EU support has made it possible to modernise the tram fleet in Wrocław, Poland’s fourth-largest city and capital of the Dolnośląskie region in the south west of the country. The upgrades should contribute to improving the energy efficiency of the fleet and ensuring greater accessibility for people with reduced mobility.
- 22 June 2018
The renewal of Wrocław’s tram fleet is to take place over three stages (stage 1A, stage 1B and stage 2). In stage 1A, 56 modern trams have been purchased for use in Wrocław’s municipal public transport system.
The scope of the project also includes the delivery of a standard spare parts set, spare components including bogies, which are frameworks carrying wheels that can be attached to the trams, and equipment necessary for workshop maintenance, such as tools, lifts and a computer diagnostic set.
Replacing obsolete rolling stock
Four of the tram units purchased under the project are equipped with additional seats and steering aids to facilitate the training of drivers, while during stage 1B and stage 2, a further 87 tram sets are to be acquired. The new sets will replace old, energy-inefficient and commercially obsolete rolling stock dating from the 1970s and 1980s. A total of more than EUR 71 million is being spent on stage 1A of the project, of which around EUR 36.5 million is being provided through the EU’s Cohesion Fund.
Both rolling stock purchase projects and projects to improve tram infrastructure have been implemented in Wrocław in recent years. This is in line with the objective of the EU’s operational programme for infrastructure and the environment – under which the current project is taking place – to support cities in making the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Coherence with key European objectives
The project is also coherent with the aims of the European energy union – which promotes wiser energy use to ensure that Europe has secure, affordable and climate-friendly energy – and particularly the EU’s low-emission mobility strategy. This sets principles to enable Member States to prepare for the shift towards a low-carbon and circular economy, while ensuring that Europe remains competitive and is able to meet its mobility needs for people and goods.
The strategy also frames initiatives that the European Commission is planning, maps areas in which it is exploring options and shows how synergies can be achieved between initiatives in related fields. The main elements entail increasing the efficiency of transport systems, including by encouraging the shift to lower-emission modes, speeding up deployment of low-emission alternative energy for transport and moving towards zero-emission vehicles.
As part of its contribution to achieving these aims, the project will provide Wrocław with a modern and clean public transport system, which will help to improve quality of life for local residents.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Modernisation of the tram fleet in Wroclaw in terms of improving energy efficiency and ensuring accessibility for people with reduced mobility - Stage IA” is EUR 71 341 809, with the EU’s Cohesion Fund contributing EUR 36 529 051 through the “Infrastructure and Environment” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period.