Zhytomyr has finally launched the Croatian Tatra tram on the route: what will happen to the rest of the trams

On October 5, the Tatra T3.RPV.O tram, transferred from Osijek, Croatia, went back on the route in Zhytomyr. After a long preparation, the city began to deploy a batch of six trams; previously, delays in launch were explained by the inspection of trams and infrastructure. The head of Zhytomyr's TTTU, Serhii Lazarev, reported this to Suspilne.

How the Croatian tram operates in Zhytomyr since October 5, 2026

The wagon with the fleet number 0603 has passed licensing and received the necessary permits. According to Lazarev, it operates in two shifts - from morning to evening. Before the launch, specialists inspected the tram itself, and then checked the city infrastructure.

During the inspection of the tracks and the contact network, the TTTU suspended the inspection of other trams to avoid wasting funds until the work is completed. Now the company will continue inspecting the remaining five trams. Since the wagons are identical, any technical issues found will be addressed at once across the entire batch.

How many new and old trams are planned to be released

When all six trams are ready, the TTTU plans to simultaneously release three Croatian and three old trams onto the routes. They do not wish to completely abandon the previous rolling stock: regular operation is needed to ensure that the vehicles do not stand idle and remain operational.

«If we stop the old trams and do not use them, so to speak, for a week, then on the eighth day they simply won’t come», - explained Lazarev. As of October 4, the company was deploying six KT-4ISU trams daily, using a total of 12 wagons that alternated with each other. Some of the old trams may later be preserved.

There are no exact timelines for the release of the remaining Croatian trams yet. Previously, the TTTU was planning to launch them in the summer, but additional inspections have altered the schedule. The update of the tram fleet occurs alongside preparations for trolleybuses from Switzerland, which Zhytomyr also received from European partners. For passengers, this means a gradual update of the transport, rather than an immediate replacement of all old trams.

The appearance of Tatra on the line is the first practical step after months of licensing and inspections. Further deployment depends on the condition of each tram and the readiness of the infrastructure, so specific dates for the remaining five trams are not yet provided by the TTTU. The preliminary test run of the wagon on the route already took place in June, as discussed in the article about the testing of the tram from Croatia.