Dnipro’s First Low-Floor Trams Keep the Wartime City Moving

Dnipro’s tram fleet is more than 40 years old on average, making the arrival of modern vehicles an important change for passengers and transport workers.

Five new trams have begun carrying passengers through Dnipro, giving the eastern Ukrainian city its first low-floor vehicles and bringing a much-needed improvement to an ageing electric transport network. The renewal is supported by €21.4 million in financing from the European Investment Bank (EIB), helping a city of around 800,000 people keep residents connected to workplaces, schools, hospitals and other essential services during Russia's war against Ukraine.

Easier journeys for passengers with limited mobility

Dnipro's tram fleet is more than 40 years old on average, making the arrival of modern vehicles an important change for passengers and transport workers. The low-floor design allows people to board without climbing steep steps, which makes journeys easier for older residents, passengers with disabilities and parents travelling with prams. Modern passenger-information systems provide clearer details during trips, and quieter operation creates a more comfortable experience for people inside the tram and those living near busy routes.

The vehicles use energy more efficiently than many of the older trams they are replacing, reducing power consumption and supporting a greener, more resilient public transport system. EIB Vice-President Karl Nehammer said reliable travel matters every day and carries even greater importance during wartime, when people still need safe connections to work, education and services across the city.

The trams are operating on route No. 1, which connects Dnipro's main railway station with the Ukrainian State University of Science and Technologies. This heavily used route serves local residents, students and visitors arriving by rail, placing the new accessible vehicles on a corridor where they can make an immediate difference.

Ukrainian factories and workers power the renewal

The new trams were built by Tatra-Yug at its production facilities in Dnipro, with Ukrainian suppliers providing up to 70% of the components. More than 100 companies across the country were involved in the production process, turning the transport investment into direct support for Ukrainian manufacturing, employment and technical expertise.

Ukraine's Minister for Recovery, Infrastructure and Transport, Mykola Kalashnyk, said the project would improve life in the city through modern trams and trolleybuses serving important routes, including Dnipro's first barrier-free route. He also highlighted the value of local production, since money invested in public transport can strengthen the national economy and help Ukrainian businesses continue operating during an extremely difficult period.

EU representative Joost Mohlmann described the programme as practical European solidarity that residents can experience in their daily lives. For passengers, that support becomes visible through a smoother journey, easier boarding and a dependable connection across the city. Dnipro Deputy Mayor Ihor Makovtsev called the vehicles a long-awaited renewal of electric transport and noted that more improvements are still to come.

More trams and trolleybuses are on the way

The €21.4 million package extends beyond the five trams already in operation. It will finance more trams, essential maintenance equipment and 15 new low-floor trolleybuses scheduled for delivery later this year and in 2027, giving the city a broader opportunity to modernise its public transport fleet and make key routes accessible to more people.

Dnipro's investment forms part of the €200 million Ukraine Urban Public Transport Project II, through which the EIB supports Ukrainian cities upgrading their transport networks. The programme is coordinated by Ukraine's Ministry of Finance and implemented by the Ministry for Recovery, Infrastructure and Transport in cooperation with municipalities and public transport companies.

For residents, the most meaningful improvement may be the simplest one: boarding a tram without facing a set of steps. That practical change gives more people the freedom to travel independently and shows how urban recovery can protect daily life, support local jobs and build a more inclusive city even during war.