A characteristic of the Lithuanian capital, is the fact that its major areas of high-rise residential accommodation, built on the outskirts of the city between the fifties and the eighties, are a considerable distance from the business quarter in the centre of the city. The river Neris, with relatively few crossing points, further separates residents from their place of work. The high density of traffic across the river causes delays and congestion. To cope with the problem, the local authority decided to regenerate public transport in the city.
In the same section
In 2001, SYSTRA was chosen to carry out a prefeasibility study for a public transport system for Vilnius, in conjunction with municipal services. A long-term plan was drawn up for a public transport system on a segregated site and at the same time, the decision was made to opt for a tramway as being best suited to the city’s needs. SYSTRA then prepared technical studies for the priority line, produced forecasts of investment costs and passenger traffic, and made recommendations regarding the most suitable financial and institutional arrangements for management of the project.
The Vilnius tramway network will consist of three lines, all interconnecting in the Gedimino district and all with connections to existing public transport routes (trolleybus, bus and microbus).
Key Dates :
- 2001-2002 : prefeasibility study ;
- 2004 : pre-project study and financial arrangement
- 2009-2010 : European call for tender for the construction
Key Figures for line A :
- length : 10.4 km ;
- number of stations:18 ; and
- number of passengers : 77,000 a day.
