From six to one, from one to two

From six to one, from one to two
 

On the basis of a contract with József Lehmann, Counsellor for the Prussian Royal Commission, “steam-powered train service for passenger and freight transport” commenced in Debrecen as the first such service in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy on 2 October 1884. Then, on 15 March 1911, the city leaders, in an effort to meet the exigencies of the time, brought their decision on the introduction of electricity-powered means of public transport on four tramlines. In 1923, the network was extended as far as Pallag, using the Debrecen-Nyírbátor Local Railway, and soon afterwards, in 1927 the tracks running around the Great Forest were laid as well. Soon, the Hatvan Street tramline was extended as far as Nyulas, and then, due to the opening of the Public Cemetery, the Csapó Street line to the main entrance of the cemetery. Bombardments during World War II caused considerable damage in the Debrecen tramway network. Following the reconstructions after the war, as the economic situation started to improve, the number of passengers using public transport in Debrecen increased noticeably. Despite this fact, in 1970 the gradual phasing out of rail-guided transport began, and by 1975 all the branch lines were eliminated. Only tramline no. 1, still operating at present, survived this destructive period. After Hungary’s democratic transformation, campaigns for the improvement of tramway traffic were initiated and in the wake of these efforts the idea for the construction of a new tramway was formulated around 1999-2000. The proposal for this new line has then come within reasonable reach, in the strict sense of the word, by Hungary’s accession to the European Union.