A cooler commute: More trams in Prague will get air conditioning

Summer rides on Prague’s trams are about to get a lot more comfortable. The Prague Public Transport Company (DPP) has announced a major upgrade: air conditioning will be installed in the remaining 123 Škoda 15T trams over the next six years, starting soon.

Out of roughly 770 trams in operation, 127 of the 15T model already have air conditioning. Meanwhile, the newest Škoda 52T trams, which are currently being tested on Prague’s streets, come fully equipped with cooling systems and are set to join the fleet in larger numbers.

Deputy Mayor for Transport Zdeněk Hřib emphasized the impact for passengers: “In the coming years, we will have up to 450 modern, air-conditioned, barrier-free trams 15T and 52T in Prague. Passenger comfort is important to us, because quality public transport is not only about being on time, but also about being comfortable to travel in.”

You can spot a tram equipped with air conditioning by the white & yellow trim: this indicates a newer model of 15T that had A/C installed upon delivery.

To make this happen, DPP plans to sign a six-year framework contract with the winning supplier. The company will upgrade at least 20 trams each year, choosing the contractor based 80 percent on price and 20 percent on the warranty period offered.

When first delivered, Škoda 15T trams only had air conditioning in the driver’s cabin — passengers had to make do with ventilation alone. With their expansive windows, these trams heat up quickly even during mild summer days, making the lack of cooling a clear issue.

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DPP struck a deal with the manufacturer in 2014 to start retrofitting trams with passenger air conditioning, introducing the first upgraded vehicle in August 2015. The city council gave formal approval for this retrofit program in 2019.

Beyond trams, about two-thirds of Prague’s approximately 1,200 buses and all trolleybuses already have passenger air conditioning. The city is also investing heavily in the new Škoda 52T trams, with plans to purchase up to 200 of them for CZK 16.6 billion.

The first of these new air-conditioned trams recently began trial runs on line 12, signaling a significant step forward in modernizing Prague’s public transport and improving daily commutes.