POLAND: Operator MPK Kraków has selected Pesa Bydgoszcz as the preferred bidder to supply up to 90 light rail vehicles through three different tenders.
The total value of the three lots announced on March 4 is 1·8bn złoty and the duration of the agreements is for four years from contract signature, which is expected after a formal standstill period.
One agreement is for up to 30 bidirectional trams 32 to 34 m long; these are ‘the priority’ according to MPK Kraków. For this batch, the operator has already submitted a request for co-financing from the EU’s European Funds for Infrastructure, Climate, Environment 2021-2027 programme. Deliveries of these trams are stipulated to start in 2028 at the latest.
The vehicles are planned to be used on a future tramway running to the Azory district in the northwest of the city, as well as strengthening other routes. The arrival of these trams would allow MPK Kraków to withdraw all remaining high-floor trams without air-conditioning from service.
A second agreement covers the purchase of up to 30 unidirectional trams 32 to 34 m long, while the third is for up to 30 unidirectional trams 42 to 45 m long. The purchase of these 60 vehicles is subject to obtaining financing from other sources including the EU’s Recovery & Resilience Fund.
