The first of 15 Škoda ForCity Smart 45T trams arrived at the Medlánky depot of the Brno Transport Company (DPMB) last night. The remaining trams will be delivered by the manufacturer Škoda Transportation over the course of the year. DPMB is investing CZK 1.129 billion in the purchase, of which CZK 420 million will be covered by European funding.
The Škoda ForCity Smart 45T trams are modern, fully low-floor and air-conditioned vehicles. Each tram is 31 metres long and 2.5 metres wide, with a passenger capacity of up to 233. The trams are also equipped with energy-saving technologies that help reduce overall operating costs.
“The vehicle needs to be reassembled with components that were removed for transport, retrofitted, given a registration number and have its brakes tested,” explained Miloš Havránek, DPMB’s general director. “Once the tram has received its certificate of suitability, it will have to complete a 100-kilometre test run. It is expected to be put into passenger service in the second half of April”.
There are currently five Škoda 45T trams in operation in Brno; according to DPMB, they have proven to be efficient in both passenger service and operational performance. By the end of 2026, DPMB plans to have 40 of the Škoda 45Ts in service.
“They will replace the KT8D5 trams from the 1980s and 1990s, as well as the T6A5 trams, which we are gradually phasing out. Passengers will encounter the new vehicles most frequently on the number 8 line,” said Jan Seitl, DPMB’s transport director.
The new trams are versatile, and can be used on any tram line. Their bi-directional capability makes them particularly useful in the event of closures or operational restrictions, such as those currently in place due to the reconstruction of the viaduct at Brno’s main railway station.
DPMB has secured a grant of CZK 420 million from EU funds through the Integrated Regional Operational Programme to cover the cost of 10 of the 15 new trams. The company also plans to apply for additional funding from the TRANSGov subsidy program to support the purchase of the remaining five vehicles.
