New tram line planned along the Danube: what we know about Budapest’s Buda interconnecting tram phase II

A new tram line along the Danube on the Buda side has moved a step closer to reality, as Budapest selected a winner for the construction tender for the Buda interconnecting tram phase II (Budai fonódó II. ütem). According to Hungary’s public procurement system (EKR), as reported by Hungarian business press, the SWIETELSKY Magyarország Ltd – SWIETELSKY Vasúttechnika Ltd consortium submitted the winning bid at HUF 26.9 billion net (around €69.4 million using the ECB reference rate).

The decision, however, is not yet final. Reports note that a legal remedy procedure can be initiated within eight days, and at the time of publication the contract had not yet been signed.

For international readers, the “Buda interconnecting tram” is a major Budapest transport project that links and extends tram corridors on the Buda side (western bank of the Danube), improving connections between dense residential districts, the city centre, and key destinations.

What the Buda interconnecting tram phase II would add

According to Magyar Építők, the core element is a new double-track tram line of 2.8 kilometres, equivalent to 5.6 track-kilometres in total.

Plans also include:

• at least 1.2 km of grass-covered (green) track;
• seven pairs of new, fully accessible stops;
• a new terminal staff facility near the Dombóvári Road junction.

The new tram line design work was prepared by Főmterv Engineering Consultant, according to the same reporting.

Where would be the new tram line?

As described in recent coverage, the new tram line route would connect at Szent Gellért Square and then follow the Danube waterfront past two of Hungary’s biggest universities: Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) and Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE). From around the Rákóczi Bridge, the alignment would turn inland, serving the Infopark office-and-university zone and continuing towards the Kopaszi Dam area, with the western end near the Dombóvári Road–Budafoki Road junction (close to the MOL Campus).

In practical terms, the new tram line extension is intended to make tram travel more competitive for daily trips between south Buda, the universities, and major office clusters—areas that have grown rapidly in recent years.

Beyond transport: trees, shrubs, promenade and cycling links

Project descriptions frame the build not only as a transport upgrade but as a broader public-space intervention along the embankment and adjacent streets.

The published new tram line plans mention:

• 394 new trees and 27,431 shrubs;
• a continuous riverside promenade;
• about 2,660 metres of cycling infrastructure between Szent Gellért Square and Rákóczi Bridge.

If delivered as planned, these elements would reshape a section of the Danube waterfront that today is heavily influenced by road traffic and fragmented pedestrian routes.

Major utility works are also part of the new tram line package

Like many urban rail builds, the Buda interconnecting tram phase II is not just “tracks and stops”. The documentation cited in the press points to extensive overhead line works, power-system adjustments and utility relocations.

Among the headline figures: around 2,850 metres of overhead line, 6,484 metres of new working wire, modifications to parts of BKV’s DC network, and a range of water, sewage, gas, electricity and telecom diversions.

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What happens next – and what the contractor decision really means

Selecting a winner is a significant milestone because it suggests the new tram line project has moved beyond the “paper” phase and into a procurement stage focused on actual construction. But it does not automatically mean work starts immediately.

The key next steps are procedural: the legal remedy window must pass (or be resolved if a challenge is filed), then the parties must reach contract signature, after which detailed scheduling, site preparation and traffic-management planning can be finalised.

For Budapest, the stakes are clear: if the new tram line project proceeds smoothly, the Buda interconnecting tram phase II could become one of the most visible transport and public-space upgrades in south Buda—linking campuses, offices and new residential areas while also promising a greener riverside corridor.

Trams in Budapest: a quick guide for visitors

Budapest has one of Europe’s most extensive tram networks, and trams are a key part of daily transport across the city. They run frequently, are easy to use with the same tickets as metro and buses, and many routes follow major boulevards and the Danube, making them popular with both commuters and visitors. Some of the best-known lines are 4 and 6 on the Grand Boulevard, which operate day and night and pass many central neighbourhoods.

Others, like the riverside routes on the Buda side, link residential areas with university campuses, offices and major interchanges.

Budapest’s Tram 2, running along the Danube on the Pest embankment with views of Parliament, is often cited as one of the world’s most scenic tram routes.

In recent years the city has focused on modernising tracks, stops and accessibility, while also extending lines to better connect growing districts.

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