MVK Zrt.

Trams 1 and 2

MVK Zrt. (Miskolc Városi Közlekedési Zrt.; Mass Transport co. ltd. of the City of Miskolc; previously MVK Rt.) is the name of the transport company of the city of Miskolc, Hungary. Unlike the transport companies of many other cities, MVK Zrt. is independent from the company responsible for municipal transport in the county (Borsod Volán) and is responsible only for the mass transportation in Miskolc and the nearby town Felsőzsolca. The buses are usually dark blue; the trams on Line 1 are yellow or red, on Line 2 are dark red. Miskolc has lots of new investments in its public transportation. By the year 2016 90% of the company's vehicles are going to be low floor.

Miskolc has a long history of mass transport. The first tramway was built in 1897, and Miskolc was the first Hungarian city to have a scheduled bus line in 1903. Today Miskolc is one of only six Hungarian cities that have an own mass transport company. The city has two railway stations (Tiszai and Gömöri) and an unpaved airport which is not opened to public and plays no role in mass transport. There is also a narrow-gauge railway line between Miskolc and Lillafüred, but it has no importance other than being a tourist attraction.

History of mass transport in Miskolc

Ikarus 31 type nostalgia bus from 1959; restored museum piece

The need for Miskolc having mass transport emerged in the middle of the 19th century. By this time the city had more than 30.000 residents, the railway line reached Miskolc in 1859 but the railway station was at that time quite far (2.2 km) from the city proper; the metal factory of Diósgyőr was opened in 1868, and Tapolca was fast becoming a popular tourist destination. In the 1860s it was planned that the tram line between the factory and the railway station should be built underground, but there was not enough money to carry out this plan. Had it been carried out, it would have been the first underground railway in Hungary.

From 1862 horse buses ran between the railway station and Diósgyőr, later between Downtown and Tapolca. The leaders of the city started to plan having tram lines in 1895. The project was led by dr. István Csáthy Szabó. According to the first plans the tramway line would have been 20 kilometres long, from Tiszai station to the other end of Diósgyőr, but the ministry agreed to finance only the constructing of a 7 km long line.

The first tram entered service on July 10, 1897. It ran between Tiszai Railway Station and St. Anne's Church and stopped at 8 termini, including the two end termini. The tram line in Miskolc was the fourth one built in Hungary – after the tram lines in Budapest (1887), Pozsony (today in Slovakia; 1895) and Szombathely (May 1897; demolished since then) –, the third one in present-day Hungary and the second normal gauge tram line (the ones in Pozsony and Szombathely were narrow gauge). The tram stopped six times between its two end stations. On the 1st day 7615 passengers used it, which met the expectations. (Today 90,000 passengers use only the two tram lines daily; there are 430.000 travels on all bus and tram lines combined.) The tram was operated by MVV Rt. (Miskolci Villamossági Rt.; Electric Company of Miskolc.) Because of the success of the first tram line, a second tramway was built perpendicular to the first one, between Búza tér and Népkert. This line was much less popular and because of it after four months of operating MVV Rt. asked the city council to agree to demolish this tramway, but it didn't happen until 1960.

Neoplan Centroliner N4522

On June 8, 1903 a citizen called Mrs. Gyula Bene launched the first scheduled bus line between the city halls of Miskolc and Diósgyőr. However, the tram was still very popular, and the bus couldn't compete with that, so the bus line was abolished.

Until 1947 the operator of trams, MVV Rt. was the same company that provided electricity for Miskolc. This was not always a fortunate situation. In the 1920s the leaders of the city wanted to start bus traffic but MVV Rt. was afraid of competition and threatened to raise the price of electricity so they changed their minds.

Meanwhile the workers of the metal factory of Diósgyőr expressed their need for the tramway line to reach the factory. With the financial help of the state and the factory a new tramway was built from Miskolc to Diósgyőr. To operate it a new company was founded, the Miskolc-Diósgyőr Municipal Railway Company (MDV Rt.). (Since Diósgyőr was not a part of Miskolc at that time, the state allowed it to be operated only as municipal railway, not as tram.) There were plans to unify the two tram lines so that people would not have to change when going from the railway station to Diósgyőr, but MVV Rt. saw MDV Rt. as a competition and did not agree. Later MDV Rt. gave up its right to operate its tram line, because of their lack of experience of operating tram lines, and MVV Rt. took over. By January 22, 1906 the two tram lines were united and one could travel from Tiszai station to Diósgyőr without changing trams.

