Tram speeds in Ukrainian cities do not meet state standards

Kryvyi Rih trams run at an average speed of 15.4 km/h. Photo: Криворізька міська рада

The average speed of trams in Ukrainian cities is 13.5 km/h. This does not meet the state construction standards DBN B.2.2-12:2019 "Planning and Development of Territories", which provide for a route speed of 15-20 km/h for this type of electric transport. Less than a third of all existing tram routes in the country reach this level, and there are only two cities among them. This is evidenced by a study conducted by the NGO Vision Zero, according to the website of the Association of Energy Efficient Cities of Ukraine.

The fastest tram networks are in the cities of Kryvyi Rih (15.4 km/h), Kyiv (15 km/h), and Zaporizhzhia (14.7 km/h). According to the authors of the study, the good performance of these cities is caused by the fact that they have a much larger number of tram lines on a separate track and on streets without heavy car traffic than other cities. The slowest trams are in Druzhkivka (11.8 km/h), Lviv (12.1 km/h), and Konotop (12.2 km/h).

The ranking of all cities:

Speed of trams in Ukrainian cities. Source: NGO "Vision Zero"

"Low route speeds are an indicator of systemic problems: the degrading state of the infrastructure, which does not allow even relatively new trams to move faster; suboptimal street layout, when trams move in conjunction with car traffic and car congestion blocks tram traffic; outdated rolling stock that is unable to maintain speeds within the DBN," the study says.

The example of Lviv is illustrative, where the city council is actively working to improve and popularize the tram. Nevertheless, serious infrastructure problems and a number of objective factors (terrain, small radius curves, traffic in a common flow with motor vehicles) create restrictions on tram speeds.

How to speed up trams?

In order to improve tram traffic in Ukrainian cities, the authors of the study offer several recommendations to state and local governments. First of all, the central executive authorities need to recognize that the problems of tram transport are of a national nature, and therefore require action at the state level in the form of updated state policy and financing mechanisms.

Secondly, the state should create mechanisms of state and international financing for the renewal of tram infrastructure. And the third recommendation at the state level concerns the introduction of a system of operational financing of public transport in accordance with the Association Agreement and EU Regulation 1370/2007 (obligations to provide public transport services and payment for "transport work" to operators).

Infrastructure renewal is one of the most critical issues for the development of tram networks in Ukraine. Photo: NGO "Vision Zero"

The recommendations of the NGO "Vision Zero" to local governments include the following measures:

• during repairs, reconstructions and new construction of tram lines, ensure that tram traffic is structurally separated from the car flow or that traffic is organized in such a way that the tram schedule does not depend on the traffic congestion; 
• ensure priority for tram traffic at unregulated intersections through traffic management and organize adaptive traffic control with priority for trams at intersections with traffic lights; 
• revise route timetables to speed up on lines after reconstructions, overhauls, or current repairs and after promptly eliminating technical deficiencies in infrastructure that lead to speed limits;
• upgrade outdated rolling stock of trams to modern ones that meet the requirements of barrier-free accessibility and energy efficiency, including with the involvement of (future) state co-financing from international sources.

​As part of the "Study of tram systems in Ukrainian cities in 2023", the team of the NGO "Vision Zero" analyzed 13 out of 18 existing tram networks in Ukraine (excluding the occupied cities). These systems consist of 106 routes with a total length of 2103 km.

The study does not include light rail lines, as this type of transport is not a city tram and is rather classified as Light Rail Transit. This type of transportation in Ukraine operates in Kyiv and Kryvyi Rih. For these cities, only data from conventional tram routes were taken into account.

The study was conducted on the basis of passport data of tram routes and timetables provided by the municipal transportation companies. In cities where the utility companies refused to provide data, the authors of the study had to use other sources, which could affect the accuracy of the data and the error of the results.

You can read more about the study by this link.