Zagreb to purchase 20 new low-floor trams in €75 million transport upgrade

(Photo: Grad Zagreb)

The City of Zagreb plans to finance the purchase of 20 new long low-floor trams from the city budget as part of a major investment in public transport infrastructure.

The new trams, valued at an estimated €75 million, are intended to improve the city’s tram network capacity and further modernise public transport services across the Croatian capital.

Speaking about the project, Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomašević said that 24 new trams were already operating on Zagreb’s streets at the beginning of May, with another 16 expected to arrive soon.

Alongside the 40 shorter trams, the city is now launching procurement for an additional 20 longer low-floor trams.

Tomašević also noted that Zagreb is expecting the arrival of 62 new electric buses this year, describing the programme as the city’s largest public transport modernisation effort in the past 15 years.

The new tram models will have a greater passenger capacity than the current TMK 2400 vehicles. Planned vehicle lengths range from 28 to 35 metres, with widths between 2.2 and 2.3 metres.

Each tram will be capable of carrying at least 180 passengers.

(Photo: Grad Zagreb)

All vehicles will be fully low-floor, aimed at improving accessibility for passengers with reduced mobility, elderly residents and parents travelling with children.

The procurement contract is planned over a 36-month period, while the first tram is expected to be delivered within 24 months of the contract signing.

The tram fleet upgrade forms part of a wider public transport investment cycle in Zagreb.

During this year, the city also plans to introduce 62 electric buses. Four electric buses from a pilot project are already operating in Zagreb, marking the first such vehicles in Croatia’s public transport system.

To support the expansion of the electric fleet, construction of a new electric vehicle charging facility in Podsused began in March.

The city also confirmed that work on the tram line in Sarajevska Street will be completed this year. It will be the first new tram line built in Zagreb in 25 years.

Alongside infrastructure investment, Zagreb has also introduced measures aimed at improving social accessibility to public transport.

Free public transport has been introduced for children and young people up to the age of 18 and expanded to include people with disabilities. Residents over the age of 65 already qualify for free public transport.

For other passengers, Zagreb continues to maintain some of the most affordable public transport fares among Croatia’s larger cities.