Trams in Brno
The Brno tramway network () was the first network of its kind to be put into operation in what is now known as the Czech Republic with its horse tram lines dating back to 1869. Today, Brno is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, after Prague, and its tram network is also the second largest in the country. Currently, the Brno tram system comprises 12 lines, with a total operational track length of and a total route length of . The lines not only service the urban area, but also lead to the neighboring town of Modřice located south of Brno. Before construction began on the final leg of the extension in 2008, the entire network was made up of 69.7 km of track. The trams are operated by the City of Brno, Dopravní podnik města Brna (DPMB). In the Brno dialect of the Czech language (hantec), the word for tram is ‘šalina’. The origins of this word can be traced to the German expression ‘Elektrische Linie’ (electric lines) or 'schallen' (to sound). History The first horse tram Brno was the third largest city of the Austrian part of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire and is today part of the Czech Republic. It was the first to install a horse-drawn tram service, which began on August 17, 1869. Its route ran to Lažanskýplatz (now called Moravské náměstí, or Moravian Square) in the north of the city center, which was still at the time an independent municipality known as Královo Pole. Its operator was the 'Brno Tramway Society' for passenger and cargo transportation. Initially there were only six cars available and gradually company bought a total of 57 passenger carriages. There was an interruption in horse-drawn tram service between 1875 and 1877. The second horse tram The company known today as Brno Tramway was launched in June 1876, with its first route running from the main station to Pisárky. A short while after that, a second route was launched. Both routes were operated only during the summer months. The steam tram Steam trams began operation in the system in 1884, under the name Steam Tramway Brno. In the 1900s, the conversion from steam to electrical power began, but steam locomotives were still used, until 1914, to transport goods. The beginning of the electric tram The first of the electric rail lines in Brno were put into operation on 21 June 1900. These new lines included 41 railcars and 41 trailers; the latter acquired as many as 12 vehicles from the existing steam trains. These electric lines were operated by the Company Brno. While many other areas transitioned to electric, Brno's steam-powered trams were very efficient and it was more cost-effective to keep the technology unchanged. Cities with less established tram systems were considerably faster in terms of moving to electric power, including Prague and a number of other smaller towns such as Teplice, Liberec, and Olomouc. Within the first year of operation several new lines were constructed, and soon a