It was the first Soviet-made tram to be originally single ended, as well as designated to work on looped (not dead-end) lines.

It was the first Soviet-made tram with wide four-segment folding doors and bigger passenger storage spaces.

In the Russian Federation cities without the KTM/KTP-1 were Zlatoust, Kolomna, Kopeysk, Kursk, Leningrad, Noginsk, Smolensk, and Yekaterinburg.

Unlike the majority of pre-war trams, the КТМ/КТП-1 featured a solid metal body.

The tram was designed for wide gauge tracks, as found in the USSR (1,524 mm (5 ft)).

A two-step reductor was used as a power transmission from a traction motor to the leading wheel pair.

In the rear wheel pair a two step reductor with a kardan of an automobile type was in use.

A special valve caused the tram to come a full stop if a multiple unit was broken.