Ride the Retro Metro This Spring

Prague’s public transit company has made headlines lately for lowering the price of its annual transport passes, expanding Metro line A four stops (completion set for April), and the launch, slated for May, of the Skoda-designed 15T ForCity, a futuristic-looking tram with air-conditioning and wi-fi.

But as the company commemorates 140 years of operation in 2015, it’s also taking a look back, with a new website devoted to the history of public transport in Prague which began with the first horse-pulled tram in September 1875.

The first of these, a midnight ride on an original 1970s Soviet-built metro car, takes place on March 7 and includes a pit stop for photo opps at the Vyšehrad metro platform. (Read more after the jump.)

All photos courtesy of www.mhd140.cz unless otherwise noted.

Petřín Hill funicular, 1891

Electric train, Letná 1891

Prague trams, 1897

Last of the horse-drawn trams, 1905

The first Prague bus operated between Pohořelec and Malá Strana, 1908

In 1925, bus fare depended on distance traveled

Trolley bus, Prague 1936

Tram with “Driving on Right!” banner, 1939

The original Soviet-built Prague metro wagon, circa 1970s/D.Zahradnicek

To reserve your place on the March 7 tour, visit www.prahatechnicka.cz. (Tours are given in Czech.)

March 28, will see the reopening of the MHD museum in Střešovice. Special poster exhibits are planned for various tram stops throughout the year, as is an April concert in a metro station to be announced.

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Visit www.mhd140.cz for the latest information on these events and more facts and photos on the history of public transport in Prague.