Experts: The tram to the main railway station and Wenceslas Square is essential

Prague - It is essential for the operation of the Prague tram network to complete the tram line that would run from Vinohradská around the main train station to Bolzanova street. Tracks leading through the upper part of Wenceslas Square would also be beneficial. Martin Šubrt from the Prague public transport organizer Ropid and Jan Šurovský from the transport company (DPP) mentioned this at today's debate. They stated that the tram network in the center is at maximum capacity and lacks the option to bypass key routes.

Both considered routes are part of a change to the zoning plan that the city is currently preparing. Approval of the change is necessary for any potential construction, which the city leadership has not yet decided on. It is thus unclear whether in the future the tram will run from Vinohradská street around the main train station to Bolzanova, through Wenceslas Square, or if both routes will be created.

According to Ropid's Deputy Director Martin Šubrt, the current tram capacity in downtown Prague is at an absolute maximum. For instance, in Spálená street, 129 trams run per hour, serving 90,000 people daily. In Jindřišská street, there are 105 trams and 80,000 passengers. At the same time, although the number of connections has increased in recent years, the travel speed has decreased despite the modernization of tracks and vehicles. "That is an indicator that should actually improve," said the deputy.

The large tram operation in the center causes problems for the entire network because key routes like those on Vodičkova and Lazarská or in Ječná street cannot be bypassed. Therefore, according to Šubrt, the route from Vinohradská through the main train station to Bolzanova street is especially crucial, which is also agreed upon by DPP's technical director Jan Šurovský. This route will provide trams with an option for a detour in the event of accidents and other incidents.

Both experts agree on running the tram through Wenceslas Square, but they do not consider it as important. "Of course, both would be beneficial for us transport-wise, but on the other hand, we perceive that this is a topic more of political than expert decision," stated Šurovský. The construction of the route on Wenceslas Square was also supported by the head of the Prague office of the National Heritage Institute, Ondřej Šefců, at today’s debate.

The connection of Vinohradská street with Wenceslas Square has been discussed for years. Prague 1 has long opposed the return of trams to the square. Trams stopped running in the square in 1980.