POLAND: An agreement has been signed between ZTM, the Warszawa city transport authority, and the mayor to replace much of the capital's tram fleet over the next 20 years.
The 16bn zloty programme will see 246 low-floor trams bought by 2027 — the first tenders were due to be issued on August 22. The cars will conform to the latest European standards of accessibility and safety, featuring CCTV monitoring and on-board ticketing vending machines.
The fleet renewal is expected to be funded from bank loans and the city budget, with no plans for an EU contribution. ZTM hopes the first tranche of replacement cars will be in service before the start of the European football championship in 2012, which is due to be hosted jointly by Poland and Ukraine.
