Prague trams return to Muzeum six months early, with new safety feature

Prague tram lines 11 and 13 will once again serve the rebuilt Muzeum stop on Škrétova Street from Saturday, Sept. 5. The renewed connection also provides an alternative route as construction of another new tram line is underway toward Jarov in Žižkov.

Passengers will notice another Prague first along the tracks: illuminated strips embedded beside the tram line that flash when a tram approaches, designed in part to catch the attention of pedestrians looking down at their phones.

The CZK 224.7 million project rebuilt the intersection of Legerova and Vinohradská streets and reconstructed the tracks between Vinohradská and Škrétova. It also connected the existing network with the new tram line currently being built through the upper section of Wenceslas Square.

The Muzeum stops have been made fully accessible, while platforms were lengthened to accommodate two trams at once. The former pedestrian underpass beneath the main road has also been converted into facilities for city gardeners; pedestrians have been using a street-level crossing for several years.

Deputy Mayor Jaromír Beránek said the early reopening comes at a useful time, as work on the Jarov tram extension is already underway in Žižkov. The restored route through Muzeum provides another connection at the beginning of the school year.

Line 13 will temporarily terminate at Zvonařka until the Wenceslas Square tracks open.

Five illuminated warning strips have been installed alongside the reconstructed Muzeum tracks as a pilot safety project. The red strips will flash as trams approach, particularly at locations where poles or the curve of the track can limit visibility.

The feature is partly intended to address a modern safety problem: pedestrians walking while focused on their smartphones or wearing headphones.

"Headphones in your ears, eyes on your phone and a several-ton tram coming toward you is a very dangerous combination," Prague 1 transport councilor Vojtěch Ryvola told Novinky.cz, arguing that safety measures need to reflect how pedestrians actually behave.

Similar warning lights have previously been installed at individual tram crossings in Prague 8, but transport officials say the Muzeum installation is the first Prague project of this scale. There are currently no plans to introduce the strips on Wenceslas Square itself.

Today's reopening is also another step toward restoring trams to the upper half of Wenceslas Square. The roughly 550-meter, CZK 1.24 billion line has been under construction since 2024 and is expected to open in June 2027.

The city is also planning a future tram connection between Vinohradská and Prague Main Station, which would further expand the network around the National Museum.