After 56 years, Prague brings historic T2 trams back to the city’s streets

Produced between 1955 and 1962, the T2 was one of the most iconic trams produced by Czech company Tatra. For three decades, the tram was used on the streets of cities across both the Czech Republic and the Soviet Union.

Because of the T2’s wide body, however, it never became a mainstay in Prague, where it was produced; the last regular service of a T2 in the Czech capital was in 1964.

More than fifty years later, however, and the T2 is finally making a comeback in Prague.

Prague public transit authority DPP has purchased two working T2 tram cars from Liberec, one of the last Czech cities to have used them, after being decommissioned in 2018. The two vehicles underwent extensive restorations to the tune of 10.4 million crowns.

Today, DPP debuted the new trams to local media at their Střešovice depot:

Tomorrow morning, the trams will be presented to the public during a unique photo opportunity at the Střešovice depot.

And over the next two weeks, you’ll be able to spot the two vehicles on the streets of Prague as DPP drivers test their new route on the nostalgic line 23.

On March 7 and 8, you’ll be able to hop aboard the historic T2s for their inaugural ride. The two vehicles have even been outfitted with contactless payment terminals for use within the Prague public transit network.

Afterwards, the T2 trams are expected to mostly operate on the 23 line, which brings riders through central Prague destinations including Prague Castle, Malostranská, Újezd, the National Theatre, Karlovo náměstí, and I.P. Pavlova.

While Prague’s Public Transport Museum at Střešovice has had one T2 tram in its inventory since 1977, it was not fit for regular service and only rarely seen on the city’s streets.

These particular T2 trams were originally manufactured in Prague in 1959 and shipped to Ostrava, where they rode the city’s streets until 1996. After being replaced, they found a home in Liberec until they were decommissioned 22 years later.

Now, the 60+ year-old vehicles have finally made it back home.