Even after 140 years of existence, electric trams are still very popular all over the world and the demand for electric trams is increasing due to the trend towards green technologies. Trams are a very efficient means of urban transportation in short and medium distances in terms of both energy efficiency and the number of passengers they can carry.
Škoda brand and trams in history
Although this year we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the first tram to come out of Škoda workshops, the Škoda brand has been addressing the tram world for 100 years. Since 1922, many types of trams whose key components and systems bear the Škoda brand have passed through the streets of many Czech and Moravian cities. These were mainly the traction motors that powered the trams and the controllers used to control the power of the tram. Trams with components manufactured at Škoda factories worked in Brno, Pilsen, Prague, Jihlava and many other cities. The modern history of Škoda began with the end of tram production in ČKD in 1997, when some of the technical capacities were transferred from Prague to Plzeň.
Czechoslovakia – land of trams
Trams have always been developed in the Czech Republic (or actually Czechoslovakia). Local engineering companies were able to supply nearly the entire domestic market while continuing to export trams worldwide. From the early twentieth century until the mid-1990s, Ringhoffer's factories, which were later nationalized and passed into the ownership of ČKD Praha, were among the world's most important players in urban railcar manufacturing. Tatra trams (marked with T name and serial number) were sold by the company to many countries of the world (Eastern Bloc countries due to the political situation at that time). Produced between 1961 and 1997, the T3 is not only the best-selling tram, with more than 13.000 cars sold, but also holds the world record for the number of trams sold.
After 1989, the internal structure of ČKD Praha proved unsustainable under the new economic conditions, and despite repeated attempts at restructuring, most of the companies and production were destroyed or absorbed by competitors. This posed an existential threat to the tram production tradition in the Czech Republic; The T6C5, the last tram model developed under the Tatra brand, was produced in a single example only as a prototype.
Škoda from Pilsen takes the bat
A new chapter in Czech tram history was then being written by Škoda Plzeň, now the Škoda Group. Since 1995, its subsidiary Škoda Dopravní technika has been modernizing the old Tatra T01 trams under the type designations 02T and 3T. Thanks to these projects, Škoda Plzeň took over from its successful predecessor.
At that time, Škoda had experience in the production of traction motors, which are the heart of every modern tram, and had been supplying major manufacturers since the early 1990s for use on trams in Lisbon, Kassel, Bonn, Cologne and Philadelphia.
At the same time, Škoda engineers were working on another project: they were developing the first prototype of their trams together with Inekon. This tram was presented to the public under the name Astra (name 1997T) at the 39th International Engineering Fair held in Brno in 03. This tram was a three-unit tram with two bogies and could run on lines of 1.000 – 1.600 mm. its top speed was set at 70 kilometers per hour and its cars were partially low-floored. With this tram began the history of modern trams from Škoda production in Pilsen.
Astra trams (later sometimes sometimes referred to as Anitra) found their way into the streets of Brno, Ostrava and Olomouc, among others. Five of the seven transport companies involved in tram transport in the Czech Republic showed interest in the new Škoda trams, and a total of 1997 were produced and delivered between 2005 and 48. In 2001, modified versions of these trams (designated 10T) also arrived in the USA, where production licenses were transferred. Visitors to the cities of Portland and Tacoma, for example, can see them in action.
Public transport in the 21st century
The first big step taken by Škoda Dopravní technika after 2000 was to change its name. In 2004, the now internationally renowned brand ŠkodaTransportation was born. The company's initial focus in the new millennium was to develop export capacities, resulting in the successful delivery of nine sets of Elektra 2006T two-way trams to Italy in 2007-06. Škoda Group also had success in Poland, where 16 tram sets were sold, with two Elektra models (19T and 48T duplex).
At that time, Škoda did not forget its domestic passengers. In 2005, they could ride on the first of a new generation of trams known as the Elektra, as the Elektra model 14T, co-designed by the Porsche Design Group, among others. Just two years later, the derivative model Elektra 13T first appeared on the streets of Brno.
