100 new trams serve Budapest passengers – photos

Budapest’s tram network, the beating heart of the Hungarian capital’s identity, notched up a milestone yesterday as the 100th sleek new tram rolled into service. Mayor Gergely Karácsony, beaming at the handover ceremony on Friday, declared: “We’re pushing for even more of these beauties on our tracks – because trams aren’t just transport; they’re woven into Budapest’s very soul.”

New trams on Budapest streets

Karácsony didn’t hold back on the gratitude. He hailed everyone from his predecessor István Tarlós and Vitézy Dávid – now Podmaniczky Mozgalom faction leader in the Budapest Assembly and ex-head of the BKK transport authority – for sealing the original deal that made this possible. Cheers went to the current BKK team under Walter Katalin for keeping the contract alive, enabling fresh procurements; to manufacturer CAF for extending the agreement and delivering with pinpoint precision; and to BKV’s engineers and mechanics who keep the fleet humming.

The mayor raised a toast to the European Union for footing nearly the entire bill, the supervisory authorities, and even the government for playing ball. He singled out Tibor Navracsics, the minister for public administration and regional development, without whom “we might not have secured the funding deal for these vehicles”.

New trams commute in 16 districts

BKK mobility deputy CEO Ádám Bodor painted a vivid timeline: Budapest’s trams kicked off in the 19th century, low-floor pioneers (the Combinos) arrived in 2006, and the first CAFs in 2015-16. Phase two delivered 73 by 2021, with an option for 51 more now coming good. “Only these modern, low-floor, air-conditioned beasts can rival the car driver’s comfort,” Bodor enthused, “backed by cutting-edge driver aids that make city streets safer.”