Heavy snowfall has returned to Prague, bringing up to ten centimeters of snow in recent days and putting pressure on public transport across the city.
To keep tram services running, the Prague Public Transport Company has sent specially adapted trams equipped with snow plows onto the tracks.
Photos and videos of the unusual vehicles have quickly spread on social media. The trams are fitted with front-mounted blades that push snow off the rails as they move through the city. At the moment, three of these machines are in operation, deployed mainly on routes where regular trams struggle in deeper snow.
Their use has become more important with the arrival of newer low-floor Škoda 15T trams, which face difficulties once snow on the tracks exceeds about five centimeters.
While every depot has basic equipment to deal with winter conditions, standard tools are often not enough when snowfall is heavier. In those cases, a special vehicle comes into play: a modified T3 tram chassis fitted with a wide steel blade.
The structure is weighted with concrete to improve stability and effectiveness, according to Martin Brejša, head of technical inspection for new vehicles at the transport company.
Operating them is not routine work. Only specially trained maintenance staff are allowed to drive these trams, as handling the blade requires experience that goes beyond standard tram operation.
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