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Budapest welcomes new CAF trams, but not without problems – even Facebook got in the way
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The new CAF trams have arrived in Budapest, but the city’s transport network is still not fully prepared to accommodate them. Even the communication about the project ran into trouble – Facebook classified the related post as “political content” and blocked it.
Earlier this summer, Budapest began receiving its new Spanish-made CAF trams. The capital has ordered a total of 51 low-floor, air-conditioned and accessible vehicles under the final option of a framework contract originally signed in 2014 and extended in 2021.
Not every line can handle the new trams yet
In early October, Mayor Gergely Karácsony and Minister Tibor Navracsics signed the agreement that officially secures EU funding for the purchase of the 51 new trams. At the press conference, Navracsics emphasized that developing Budapest is a matter of national interest, as the capital’s transport system affects the entire region.
According to the BKK (Budapest Transport Centre), the project’s total value is HUF 54 billion, covering not only the vehicles themselves but also the preparation of the necessary infrastructure – tracks, platforms and depots.
BKK deputy CEO Ádám Bodor warned, however, that the modern trams cannot yet operate on every line. Several routes are not technically ready to accommodate the new vehicles, and major upgrades will be required. Twenty CAF trams are already in service, while the remaining units will enter operation gradually by the end of 2026.
BKV and BKK experts already raised concerns in the summer: lines such as the 2, 14, 24 and 62 still lack the proper infrastructure – tracks, platforms or depots – to handle the new trams. Improvements to power supply and other systems are also needed, but these developments have not yet started, as the EU recovery funds have not been received.
I will admit I don’t know much about Mayor Karácsony. I lived in Budapest. I liked District XIII, Districts VII and VIII presented challenges.
I don’t meaningfully use Facebook anymore.
Maybe- it’s that the Government account posted that stuff and it caused a problem? Maybe Mayor Karácsony could consider posting from his personal account? The reason I mention it is that Prime Minister Orbán was quite clear about his opinions on a recent Facebook post as cited on this very page and it ostensibly caused no issue. Free speech can be good, great, whatever.
Didn’t some guy who liked public transit run against Mayor Karácsony or something? Recollection is admittedly vague and “karma” (not my belief system) isn’t really my thing.