Public transport in capital Praha has a long history

Public transport in Prague began operating 150 years ago. And so, from September 1875, the streets of the hundred-spired epicenter of the Czech Kingdom began to be crisscrossed by horse-drawn trams.

With the rise of the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, cities grew at a rapid pace, with people moving in droves from the countryside to more densely populated factory locations for work.

However, not everyone could afford to pay for a cab every time. Therefore, it was necessary to make transport financially accessible to as many residents as possible, so that the townspeople could get to their destinations on time and the economy would not lag behind.

The laying of the tracks of the first line began on May 3rd,and it was ceremonially put into operation on the afternoon of September 23rd, 1875.

First line was about 4 kms long. Over the years, other tracks were built, and in 1883 the length of all six tracks reached almost 20 kilometers.

The horse-trams ran every seven minutes on average from 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. The average speed of travel was usually 8 km/h. Today, the average speed of trams in Prague is approximately 20 km/h.

The end of the horse-drawn tram came at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, when draft animals were replaced by electric trolleys. The last symbolic ride of the horse-drawn tram took place on May 12, 1905.

Horse-tram on Charles Bridge

Tram procession celebrating 150 years of public transport in Praha

Thanks for reading

                               Margaret

Source: Czech web