Trams
approx.Low-Floor Route Guarantees
To facilitate and make travel easier for its passengers with mobility issues, the Prague Public Transit Company (DPP) is working to expand the number of low-floor vehicles in its fleets. To help its passengers find out where and when low-floor vehicles are running on a route, it provides such information in its tram timetables. DPP wants to assure it passengers that when they see a “wheelchair symbol” on a timetable, that tram run (time) on that route will only be served by low-floor vehicles. Timetables can be found at our Timetable Portal. DPP is currently running low-floor vehicles on all its daily tram lines.
Tram Stop Accessibility Information
As indicated, the individual tram stops are categorized as:
- accessible
- partially accessible
- no special access
“Accessible” stop:
| clear width of the platform from any vehicle-extended tilted access platform (this usually means the actual width of the platform) | min. 1200 mm min. approx. 1700 mm |
| access ramp slope length ≤ 3,000 mm | max. 1:8 (12,5 %) |
| access ramp slope length > 3,000 mm but ≤ 6,000 mm | max. 1:10 (10,0 %)* |
| access ramp slope length > 6,000 mm but ≤ 9,000 mm | max. 1:12 (8,33 %)* |
| access ramp slope length > 9,000 mm | max. 1:16 (6,25 %) |
| slope of the vehicle-extended access platform, after extension - height difference (gap between the leading edge of the extended ramp and the platform) |
max. 1:6,6 min. approx. 240 mm (building tolerance 20 mm) |
| height of vertical obstacles (e.g. curbs) | max. 20 mm |
| clear width from fixed obstacles (e.g. railings, signals and poles, trash receptacles (containers)) | min. 900 mm |
“Partially Accessible” stop:
| clear width of the platform from any vehicle-extended tilted access platform, min. 1,090 mm - this usually means the actual width of the platform |
min. 1090 mm min. approx. 1590 mm |
| slope of the access ramp for ramp length (without a flat landing area) of up to 3,000 mm - may not be met for areas with lowered curbs |
max. 1:6 (16,67 %) |
| slope of the access ramp for ramp length (without a flat landing area) of over 3,000 mm | max. 1:8 (12,5 %) |
| slope of the vehicle-extended access platform, after extension - height difference (gap between the leading edge of the extended ramp and the platform) |
1:2,4 – 1:6,59 min. approx. 100 mm |
| height of a vertical obstacle (e.g. curb) | max. 20 mm |
| clear width from fixed obstacles (e.g. railings, signals and poles, trash receptacles (containers)) | min. 850 mm |
For “partially accessible” stops, the overall slope of the length of the station’s platform is ignored.
* This applies to situations in which there are no other ramps available – in terms of ramp length and degree of slope).
History of Low-Floor Trams
The history of low-floor trams in Prague began in 1996 with an initial delivery of four RT6N1 model vehicles. The introduction of these trams did not go well. The Prague Public Transit Company (DPP) spent significant financial resources and staff time running tests, only to discover that they weren’t suitable for the conditions in Prague. These tests included three-years of actual testing with passengers. In the Czech Railway Authority’s prescribed testing, the large number of defects and deficiencies in these vehicles led to their failure to be given approval for being put into regular operation. As a result, these first trams ran for just a short period of time and they were eventually sold (September 2009).
The Introduction of the 15T Model Tram and Other New Trams
Before the introduction of the 15T model tram, there was the T3R.PLF. It is a low-floor variant of the standard T3 tram. Starting in 2006, a total of 35 of these modified T3s were produced at the DPP Tram Repair Shop.
DPP currently operates 250 low-floor trams of the 15T type.
Overview of Low-Floor Trams in the DPP Fleet
| Model | Number |
|---|---|
| Škoda 14T | 55 |
| KT8D5.RN2P | 57 |
| T3R.PLF | 51 |
| Škoda 15T | 250 |
Low-Floor Access is the Way of the Future
The opportunity to have available low-floor buses and trams is appreciated both by the passengers and also the transit service provider (DPP). These vehicles make it easier for limited mobility and elderly passengers, as well as parents with strollers to use the service. They benefit the carrier in terms of reduced boarding times for such passengers, making it easier to adhere to route timetables. As of January 2019, DPP had 818 trams in service, of which 359 were low-floor. Low-floor trams thus make up more than half of DPP’s vehicle fleet.
With its current number of low-floor vehicles, DPP is able to provide its weekday tram routes with a total of 155 guaranteed and non-guaranteed low-floor tram connections. The availability of low-floor guaranteed connections is spread across the different routes and such guaranteed connections will be increased as additional low-floor equipment is brought into service.
15Ts - More Space for Wheelchairs
While barrier-free transit access is for many a pleasant bonus, for those in a wheelchair, it is a necessity. As a result, DPP has worked extensively with various organizations working to improve the mobility options for such users. For example, DPP worked with the Prague Organization of Wheelchair Users and the vehicle manufacturer to allow increased space for wheelchair users in its most recent addition to its low-floor tram fleet – the model 15T. These increases were despite the fact that the earlier designs already met the requirements of the applicable Czech ČSN standard. Such improvements show how DPP strives to be a leader in meeting the mobility needs of its passengers.