Original metro train will re-create its last trip

The look of old metro trains can be seen on the Red Line of the Prague Metro on June 29. The Prague Public Transit Co. (DPP) will be marking the 20th anniversary of the last ride of the Ečs type train, which had been in service since the metro opened.

A special re-creation of the last ride will take place at 22:46 on June 29 from the station at Háje, and tickets need to be purchased in advance from the DPP at www.prahatechnicka.cz (CZ). The trip will end in the Kačerov station. The train will then continue without passengers to the depot in Zličín.

The drivers will be in historical uniforms, and the trains will have original signs and décor. Maps will feature the historical station names. Some station names were changed after 1989.

There are also other trips with the train scheduled during the day. These are at 12.24 from Kačerov, 13.06 from Nádraží Holešovice and 21.34 from Kačerov.

The Ečs trains are the oldest type of Soviet metro rolling stock. They were built for the Prague Metro, and started service in 1974. The cars were built in Metrovagonmash near Moscow, Russia. The cars had 42 seats and 220 places for standing. The seats were covered in a leather-like upholstery and the train cars had dome lights. Doors between the train cars made it possible to move from one car to the next while the train was in operation.

The exterior was gray in color, with red doors. A large metro logo with an M and an arrow pointed down was on the front of the train.

The final shift of the Ečs train was June 29, 1997. A five-car train set out from Kačerov at 12:24, and had a number of technical problems. One of the train doors did not work, and the radio malfunctioned. The train began it last run at 22:48 and made its last stop at Nádraží Holešovice an hour later. Its final journey was to the Kačerov depot without passengers.

One of the remaining cars, number 1083, is still used on special occasions.