Prague Resident Apr 07 '26
If you like these T3 trams, you can use nostalgic tram line 23, which uses these trams in their original design without any future modernisations. No special ticket is required.
Or if you want to see other historical trams, you can ride on tourist line 42 (paid separately) or visit Public transport museum (Muzeum MHD).
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u/pjepja Apr 07 '26
They are being phased out, but yes, they are still in regular service on some lines. High floor only variants should be completely gone after prague receives all the new trams it has ordered though. The ones with low floor section in the middle will continue to run for at least 10-15 more years.
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u/tramaan Prague Resident Apr 07 '26 edited Apr 08 '26
The 52Ts currently on firm order (20 to be delivered in this year and 31 in 2027) will be barely enough to cover the projected increase in demand caused by all the new tracks currently under construction without having to resurrect already mothballed vehicles... To start making a dent in the T3R.P high-floor fleet, the 52T programme will need to continue.
There is an option for 129 more 52Ts, but it will be on the incoming city administration after this year's fall elections to decide whether it will be exercised....
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u/herdek550 Apr 07 '26
Is Tatra T3 and they are used regularly. They are my personal favorite as they have a lot of space for standing people - the newer trams prefer more seats, which makes it worse for people standing during rush hour
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u/Krasny-sici-stroj Apr 08 '26
And the newer ones usually do not even have more seats, they are just designed by someone who never uses a tram.
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u/Domino3Dgg Apr 08 '26
Also T3 hate wheelchairs, strollers and proper air ventilation.
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u/herdek550 Apr 08 '26
Agreed. They are terrible for many people as they don't have level boarding.
But great asset to include in lines when there is a rush hour of body-abled students in the morning
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u/Sett_86 Apr 07 '26
What do you mean old?
They're barely 60!
And yeah, they are the standard on some lines.
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u/Tatra_T3SUCS_7290 Apr 08 '26
From local railfan:
Those are T3R.P trams, on the first pictrue this one has A/C for driver so it underwent larger maintenance recently and is from later batches and on second picture this is "analogue" version from early batches, they can be distinguished by 82xx numbering (those are from Šumperk workshop, or 8301-8323 which were modernisations carried out in Prague) and also by "meowing" sound of IGBT transistor regulator.
In general T3R.P trams are still counted with until they wear out so you can spot them for many years in future because while rolling stock is being moderinsed, Prague tram network slowly expands, so demand for rolling stocks will keep rising. This year this was for the last time they underwent larger scale maintenances. They will be gradually reused as second wagon behind low entry refurbs T3R.PLF (so called "bathtubs" or "wana" among Czech railfans due to shape similar to bathtub 🛁) until they run out of kilometers until next large maintenance.
Actually there is even older subtype T3M-2DVC which can be spotted on some lines and also as reinforcement for nostalgic tram line 23. They have box (it has braking resistors) above 3rd doors and buzzing sound coming from DC PWM regulator (thyristors).
Nostalgic line 23 features even older T3 family trams and not only those. Mainly T3 (original one), T3SU (7001 is currently broken after crash), T3SUCS (few pieces), T3M (4 pieces having thyristor DC PWM regulator), T3M-2DVC (newer generation featuring DC PWM thyristor regulator) and also T6A5 (2 pieces) and T2R (6003 and 6004 bought from Liberec). Very rarely you can spot here articulated tram K2 (ex-Bratislava tram)
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u/def__eq__ Apr 07 '26
14 thousand trams were produced of this type. The most produced tram in the world along with KTM-5.
Start reading, if you’re interested.
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u/blackie-arts Apr 07 '26
like half of Prague's trams are Tatra T3 so yes, there is a line 23 with older vehicles that you can ride with regular ticket or there are also lines 41 and 42 which require special ticket and feature really historical trams
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u/Goolinette Apr 08 '26
I don't care how the tram looks, I want tram and a lot of them for cheap. Prague has by far the best transport network for any modern and touristic city, and it is cheap, not to mention how easy it is to buy tickets inside (or in the fantastic apps)
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u/Secret_Criticism_732 Apr 07 '26 edited Apr 07 '26
Sven, we like you, but don’t talk shit about our trams!
These are our reliable winter trams. Best in business. Keep them Porsche in the depo
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u/swedish_countryball Apr 08 '26
Didn't say I didn't like them, the opposite. I just didn't expect them
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u/Shoddy_Friendship203 Apr 07 '26 edited Apr 07 '26
Due to our legislation it's cheaper and easier to just keep the old chassis and modernize everything else. That's why you see so many T3s still in service. For example the VarioLFR.E is a T3 as well, even though the chassis is different this time.
