Prague trams have a new home with opening of modernized Hloubětín depot

Prague has a new tram depot for the first time in 74 years, as Prague Public Transport Company (DPP) officially opened the modernized Hloubětín facility on Friday evening. The former Hloubětín depot was demolished in 2019 after structural problems were discovered in its roof.

As of Saturday, March 22, the new depot is in full service, dispatching trams for regular passenger routes after nearly six years of reconstruction. While the opening will not affect passenger timetables, DPP expects the upgraded depot to significantly reduce operational mileage as trams will no longer need to travel from other depots.

The extensive modernization of the Hloubětín depot began in September 2022 and was carried out by VCES and CH&T Pardubice. The project was fully funded by Prague’s municipal budget. In the future, the depot will serve as a home base for the city’s new Škoda 52T trams.

The new depot features a 22-track hall divided into two sections: one for parking up to 61 articulated trams of up to 32 meters in length, and another for maintenance with capacity for 12 vehicles. The maintenance hall is equipped with modern technology, including work platforms, lifts, and a paint shop for tram components.

Designed for energy efficiency, the depot includes photovoltaic panels on the roof and solar panels on the southern and eastern facades. Heating is supplemented by a cascade of heat pumps, and ventilation systems use heat recovery.

DPP will also recycle rainwater for tram washing and reuse grey water from showers and sinks for toilet flushing.

Additional upgrades to the site include new service buildings for DPP’s overhead lines and internal transport divisions, modernized washing facilities, new tracks, overhead lines, and green spaces with 17 new trees and over 3,000 shrubs and flowers.

The return of regular service to Hloubětín marks a major shift in depot operations. From Saturday, DPP will dispatch most vehicles on lines 7, 8, 12, 17, and 31 from Hloubětín, while the Strašnice depot will take over some operations for line 19 previously handled by Hostivař. The new depot also positions Prague to expand its tram network.

“This comes just in time as we’re building new tram lines across Prague,” Zdeněk Hřib, Prague's deputy mayor for transport, said in a press release. “We’ve secured permits for routes like Počernická, Malovanka–Strahov, and others, and we’re buying new 52T trams that need a home.”

DPP CEO Ladislav Urbánek noted that the depot’s reopening ends a nearly six-year period during which Hloubětín’s trams were parked outdoors at the Hostivař workshops. “This move greatly improves working conditions for our staff and reduces unnecessary mileage,” he said.

The Hloubětín depot will be fully operational this weekend, with all trams and equipment relocated from temporary facilities.