“Bankrupt” the sign read a final indignity. Today we stand before the former Petersburg Tram Mechanical Factory. This factory once hummed with activity. It was a key player in Saint Petersburg’s transportation history.
The Petersburg Tram Mechanical Factory was a major manufacturer of tramcars. It served Russia and other CIS countries. Founded in 1929 it initially repaired tram carriages. By 1933 it expanded to manufacturing trams. These trams included the LM and LP models. The factory was the sole supplier of trams to Leningrad now Saint Petersburg until 1981. Leningrad had one of the world’s largest tram systems.
During the Nazi invasion the factory shifted to wartime production. It repaired engines and produced warfare. Tram production resumed in 1944 after the siege lifted. The Petersburg Tram Mechanical Factory produced the first Soviet 6-axle articulated tram in 1966. This was the LVS-66. In 1973 the factory began making LM-68 trams. It produced over 2100 of these. Production of LVS-86 trams began in 1986.
The Petersburg Tram Mechanical Factory also innovated with trolleybuses. In 1981 it developed a multiple unit control system for ZiU-9 trolleybuses. Vladimir Veklich designed the system. Leningrad Kiev and other Soviet cities used this system.
Privatization came in 1993. The factory became St. Petersburg Tram Mechanical Plant. It joined Dedal Group in 2003. Dedal Group owned Vagonmash a subway train manufacturer. The factory began producing LM-99 trams in 2006. These trams were supplied to cities like Saint Petersburg and Moscow. That same year a sample LVS-2005 tramcar was built. This became the prototype for low-floor trams. The plant also made PTZ-type trolleybuses for several cities.
New designs emerged later. These included the 6-axle Pioneer and 4-axle Solo and LM-2008 models. These served St. Petersburg and other cities. The factory supplied Volgograd’s rapid underground tram system. However the Petersburg Tram Mechanical Factory declared bankruptcy in May 2013. Production halted.
Most buildings were later demolished. The land’s future faced opposition. In 2023 plans emerged to build a subway train depot there. This would serve the Ringway Route.
The Petersburg Tram Mechanical Factory produced a wide range of trams. These included LM-33 LM-36 LM-47 and LM-49. It also made trailer vans like the LP-49. Other models were the LM-57 LM-68 and LM-68M. Articulated trams included the LV-S80 and LVS-86. Later models featured the LM-93 LVS-93 and LVS-97. The factory also produced LM-99 LM-2000 LVS-2005 and LM-2008 trams. Trolleybuses included the PTZ210 and PTZ5283.
The Petersburg Tram Mechanical Factory played a vital role in public transport. It innovated and adapted over decades. Though now gone its legacy lives on in the trams and transport systems it helped create. It shaped the urban landscape of Saint Petersburg and other cities.