Budapest gets new trams – photos
The Budapest Transport Centre (BKK) and the Managing Authority have signed a funding agreement that, with co-financing from the European Union and the Hungarian government, ensures the continuous delivery and commissioning of the previously ordered CAF trams currently under production in Budapest.
Budapest gets new trams
According to a statement from BKK sent to MTI on Wednesday, the transport organisation had ordered 51 trams, 19 of which are already in service. The Spanish manufacturer is steadily handing over the vehicles, with the final tram of the batch expected to start carrying passengers by the end of 2026.
Thanks to this vehicle procurement project, the proportion of low-floor trams in operation in Budapest could rise from the current 30 per cent to over 40 per cent. The renewed fleet will allow a continual expansion of low-floor, air-conditioned trams on lines where they already run — namely lines 1, 3, 17, 19, 42, 50, 56, 56A, and 61.
Accessible, modern
The statement also highlighted plans for these modern trams to appear on lines 2, 23, 24, and 62, with further low-floor vehicles potentially entering service on lines 14 and 69. However, this will require infrastructural investments such as upgrading lines currently inaccessible to low-floor trams, improving platform accessibility, and preparing depots to accommodate and maintain the new trams.
The signed funding agreement does not cover these necessary infrastructure developments, and without them, the efficient and long-term operation of the trams and the integration of more routes into the low-floor network will face challenges.
It was also noted that, contrary to an earlier government decision, the government still does not provide Budapest with access to the required EU funds for the infrastructure developments prepared by BKK, even though the city continues to assert its need for them.
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Is this really necessary? Have the old ones reached their end of service?
Budapest is close to bankruptcy (no surprises there!), so is this truly the best way to spend what money there is left???
My eyesight is not what it used to be and at first I thought the headline was “Budapest Gets New Trans – photos”. I have always been a fan of BKV (BKK). The trams running on the two ring roads are fantastic carrying huge numbers of people quite quickly. The EU is helping with funding which is well spent as public transport is essential.