The Brno Transport Company (DPMB) is set to continue its project to assemble its own Drak trams. In December, DPMB signed a framework agreement with the company Pragoimex, which will supply components for up to 60 more medium-capacity trams by 2033. This would bring the total number of such trams running in Brno to 101.
“Trams for Brno, also known as Drak trams, are a very successful project,” said Petr Kratochvíl, Brno city councilor for transport. “They are operationally and technically reliable and are appreciated not only by DPMB staff, but also by passengers. Staff of the transport company’s central workshops have already completed 41 vehicles. If another 60 are added to them within seven years, this is clearly positive news for Brno.”
“DPMB’s central workshops are receiving great recognition,” added the Mayor of Brno, Markéta Vaňková. “No other transport company in the Czech Republic assembles its own trams. This will save DPMB and the City of Brno at least CZK 5 million per vehicle, and at the same time will make it easier to care for the vehicles, because the workshop staff know them well from production.”
After the project is completed in 2033, a total of 101 Drak trams will be operating in Brno. This will significantly unify the tram fleet – while the city previously operated up to 15 different types, after the project is completed only seven will be in operation. The unification of DPMB tram types will significantly simplify the planning of line operations and maintenance work.
The Drak trams are low-floor, air-conditioned and equipped with a modern information system with LCD monitors and USB sockets. They will replace older trams from the 1960s to 1980s. Currently, they run mainly on lines 1 and 4, but will expand to other lines in the coming years. The assembly of one tram in the central workshops takes four to five months and involves about 30 staff.
According to Kratochvíl, three new trams will come into operation in 2026, with another two under development.
According to the framework agreement, the second phase of the Trams for Brno project will last from 2026 to 2033. DPMB will pay CZK 2.28 billion for components for 60 trams. The newly delivered vehicles will be almost identical to the existing ones, differing only in minor technical modifications.
