A new fleet of 35 modern and energy-efficient low-floor trams has been bought to serve the city of Kraków in Poland, with support from European Union funding. Each tram is between 32 and 35 metres long and has a capacity of at least 220 people.
- 28 July 2017
The vehicles purchased under the project are equipped with air-conditioning and modern passenger information systems, as well as ticket-vending machines. Each carriage provides spaces to store luggage and bicycles.
This latest generation of trams will run on the tramlines located throughout the urban area of Kraków. Trams are the city’s main form of public transport, using a network comprising 90 kilometres of double-track line which supports 22 ordinary, two fast, and three night routes.
Replacing an outdated tram fleet
Currently, Kraków’s tramways are served by a total of 395 items of rolling stock which have an average age of 33 years and are thus becoming outdated. The Kraków urban transport company MPK, which is the beneficiary of this project, is gradually replacing the stock with new, low-floor vehicles and second-hand trams imported from Germany and Austria.
Totalling close to EUR 73 million, of which just under EUR 29 million comes from European Union funds, the investment will increase the safety and quality of the city’s public transport services, making it quicker and easier for local residents and visitors to get around the area.
The new fleet will reduce emissions of polluting substances, thereby contributing to a cleaner environment in and around Kraków, with the associated benefits for public health and general well-being. Furthermore, thanks to their low floors and doors and wheelchair space, the new trams are much more accessible for the elderly, people with reduced mobility and hearing or visual impairments, and those with prams, baby strollers or heavy luggage.
State-of-the-art transport for an historic city
Capital of the Małopolskie region in southern Poland, Kraków is the country’s second-largest city after Warsaw, with a population of around 760 000, and one of its oldest. Its historic centre was named a UNESCO Word Heritage Site in 1978.
A leading centre of Polish cultural and artistic life, Kraków is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. As one of Poland’s principal tourist destinations, it welcomes over 10 million tourists each year, around a quarter of whom come from abroad.Allied to its position as an important economic hub, the number of visitors Kraków receives means it is imperative for the city to develop a modern and efficient public transport system. The new fleet of trams will play a vital role in this.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Purchase of low-floor tram rolling stock to improve municipal transport in Kraków - Part I” is EUR 72 908 224, with the EU’s Cohesion Fund contributing EUR 28 959 087 through the “Infrastructure and Environment” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period.