LONG-awaited plans to extend Budapest's light rail network into the city’s southern Buda district have taken a major step forward after funding totalling Forints 32.2bn ($US 102.7m) was formally approved.
A financing agreement, supported by European Union (EU) funds, was signed on July 3 by newly appointed minister of transport and Investment, Dávid Vitézy, allowing construction to begin later this year, with commissioning planned for 2029.
The 2.8km extension forms part of a wider programme to improve north-south public transport links across the capital. Current plans envisage through services towards northern Budapest, with the creation a direct cross-city light rail service through Pest.
Budapest continues to modernise its rolling stock in parallel with infrastructure investment. CAF is currently delivering the final vehicles from its existing order of Urbos low-floor LRVs, while Budapest Transport Company (BKV) hopes to proceed with the procurement of a further 100 vehicles. These would allow the remaining ageing Czechoslovak-built high-floor LRVs and the second-hand TW6000 fleet acquired from Hannover, Germany, to be withdrawn, while also providing additional capacity for the expanding network.
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