In 1910 the second tramway line was extended until the nearby town Hejőcsaba. Tapolca was connected to Miskolc by bus line by 1926, Lillafüred by 1928.

During World War II the tramways were damaged, and tram traffic completely stopped by 1942.

Rába Premier 291

In 1945 Miskolc, Diósgyőr and Hejőcsaba was unified to form Greater Miskolc. The tram lines, which connected the three towns decades before their unification, played an important role in this. Görömböly, Tapolca and Lillafüred, which were connected to Miskolc by bus lines, became annexed to the city five years later.

After the war scheduled buses began serve the city in 1948. To operate the bus lines a new company was founded in 1949, and in 1954 it was united with MVV Rt., forming MKV (Miskolci Közlekedési Vállalat; Mass Transport Company of Miskolc.) In 1951 there were already five bus lines. The company was re-organised asa public company in 1994.

During its long history Miskolc had the most residents in the 1980s; as second largest city of the country and an important centre of heavy industry it had more than 200.000 inhabitants. It is no surprise that the mass transport company set its records during that decade: in 1988 its 274 buses and 44 trams carried 198.7 million passengers.

In 1971 the company changed its policy of having a conductor on each vehicle, but too many people decided to take free rides, causing financial loss to the company, so in 1996 MVK Rt. answered with the much criticised move of ordering bus drivers to only open the first door and check if passengers have a ticket.

Compared to mass transport of other cities, the situation in Miskolc is quite good. On an average day 150 buses stop at a bus stop, and buses follow each other in 8 minute intervals.

In 2005 the company changed its name from "public company" to "private limited company" in accord with a new law which required all share companies choose between the company forms "public limited" and "private limited".

Vehicles

The company owns 192 buses (128 of which are articulated buses and only 51 of them are low-floor buses) and 44 trams (as of 2011). There are 47 bus lines (including night lines) and 2 tram lines. Mainly because of geographical reasons articulated buses don't serve on the following lines: 3A, 5, 11, 15, 19, 24, 33, 34, 38, 67, 68, 69. Line 24 is served by low-floor buses only.

Buses

By 2016 the company wants to change all of its buses to new CNG (compressed natural gas) buses except for the Neoplan and MAN brand buses. After the investment 80% of the buses would be low floor bus.

Trams

The tram fleet is 100% low floor, with the exception of the nostalgia trams.

Route Network

Bus Routes

The new timetable: (01. jan. 2013)

  • 1: Tiszai Railway Station – Majális Park (40 min)
  • 2: Búza Square – Tapolca (23 min)
  • 3: Búza Square – Szirma (20 min)
  • 3A: Búza Square – Balaton str. (12 min)
  • 4: Búza Square – Görömböly (24 min)
  • 5: Diósgyőr – Lillafüred (12 min)
  • 6: Újgyőr Main Square – Pereces (18 min)
  • 7: Búza Square – Felsőzsolca (21 min)
  • 8: Airport – Meat Industry Complex (20 min)
  • 9: Újgyőr Main Square – Ferenc Tokaji street (11 min)
  • 11: Búza Square – Bábonyibérc (17 min)
  • 12: Airport – University Town. (27 min)
  • 14: Airport – Hejő Park (27-31 min)
  • 14Y: Airport - Búza square - Hejő Park (27 min)
  • 15: Felső-Majláth – Ómassa (23 min)
  • 16: Újgyőr Main Square – Mine Complex (Lyukóbánya-Mine) (20 min)
  • 19: Újgyőr Main Square – Komlóstető (11 min)
  • 20: Airport - Tapolca (36 min)
  • 21: Tiszai Railway Station - /Glass Industry/ - Kálmán Kandó str. (35 min)
  • 21B: György Szondi Str. – Kálmán Kandó str. (34 min)
  • 22: City Centre (Downtown) – University Town (during schoolyear only) (17 min)
  • 24: Airport – SzinvaPark (11 min)
  • 28: Búza square – Tampere district (10-12 min)
  
