Brno will see the end of an era in public transport this year as the city’s final K2 trams are withdrawn from service. The Brno Transport Company (DPMB) is currently operating the last remaining vehicles from a fleet that once numbered more than 130, with their retirement forming part of a broader effort to modernise the city’s tram network.
The phase-out is being driven by the arrival of new rolling stock. This year, the company plans to introduce up to 20 new Škoda 45T trams, five of which are already in operation, alongside three EVO2 Drak trams. As a result, vehicles manufactured before 2000 will continue to be gradually withdrawn, according to DPMB spokeswoman Hana Tomaštíková.
By the end of the year, Brno is expected to have 40 bi-directional Škoda 45T trams in operation. Prior to their delivery, the city operated a maximum of 38 bi-directional KT8 trams. Ten of these have already been taken out of service, with two more expected to be withdrawn this year, meaning Brno will soon have more than 60 bi-directional trams in total. These vehicles have already been deployed on routes 8 and 3 during line closures, as well as on other routes across the network.
The modernisation process will also affect other older tram types. “At the same time, we plan to retire six sets, or 12 T6A5 carriages purchased years ago from Prague, as well as three T3 sets, meaning six carriages,” Tomaštíková said.
Decisions on decommissioning are based on technical condition, vehicle age, maintenance costs and the availability of replacement trams.
Of the former Prague T6 trams, one set will remain in service in Brno, along with all 20 T6 cars originally delivered to the city, which will mark 30 years of operation this year. More than 20 T3 trams will also continue to run, although they are expected to be withdrawn from operation in the coming years. Between 2027 and 2033, employees of DPMB’s central workshops are set to assemble a further 57 Drak trams, which will enable the continued renewal of the fleet.
Despite the ongoing retirements, Brno still operates the second-largest tram fleet in the Czech Republic after Prague, with a total of 286 trams in service at the end of last year.
