A non-stop fixed rail link between North Pest and South Buda may be established

The preparation and planning processes for the second phase of the Pest tramway project will soon start, BKK announced.According to the announcement, the development will reduce travel times and trams will be able to run from Budafok to Káposztásmegyer on the Újbuda-Ujpest tramway axis.

They add that the implementation of the project could have a major impact on the entire tram network in Budapest, with a through-transit, fixed-track connection between North Pest and South Buda thanks to the tracks to be rebuilt between Deák Ferenc tér and Lehel tér. The preparation and design of the project is supported by EU funding.

Up to 8-9 thousand new passengers

BKK informs that the planning is conditional on the approval of the grant application submitted by BKK, which includes this planning project element: these are the first steps to allow trams to return to Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út and the southern part of Váci út.

The project will restore a section of Budapest's tram network that has been missing for decades, they stress. Preliminary expectations are that up to 8-9,000 new passengers could be added to public transport thanks to shorter journey times and non-stop connections, and thousands of car users could switch to sustainable transport. And thanks to lower emissions, up to 100 tonnes less carbon dioxide could be emitted into the air in Budapest every year.

The need to transfer significantly reduces the incentive to travel

According to the statement, the tracks running along Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út and Váci út were removed during the construction of the M3 metro line's downtown section. From then on, the trams terminated at Lehel (then Élmunkás) Square in the north and at Deák Ferenc Square in the south. This means that people wishing to reach the city centre from areas further away from the metro, such as Újpest or Angyalföld, will have to change trams. "Recent customer satisfaction surveys carried out by BKK show that the need to change trains has a significant impact on the popularity of public transport, as passengers find transfers a burdensome inconvenience in addition to the time lost," says BKK.

The project will not only build new tracks, but also give the public spaces concerned a new look. The boulevards leading to the city centre will be revitalised, and the emblematic axes leading to the centre will be brought back to life.

The project may also include infrastructure upgrades on existing sections, including accessibility improvements and the renovation of stops. In addition, the internal sections of Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út and Váci út will be given a new look, and Nyugati tér will be completely redeveloped under the Revitalising Avenues programme. At the latter junction, the current flyover is planned to be demolished, creating a more pleasant, airy urban area.