  • 29: Újgyőr Main Square – Avas Lookout Tower (28 min)
  • 30: Tiszai Railway Station - /Saint George street/ - Avas Lookout Tower (28 min)
  • 31: Tiszai Railway Station - /Avas Centre/ - Avas Lookout Tower (24-27 min)
  • 32: Avas Lookout Tower – Gömöri Railway Station (24 min)
  • 34: Avas Lookout Tower – Bodótető (30 min)
  • 35: Avas Lookout Tower - City Centre (Downtown) (15 min)
  • 35R: Avas Lookout Tower - /Saint George street/ - City Centre (Downtown) - Airport
  • 38: Avas Lookout Tower - Malomszög street (6 min)
  • 43: Búza square - Takata (24 min)
  • 44: City Centre (Downtown) - Auchan Miskolc South Hypermarket / - Takata / (22 min)
  • 54: Airport - Felső-Majláth (34 min)
  • 67: Újgyőr Main Square – Lomb str. (9 min)
  • 68: Újgyőr Main Square – Bükkszentlászló (19 min)
  • 69: Felső-Majláth - Berekalja - Castle of Diósgyőr (8 min)
  • Auchan 1: City Centre (Downtown) - Auchan Miskolc Hypermarket (free) (17 min)
  • Auchan 2: Auchan Miskolc South Hypermarket – Avas Lookout Tower (free) (19 min)
  • TESCO Avas: Avas Lookout Tower - TESCO Hypermarket Avas (free) (10 min)
  • ME: Tiszai Railway Station - University Town (during schoolyear only) (19 min)
  • Sí: Diósgyőr – Bánkút ski resort (winters only) (~54 min)

Night routes

Tram Routes

Fares

Tickets

From left. MAN SG 263, two IKARUS 280, IKARUS 435, IKARUS 280

(Valid only within the administrative borders of Miskolc)

One-month or 30-day season tickets

(Valid only within the administrative borders of Miskolc)

There are two types of season tickets: valid for one calendar month (until 5th of next month) or valid for 30 days, counting from the day when it was bought or a day specified by the buyer.

Season tickets for longer period

All are valid for all lines.

Tickets for Buses 7 and 7/2

(Valid for the bus lines between Miskolc and the town of Felsőzsolca)

One-fare tickets cost the same as for city buses.

Traveling is free for children under 6, blind persons, Hungarian citizens above 65, Hungarians from neighbouring countries, war invalids, war widows, members of parliament, employees of the traffic administration office. Dogs may also be taken on the city buses (leashed only), pay the same fare as their owners (except police and guide dogs, for them it's free). All season tickets are 10% cheaper for holders of a Miskolc Card, which can be bought by anyone with a permanent residence in the city.

MVK Zrt. has seven ticket offices in the city (Tiszai Station, Búza Square, Uitz Street, Újgyőr Main Square, Diósgyőr, Avas City Centre, Airport) but one-fare tickets can be bought at several other places too (e.g. newsstands and on the vehicles).

Tram Network

Miskolc Tram Network
Legend
 Felső-Majláth
 Alsó-Majláth
 Bölcs str.
 Diósgyőr
 Zenta str.
 LÁÉV
 Kilián vr.
 Bulgárföld
Stadion
Újgyőr Market
Ironworks pharmacy
Ironworks
Újgyőr Main Square
 Károly str.
 Gyula str.
 József str.
 Thököly str.
 Szt. Anna square
 Malomszög str.
 Városház square
 Szemere str.
 Szinvapark
 Soltész N.K. str.
 Selyemrét
Miskolc, Tiszai Railway Station

Special service

The company had operated two express lines, lines 101 and 101B, from Tiszai station to Diósgyőr, but due to economical reasons they became suspended. They made fewer stops than buses on line no 1.

During the International Opera Festival of Miskolc the company operates a nostalgia tram which stops before the theatre and is free for those who have a theatre ticket for that day.

References

  1. ↑ "Miskolc in Hungary to Replace Aged Diesel with 75 MAN CNG Buses". 2015-01-22. Retrieved 2015-02-25.
  2. ↑ "75 CNG buses coming to Miskolc, Hungary". 2015-02-04. Retrieved 2015-02-25.

Sources

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