MVK Zrt. has always placed great emphasis on the development of its vehicle fleet, and has done its best endeavours to ensure that state-of-the-art buses and trams run in the city.

Bus development

The first buses that could be said to be modern, at least in comparison with the Ikarus 260 and 280 type vehicles, were purchased in 1993 and 1994, when the company acquired an Ikarus 435 articulated bus and an Ikarus 415 single bus. These were soon followed by buses of the same make, and currently there are 20 of the former, and 9 of the latter in Miskolc.

The next step came in 2000 and 2001, when low-floor Ikarus 412 single and then in 2001, Rába Premier 091 single and Rába Premier 291 articulated buses were procured. Currently there are 4, 2 and 6 of these buses in operation, respectively.

In response to the increasing number of passengers and in an effort to improve the quality of service, MVK Zrt. decided in 2002 to start a modernisation programme that was unique in the whole of the country. In the course of this programme, 68 MAN buses were purchased. Currently, the company operates 42 MAN SG 263 articulated buses, 20 MAN SL 223 single buses and 6 MAN NL 223 low-floor single buses.

After Hungary’s accession to the EU in 2004, MVK Zrt. was looking forward to new tender opportunities that may assist the acquisition of new and modern vehicles. In August 2004, a contract was made for another 90 new buses of which 35 have already been purchased. The Neoplan Centroliner type was selected in the course of a public procurement procedure from among a variety of brands. The local residents and the employees of the company could both test the buses before the selection, and the decision was made after analysing the practical experiences. According to the decision of 2004 we still have the optional right for buying 55 buses.

The first three buses were delivered on 23 December 2005. Inspection, testing and MOT testing started immediately, along with the training of drivers. The first three buses were soon followed by more. The first ones received the transportation authority permits for timetabled highway passenger transportation in February 2006, and then the first test runs were performed. On 1 March 2006, the first new buses were officially launched. The 35 buses planned for the first phase of the reconstruction are now all in operation and serving passengers.

Parallel to the acquisition of new buses, old Ikarus 200 vehicles are gradually discarded and we also plan to purchase so-called midi-buses. Midi-buses are necessary because travelling habits have changed through the rationalization of our network. The utilization of certain lines has also changed. We might follow our passengers’ demands better by using such vehicles. Many test buses have already been in Miskolc and tried out by our passengers.

Tram development

In the early 1990’s, only FVV rams ran in Miskolc, which could hardly be called modern. In 1992, 10 TÁTRA KT8D5 articulated trams were acquired from Kosice City Transportation Company (DPMK), followed a bit later by another eight.

The replacement of the obsolete FVV trams could be postponed no longer, since these vehicles also damaged the tracks. The company then decided to buy used SGP E1 engines from Vienna, which were, despite being old, a good transitory solution due to the low price until new tender opportunities would arise. This is how the 18 “Viennese” trams and 6 C3 hauled carriages were bought. After that there was nothing to prevent the still running 7 obsolete FVV 1200 trams from being discarded. The last FVV bid farewell to passengers on 25 November 2004.

Tram project, which is under preparation at present, could mean a great leap forward in tram development. It has got many elements, such as the renewal of existing TATRA trams, as well as the acquisition of new and modern vehicles.

(Photos and technical specifications of each type of vehicle)

Our fleet of vehicles

Photo	Type	First one of this type was launched	Last one of this type was launched	Current number
	Neoplan Centroliner	2006	2006	35
	MAN NL223 szóló, alacsonypadlós	2002	2002	6
	MAN SL223 szóló	2002	2002	20
	MAN SG263 csuklós	2002	2002	42
	Rába Premier 291 csuklós	2001	2001	6
	Rába Premier 091 szóló	2001	2001	2
	IK 412 szóló alacsonypadlós	2000	2001	4
	IK 415 szóló	1994	1999	9
	IK 435 csuklós	1994	2000	20
	IK 280 csuklós	1974	1990	65
	IK 260 szóló	1973	1990	30

Photo	Type	First one of this type was launched	Last one of this type was launched	Current number
	KT8D5 Tátra	1990	1997	18
	SGP E1	2002	2004	18+6