Contemporary ForCity conquers the world
Although Elektra trams were successful both at home and abroad, the Škoda Group management decided to take a decisive step forward. As a result, a completely new generation was launched in 2008 called ForCity. Over a decade of valuable design and engineering experience is clearly reflected in this new generation of trams.
A new feature of these models was the partially swiveling bogie, which allowed the trams to be driven more smoothly on steep lines and tight bends. In addition, ForCity trams are barrier-free and have a passenger-friendly interior layout.
Prague became the biggest customer of these trams. The management of the local transport company ordered 250 sets from Škoda in Pilsen, and the same type 15T (with only partial modifications) was later ordered by Riga, Latvia. Other models of the ForCity generation later found their homes in the cities of Turkey, Hungary, Slovakia and Finland. So far, the Škoda Group has sold about 500 trams of this generation, and its development continues to this day.
However, tram production is not only done at the Pilsen production facility. Over the years, the Škoda Group has collaborated with strong partners whose experience in the industry has had a significant impact on the development of the entire group. Thus, new trams under the Škoda Group brand are being built at production facilities in Ostrava and Šumperk. Škoda trams are also produced abroad, especially in Otanmäki, Finland. In the land of a thousand lakes, the Artic model was also produced, combining the concept developed by the Finnish division of the Škoda Group and the advantages of the ForCity generation. ForCity Smart Artic trams operate in Finland and Germany with a total of 73 trams so far, with more trams currently in production. In total, Škoda is currently working on tram delivery for 13 European cities.
Pilsen (12+10 option), Ostrava (35+5); Bon (26+12); Bratislava (30+10); rnv – Mannheim, Ludwigshafen, Heidelberg (80+54); Brno (5+35); Helsinki (52+0), Tampere (8+38). In total, three cities ordered trams: Frankfurt(Oder), Cottbus and Brandenburg an der Havel (35+6).
In total there are 475 new Škoda trams!
Autonomous vehicles as the future of urban transportation
In the last decade, the development of digital technologies has begun to leave its mark on public transport. In 2013, the Škoda Group joined forces with a reputable proprietary solution manufacturer in the field of rail vehicle control systems, with the establishment of the Škoda Group Digital Center six years later. The development of advanced digital solutions is now in full swing. In addition to the production of the latest systems for train routing, diagnosis and service, the Digital Center is dedicated to the development of its own anti-collision system for rolling stock, one of the most important subsystems for a fully autonomous tram. In fact, Škoda Group is working with O2 Czech Republic, INTENS Corporation and University of West Bohemia on an autonomous tram development project.
2021 cities with the most kilometers traveled by trams from Škoda's production facilities in 5
The success of our trams is not only reflected in the number of sets sold, but above all in the number of kilometers that the trams run on the streets. Here is the list of the five cities with the most kilometers traveled last year:
1. Prague (Czech Republic) 4 371 548 Km (14T) and 13 193 838 Km (15T) (total 29 996 866 Km and 92 856 873 Km)
2. Helsinki (Finland) 4 280 000 Km (total 17 380 000 Km)
3. Bratislava (Slovakia) 4 155 265 Km (total 22 778 220 Km)
4. Konya (Turkey) 3 277 714 Km (total 28 534 115 Km)
5. Wroclaw (Poland) 2 735 739 Km (total 32 217 540 Km)
Škoda trams currently operate in 19 cities:
Çek Cumhuriyeti
- Prague, Pilsen, Brno, Ostrava, Olomouc, Most
Slovakya
- Bratislava
Germany
- Chemnitz, Schoneiche
Finlandiya
- Helsinki, Tampere
ABD
- Portland, Tacoma
Italy
- Cagliari
Polonya
- Wroclaw
Turkey
- Eskisehir, Konya
Macaristan
- Miskolc
Letonya
- Riga
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