Budapest Expands Tram Fleet with EU-Backed CAF Order

The Budapest Transport Centre (BKK) and the Ministry of Public Administration and Regional Development have confirmed a funding agreement to support the purchase of new CAF trams using European Union resources.

The project will add 51 new low-floor, air-conditioned and accessible trams to the city’s fleet. Twenty of these have already entered service, with the final vehicle scheduled to be introduced by the end of 2026.

The programme is co-financed by the Hungarian state and the European Union, with support amounting to 54.15 billion HUF. As a result, the proportion of low-floor trams in circulation in Budapest is expected to rise from about 30 percent to over 40 percent.

The trams were ordered from Spanish manufacturer CAF in two stages, in November 2022 and March 2023, by exercising the last option of a framework contract originally signed in 2014 and extended in 2021. The order covers 46 shorter and 5 longer vehicles. CAF is delivering the trams in phases, with 20 already in passenger service.

Ádám Bodor, BKK’s Deputy CEO for Mobility said:

BKK's goal is to increase the proportion of trips made by public transport, for which fast, air-conditioned, low-floor vehicles, including the new CAF trams, are essential. The operation of a tram also requires appropriate depots, tram tracks and power supply, therefore, expecting further European Union support, we have been preparing for years together with BKV the developments that will enable trams to operate on as many lines as possible and for a wider range of customers to use these vehicles.

The new low-floor CAF trams are designed to improve accessibility, passenger comfort and energy efficiency. Initially, they will operate on existing routes including lines 1, 3, 17, 19, 42, 50, 56, 56A and 61.

With the completion of further infrastructure works, such as upgrades to power supply and termini, modern trams may also be introduced on lines 2, 23, 24 and 62. Additional low-floor vehicles may be deployed on lines 14 and 69, while BKK and BKV are also examining the conditions for possible future operation on lines 47 and 49.