Mykolaiv is set to receive its first tram from Sweden by mid-September

Forty trams are to be delivered to Mykolaiv from Switzerland. Illustrative photo: NikVesti, Serhii Ovcharyshyn

The first test M29 tram carriage will be delivered to Mykolaiv from Sweden. The main batch of 40 carriages is scheduled to be delivered by the end of this year or early 2027.

This was announced by Yurii Smetana, director of the municipal enterprise «Mykolaivelektrotrans», during a live broadcast on Facebook, according to NikVesti.

He explained that a final decision is expected to be made by the city and regional authorities of the Swedish city of Gothenburg by the end of May. Following this, the first test carriage is due to arrive in Mykolaiv between late August and mid-September, after which work will begin on adapting it to the local track gauge.

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«We have all the drawings for this carriage; they have been handed over to us. We are studying them and are already preparing the materials needed to adapt the rolling stock to our tram network. After that, we will put the carriage into service and demonstrate that it works,» said Yurii Smetana.

He added that delivery of the main batch of tram carriages will begin in late 2026 or early 2027.

«There will be around 40 M-29 trams. There were also many questions about the fact that these are old trams, 50 years old. Yes, they are 50 years old, but they are still running on routes in Gothenburg today. They aren’t just sitting idle behind a fence gathering dust. They are running, working and serving passengers. They are in much better condition, both visually and technically, than the tram cars we currently have,» explained Yurii Smetana.

According to him, from 15 to 18 May, five employees from the tram depot — a driver, mechanics and electricians — will travel to Gothenburg to undergo training in the maintenance of these trams.

«Accommodation and meal costs in Sweden will be covered by the Swedish side. We will cover transport costs and daily allowances in accordance with the law. The employees will stay there for three weeks so that, upon their return, they can train their colleagues on how to operate this rolling stock,» explained the director of the municipal enterprise «Mykolaivelektrotrans».

Yurii Smetana also noted that the city is not currently considering the purchase of new trams due to their high cost.

«New ones are very, very expensive: a single «Tatra-Yuh» carriage of the same size costs 1.4 million euros. At present, this is a colossal sum for Mykolaiv’s budget, and it is currently impossible to purchase new carriages,» explained Yurii Smetana.

As a reminder, in March, Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych announced that Mykolaiv could receive 40 M29 model trams from a transport company in the Swedish city of Gothenburg. The parties currently have a preliminary agreement regarding the transfer of the trams.