Thanks to an EU-funded project to improve public transport in Bratislava, Slovakia, the tram, trolleybus and bus maintenance base at Jurajov Dvor, in the north-east of the city, has been expanded, renovated and modernised.
- 18 June 2020
The Ministry of Transport supports urban integrated transport. In Bratislava, we replaced the complete fleet of trolleybuses with 60 new tramways, financed with EU funds. I am glad that we have a new depot that will ensure the safety, comfort and quality of public passenger transport. Travelling by public transport contributes to a more environmentally friendly atmosphere and reduces the number of cars in the city.
The modernisation of the maintenance base was the second part of a larger project aimed at improving public transport in the city. During the first phase, a new fleet of 56 trolleybuses, trams and buses was acquired. Now, with the new base being operational, the fleet can rely on comprehensive and modern maintenance services.
The project has boosted the culture and appearance of public transportation in Bratislava and contributed to the regrowth of demand for a safe, efficient service.
New maintenance hall
The existing base was renovated and expanded and now boasts a modern maintenance hall. This is connected to the former buildings by a newly constructed turntable, tramrails and overhead contact lines for the trolleybuses.
A new dispatching station was constructed for drivers and dispatchers, in addition to a large parking lot to accommodate the new fleet. Modern equipment was acquired to support the new maintenance station.
An important new feature of the facility is the addition of a set-up and testing hall for the trams. The hall has two areas, one for testing the high-voltage traction circuits of trams, which can be separated from the vehicles by mechanical barriers secured to the hall’s ceiling. To supply the test channel with sufficient energy, a separate power converter station was built in the hall.
The other area of the maintenance hall serves as a delivery channel for the trams after repairs and before they are put back on the tracks.
The entire complex has underground traction and power cables and overhead contact lines, linked to the original power supply in the Jurajov Dvor depot and the existing current converter plant in the Trnávka depot.
Safer, better service
Through the project’s efforts, drivers enjoy a higher level of comfort and safety, not only during their routes, but also while parking and manoeuvring the vehicles on and off-site.
The project has successfully increased the public’s satisfaction with the Slovakian capital’s provision of public transportation services and, as a result, improved their quality of life and boosted the city’s sustainable development efforts.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Modernization of the Maintenance Base 2nd phase (Jurajov Dvor)” is EUR 8 740 364, with the EU’s Cohesion Fund contributing EUR 8 303 346 through the “Integrated Infrastructure” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Developing and improving environmentally friendly (including low-noise) and low-carbon transport systems”.