A ceremonial presentation of new trams took place in Vitebsk.
Today in Vitebsk, a solemn presentation of new low-floor trams took place, which arrived in the regional center for operation on urban routes. The event was attended by representatives of local authorities, employees of OJSC "Vitebskobltrans" and veterans of the enterprise, the manufacturer "BKM Holding" and the company OJSC "Promagrolizing", as well as creative teams from the city.
The Deputy Chairman for Architecture and Construction of the Regional Executive Committee, Alexander Nefyadov, reminded that Vitebsk became the first city in Belarus where tram traffic was opened.
- Today, on the eve of the celebration of the 127th anniversary of the Vitebsk tram, we are witnesses to a significant event for all residents and guests of the city, - he said. - We are launching a new generation of trams that is fundamentally different from the previous series, both technically and aesthetically.
The T811 tram model entered production at "BKM Holding" in 2022, and serial production began in 2023. Initially, trams were exported to Russia – to Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, and Krasnodar. In the summer of 2024, they were put into operation in Mozyr, and at the beginning of 2025, the first cars went into service in the Belarusian capital.
The feature of this model of trams is the presence of air conditioning systems, automatic fire extinguishing, a multimedia system, USB ports for charging phones, and there is also the possibility of connecting to the internet via Wi-Fi.
There are 35 seats in the tram. The total capacity is 159 people.
- In this model of trams, the number of doors has been increased – there were three in the previous cars, here there are four, - reported the Deputy General Director of OJSC managing company of the holding "Belkommunmash" Oleg Bytsko. - Opposite the double-leaf doors is an enlarged waiting area for the convenience of passengers with strollers and persons with disabilities. One of the doors has a ramp for the disabled. The arrangement of the doors allows for faster boarding and alighting of passengers.
The new trams are also maximally comfortable for the drivers.
- This equipment is very convenient to operate, - said Anna Shcherbakova, a driver with 26 years of experience, to "VV". – Comfortable driver's seat, smooth ride. The controller is not on the control panel (as in previous tram models), but on the armrest, which is quite convenient for work. At the same time, there are cameras inside the cabin and outside. Images from them are displayed on the driver's console.
During the solemn opening ceremony, Oleg Bytsko handed over the symbolic key to the new equipment to the General Director of OJSC "Vitebskobltrans" Alexander Fedukovich. There was also a tribute to the veterans of the enterprise and performances by creative teams.
At the end of the program, participants and guests of the ceremony took a tour of the city on trams, including on the equipment produced in Riga, which operated in Vitebsk in the last century. The former head of the Vitebsk tram and trolleybus management, Vasily Pavlyuchkov, served as the tour guide.
It is planned that the new trams will go into service at the beginning of June. They will start operating on route No. 3.