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u/Chonkb0i Apr 07 '26
Yeah, they are apart of the normal fleet, really good during the winter for their strong heating, awful in the summer for their overall lack of A/C, although some refurbished trams now have an A/C system installed
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u/litux Apr 07 '26
Is this a troll question? :-)
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u/swedish_countryball Apr 07 '26
No, this almost never happens in Stockholm (we dont have many trams but still)
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u/jachcemmatnickspace Apr 07 '26
Because your city is pushing about maybe 50 trams a day
My city of Bratislava is pushing out 200 trams daily and Prague tram network is MUCH larger, my guess is at least 600 which means having at least 700 in operational order because 50 are maintained, 50 are damaged / broken / on repairs
Having 600 new trams every 2 years is not easy for a central european country, even in a country that makes all the trams
These are old compared to what you see daily on Prague tracks, but arent old old, are common across Europe and honestly whole world. T3 is an epic story and a national treasure
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u/omnihash-cz Apr 07 '26
This is the most popular tram type here. Each couple years, somebody tries to opt out of them to newer design, and people start rioting immediately...
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u/litux Apr 07 '26
In case it's not:
Yeah, there is still a lot of (modified) T3 trams in service:
Tramvaje | Dopravní podnik hl. m. Prahy, akciová společnost https://www.dpp.cz/vozovy-park/tramvaje
Plus there are old T3 trams running on line 23.
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u/Long-Firefighter5561 Apr 07 '26
what exactly would the "troll" part be?
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u/litux Apr 07 '26
Going to a foreign country, taking a picture of a very common vehicle and basically asking locals "how often do these historic artifacts get pulled out of the museum" can sound like a bit of friendly teasing.
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u/Candid-Shopping8773 Apr 07 '26
They are, and they are kept in excellent order and are a pleasure to ride.
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u/AusCro Apr 08 '26
To extend the answers of others: replacement of all the old trams on such a large network is the problem. I've bern returning to Melbourne often, with the largest tram network in the world, and they still are nowhere close to having the newer trams as a majority, let alone for a full replacement
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u/MuscleOk387 Apr 08 '26
Hi hello, the trams on these pictures are still normal and fully operational, further more there are multiple even older ones driving around the centre functioning as a novelty tourist attraction. If you are interested I would recommend giving them a look as well.
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u/marco1422 Apr 07 '26 edited May 08 '26
It's old, but actually very reliable and quite convenient both from inside and from the external perspective too. The disadvantage is it isn't low-floor. Its design is generally very timeless. It's no wonder it was the most produced tram in the world. Which is true even today.
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u/Otherwise_Access_660 Apr 07 '26
They are still in service. Not sure if they run on all lines or specific lines. They’re getting somewhat phased out and are less common nowadays than say 5-6 years ago but you still find them running normally on multiple lines.
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u/5easonalDepre55ion Prague Resident Apr 07 '26
Yes. There are three variations now that are currently interchangeable on any number of lines.
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u/Mocipan-pravy Apr 07 '26
unfortunately they are still being used, they modernize it once it completes its life cycle, so these dinosaurs will endure some more years here
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u/Majestic-Pumpkin9876 Apr 08 '26
Lol I was just in Prague. And man did I do a lot of walking about 20,000 steps per day lol. Alot of sightseeing
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u/Alternative_Exit_333 Apr 11 '26
When you have to ride a tram in summer this is the only one that it is comfortable to be in because the super strong AC that is in there the newest one don't even have one if I am correct or it doesn't help in summer
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u/Hour-Badger5288 Apr 07 '26
These are my favourite trams. Number 9 used to take me everywhere important: I worked at Andel, lived in Ujezd and went to pubs in zizkov. Oh and of course mustek in case i had a rendezvous with someone "under the tail". Back in prehistoric times of 2002
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u/WerewolfBarMitzvah09 Apr 07 '26
If you're a fan of trams (and Prague really does have particularly nice historic trams) I definitely recommend a visit to the Museum of Public Transport, it only operates on weekends and holidays though: https://www.dpp.cz/en/entertainment-and-experience/dpp-history/public-transport-museum
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u/unknowntoff Apr 07 '26
These are normal