Vehicle Acquisition Options Extended By Budapest

Budapest Transport Center (BKK) has reached an agreement with the manufacturer of the CAF trams, so thanks to the contract amendment, it can use its option to call for another year. The transport operator will be able to modernize the capital's fleet with 51 trams and 48 trolleybuses under an earlier agreement with Solaris-Škoda.

If funds are available, the development of the capital's fleet could be given a further boost thanks to the contract amendment signed by BKK CEO Dr. Katalin Walter with the Spanish company that manufactures the CAF trams. The agreement allows BKK to call up – in full or in part – the 51 trams still under option for a further year, until May 17, 2022. There is no restriction on the type of trams, which can be either long or short.

The trolleybus contract with the manufacturer Solaris- Škoda, previously amended on November 30, 2020, has been similarly modified. In this case, too, the option was extended by a further year, until November 30, 2021. Under the agreement, the capital's transport operator can still claim 48 vehicles. As with the CAF contract, BKK can choose to have articulated and/or solo vehicles.

Phase II of the Budapest tram and trolleybus project enabled seven new CAF trams to start operating in the first quarter of this year. Last year, 14 brand new trains were delivered and put into service. In 2018, BKK purchased ten solo and 11 articulated trolleybuses from Solaris-Škoda, using EU funds, as part of the Budapest Trolleybus Procurement and Related Infrastructure Development project.

A statement by BKK points out that the development of public transport and related infrastructure will continue to be a priority in 2021. The significant fleet development launched in recent years has greatly improved the quality of public transport in the capital. One of the flagships of this development are the CAF trams, which will enhance the comfort of Budapest's passengers with their state-of-the-art features such as spacious seating, air conditioning, accessibility and on-board cameras.