A century ago: the first buses crossed the Chain Bridge in Budapest
On October 1, 2024, we mark the anniversary of a milestone: the first buses crossed the Chain Bridge, launching regular service on the Buda side. While it’s now routine for vehicles to travel easily between Pest and Buda, in the early 20th century this posed a significant technical and infrastructure challenge. Even the bridge’s slight incline created a major obstacle for the technology of the time.
Although bus service in Budapest resumed in 1921 after World War I, it was initially limited to the Pest side. Weak engines and structural limitations of the bridges made crossing difficult. The Chain Bridge—whose deck rises in the center—proved especially problematic. In earlier years, even additional horses had to be hitched to horse-drawn trams to pull them up to the middle of the span. The buses in use in the early 1920s simply didn’t have enough power for the task, according to PestBuda.
It wasn’t until August 1924 that a serious test was conducted: two buses drove onto the Chain Bridge simultaneously to determine whether the structure could handle their weight—and to see if they could pass one another. Newspapers of the era, such as Ujság, described the event with dramatic flair, saying the bridge “cried and wailed” under the weight of the buses. While the test was ultimately successful, it revealed a limitation: vehicles could not pass one another under the bridge pylons—one always had to wait for the other to go first.
Launch of Regular Service and Disappointment in Buda
Finally, on September 27, 1924, the first regular bus line to Buda was launched, running between Krisztina Square and Vilmos Császár Street (now Bajcsy-Zsilinszky Road) on the Pest side. But residents of Buda were left disappointed: the old omnibuses had gone all the way to City Park, while the new line ended far short of the popular destination. According to an article in Magyarország, the promised connection was “only a theoretical right,” since the buses were overcrowded and transfers resulted in serious time loss.
Technical Challenges and Bus Types
Not all buses were allowed to cross the Chain Bridge. Only gasoline-powered vehicles were capable; the electric-powered double-deckers used at the time couldn’t handle the incline. In 1926, Károly Wolff, a member of the city legislative committee, commented on the bridge’s strain:
“Every time I walk across the Chain Bridge to Parliament and a bus with its pneumatic tires rumbles past, the whole bridge begins to shake. Twice I’ve witnessed the large lamps fall from their posts.”
The Start of a New Era
The launch of bus traffic across the Chain Bridge and the opening of Buda’s first lines marked a turning point in Budapest’s public transportation history. The advancements made a century ago paved the way for modern mobility—and today, it’s hard to imagine the capital without direct links between its two sides.
The story of Buda’s first buses serves as a reminder that progress always comes with challenges, innovation, and perseverance—and that even the “weeping Chain Bridge” managed to adapt to a new era.
Read here more news about Hungarian history
Read also: Impressive: Rare medieval Hungarian codex discovered in pristine condition – details and PHOTOS
To read or share this article in Hungarian, click here: Helló Magyar