Bratislava to receive 15 bidirectional trams from Skoda

Date: 22/7/2013

The Slovakian capital of Bratislave is due to receive 15 bidirectional trams from the Czech manufacturer Skoda as part of a €39 million (£33 million) deal.

The low-floor 30T light rail vehicles are to be based on Type 26T cars and are due to be introduced to the city’s transport network in 2015.

Each tram is 32.5 metres long and can accommodate as many as 242 passengers, of which 52 can be seated. The vehicle’s top speed is 65km/h.

As part of the contract, Bratislava can ask for a further 15 vehicles and Skoda will maintain the fleet for a 15-year period.

Each tram will also have air-conditioning and audio-visual passenger information, while CCTV will be provided for passenger safety and disabled individuals will be able to gain access via a ramp.

Some 85 per cent of the funding for the 15 Skoda vehicles was provided by the European Regional Development Fund through its Operational Programme Transport.