Passengers in Frankfurt (Oder) and Prague can now officially travel on the Škoda Group’s new trams: the new models are entering passenger service in both cities.
Frankfurt (Oder)
Eight trams are already in the city, with two more arriving in the coming days. The last three are in the final stages of production. With the commissioning of the new Škoda 46T vehicles, Stadtverkehrsgesellschaft mbH Frankfurt (Oder) is beginning the gradual renewal of its outdated KT4D fleet.
The delivery is part of a joint contract signed by the cities of Frankfurt (Oder), Cottbus and Brandenburg an der Havel – more information here:
https://www.urban-transport-magazine.com/en/new-trams-for-frankfurt-oder-brandenburg-cottbus-nearing-completion/
The Škoda Group is supplying a common vehicle platform tailored to the needs of each city network. Although the trams are almost identical in design, they have been adapted for three very different operating environments – a key challenge of the project.
Six Škoda 47T trams have been delivered to Cottbus and are currently being approved for passenger transport. A seventh is nearing completion. In 2022, Cottbusverkehr exercised an option for 15 additional vehicles, seven of which are already in the early stages of production.
Two trams have been delivered to Brandenburg an der Havel, with two more in final assembly. Like the vehicles for Frankfurt and Cottbus, these also offer improved accessibility, greater comfort for passengers and energy-efficient operation.
All three cities are expected to gradually put the new trams into service in the coming months as deliveries and approvals progress.
The new tramcars are approximately 29 metres long, 70% low-floor, with two rotating motor bogies and can accommodate around 151 passengers, including 51 seats. They feature large double doors, passenger information screens and USB sockets, among other things. Following approval by the relevant authorities, regular service will now be phased in gradually.
Prague – ForCity Plus 52T
At the same time, Prague is facing a generational change with the Škoda ForCity Plus 52T. A framework agreement was signed in January 2023 for 40 binding tram units with an option for up to 200 vehicles – with a total value of over CZK 16.6 billion.
In January 2025, the first ForCity Plus 52T was completed and tested at the Pilsen plant and transferred to the Prague network in April, see our report here:
https://www.urban-transport-magazine.com/en/first-new-skoda-t52-tram-for-prague-presented/
In April 2025, approval tests without passengers began across the entire network, covering a total of 20,000 km. This will be followed by another 20,000 km with passengers in phase 2.
The Škoda 52T trams are 32 m long, 100% low-floor, offer approx. 243 places (70 seats, 173 standing places) and comfort features such as air conditioning with ecological refrigerant, energy-saving LED lighting, information systems and brake energy recovery systems. Delivery of the first 20 vehicles is scheduled for the end of 2025, with another 20 to follow by the end of 2026. On 20 June 2025, the first tram will enter regular service, initially as an additional service on line 12.
