Slovakia - trams

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Trams of Košice

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The tram network of the city of Košice was laid already during the Austro-Hungarian regime. It had the Magyar name "Kassai villamos vasút", in Slovak "Košicke pouličné drahy", or in English "Košice street roads". The lines were electrified in 1914, but the system was badly destroyed during both WW I and WW II. Since 1999 the system has been called "Dopravný podnik mesta Košice", public transport of the city of Košice. There are currently 7 tramlines with a total length of 32 km, down from 17 lines and 177 km just a while ago. This tram is an old Tatra tram of the type KT8D5R.N2, that is, a modernised two direction articulated tram made by the company Tatra. These are modernized KT8D5 trams, which have a low-floor middle piece. There are only five of them in use. They look like two front pieces of a classical Tatra-tram, their fronts in different directions and doors on both sides, and then a new low-floor middle piece in between.
Picture from the tramstop of Košice main station 2.7.2018 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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Another one of the long bi-directional Tatra trams with a new low-floor centerpiece, but this one is still in the classic East German DDR style paintings in grey and red. Most of these trams are today fully covered by advertisement tapings This tram is of the type KT8D5R.N2.
Picture from the tramstop of Košice main station 3.7.2018 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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Same tram as in the picture above. This clearly shows how remarkably long they are. And they are also a bit odd-looking with "two faces" in opposite directions.
Picture from the tramstop of Košice main station 3.7.2018 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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A very typical tram of Košice in 2018, this no. 806 is a Vario LF2+ tram, now the most common type in the city. They were made by TWT/Pragoimex, ordered in 2011 and the first ones arrived in 2015. They were taken in full use in 2016.
Picture from the tramstop of Košice main station 2.7.2018 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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A similar Vario LF2+ tram, but seen from the front.
Picture from the tramstop of Košice main station 2.7.2018 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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Two classic old Tatra wagons, still unmodernised and in the former colours used in Košice. As such, these trams are any more under normal circumstances only rarely used.
Picture from the tram depot of Košice DPMK 3.7.2018 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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A pair of Tatra T6A5 classic trams is returning to the depot after carrying steel factory workers back from work. First tram is in the current colours used in Košice, but the second wagon is still in the former colours. These Tatra trams are rare already now in 2018.
Picture from the tram depot of Košice DPMK 3.7.2018 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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Two classic old T3SUCS Tatra wagons, still staying at the depot in Košice. These trams were made 1982-89 but the design is much older. ČKD Tatra started making Tatra T3 wagons already in 1960. Wikipedia tells us about these Košice trams the following:
Originally the production of the T3 was stopped 1976 and production was concentrated on newer vehicles. The Slovak city Košice, however, ordered two motor coaches, as an exception. Starting from 1985 the production of the replacement type KT8D5 should start, however this was by then obsolete. Further production of T3 would have been too expensive, so instead vehicles of the type T3SU were re-imported and adapted. The closed operator's cab was maintained, the vehicles had all three doors in place and differed from the original T3 only in few details. These vehicles can be, and sometimes are, formed into sets.
Picture from the tram depot of Košice DPMK 3.7.2018 by Ilkka Siissalo.
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