Transport in Bucharest


has the largest transport network in Romania, and one of the largest in Europe. The Bucharest transport network is made up of a metro network and a surface transport network. Although there are multiple connection points, the two systems operate independently of each other, and are run by different organisations (the metro is run by Metrorex and the surface transport network by Bucharest-Ilfov Intercommunity Development Association for Public Transport. The two companies used separate ticketing systems until 2021, when a new smartcard was introduced alongside the old tickets, which allows travel on both the TPBI and the Underground.

Bucharest Metro

Bucharest has a fairly extensive metro system consisting of five lines ran by Metrorex. In total, the network is long and has 64 stations, with average distance between stops. It is one of the fastest ways to get around the city. The oldest metro line is M1, which was opened in 1979. The newest metro line is M5, which was opened in 2020. A sixth metro line, M6 line, is currently under construction.

Surface transport

Surface transport in Bucharest is run by Bucharest-Ilfov Intercommunity Development Association for Public Transport and it is operated by Societatea de Transport București, Societatea de Transport Voluntari, a.o..
TPBI consists of an extensive network of buses, trolleybuses, trams and light rail. The TPBI network is one of the densest in Europe, and the fourth largest on the continent, carrying about 1.7 million passengers daily on 85 bus lines, 23 tram lines, 2 light rail lines and 15 trolleybus lines. At times, however, it suffers from severe overcrowding.
TPBI is a reasonably efficient and a very frequently used way of getting around Bucharest. As with the metro, the system is undergoing a period of renewal. Some new features are the upgrade of tram/trolleybus infrastructure and the replacement of old rolling stock.

Buses

With a total route length of, the TPBI urban bus network is the densest of all the transport types in Bucharest. There are 85 bus lines operating mostly in the municipality of Bucharest, as well as over 39 bus lines serving commuters from surrounding towns and villages in Ilfov County. In mid-2005, the lines that linked the city to the peripheral area were licensed out to independent transportation providers, but in early 2006, they were returned to STB control due to a wide range customer complaints about the private operators. Sometime in 2010, all the STB lines of the peripheral network were removed, leading to an increase in minivans owned by private transport companies, and so far only a few of these lines have been put back.
In 2017 was founded Bucharest-Ilfov Intercommunity Development Association for Public Transport, and with that STV took over most of the peripheral bus routes.

Fleet

The main public transport operator in Bucharest has a bus fleet made up of 1,143 vehicles, which are all wheelchair-accessible and around 55% are air-conditioned. The fleet utilisation rate during workdays stood at 78.1% in 2018.
Between 2005 and 2009, the fleet underwent its most substantial renewal since 1989, and is now among the most modern in Europe. In December 2005, STB signed a contract for 500 Mercedes Citaro low-floor, wheelchair-accessible buses. The buses were delivered between June 2006 and April 2007. In January 2008, the first of a further series of 500 Citaro low-floor buses were put into service.
The fleet makeup, as of 2019, is as follows, with years of delivery shown in brackets:
Central Lines are usually populated by Electric and Hybrid buses, while lines connecting residential areas tend to use the Otokar and Mercedes Citaro buses.

Trolleybuses

supplement buses on the TPBI system network, which operates 15 trolleybus lines, measuring of routes on network. During the 1990s, the fleet was updated with modern trolleybuses manufactured by Ikarus, in light blue and yellow livery, which have acoustic station announcements and digital display screens.
In early 2007, 100 wheelchair-accessible Irisbus Citelis trolleybuses were introduced on routes 61, 62, 69, 70, 86, 90, 91, and 92.
Two distinct, non-interconnected networks exist in Bucharest, the main network and a relatively small southern network in Berceni. Each of the networks has its own, separate trolleybus depots and is not connected to the other in any way, in 1987 being separated after the opening of M2 metro line. The trolleybus network is currently being overhauled or expanded — a goal is to eventually unite the two networks.
The newer fleet of Solaris Trollino 12 trolleybuses is used to convert diesel bus routes to trolleybus routes.

Fleet

In 2022, the STB had a fleet of 265 trolleybuses spread across 3 depots and 1 mixed tram-trolleybus depot. Most of them were Astra-Ikarus 415T. The fleet utilisation rate during workdays stood at 67.66% in 2022.
In 2024, the STB started receiving 100 Solaris Trollino 12 trolleybuses.

Trams and light rail

STB operates a complex system of trams measuring of routes on of lines throughout Bucharest. In addition to 23 tram lines, there are two converted light rail lines called metrou uşor, numbered 41, which serve the western and south-western parts of Bucharest. This line has upgraded trams running on separate designated corridors for faster travel times.
67% of the city's tram infrastructure had been modernised by 2018. The light rail service is expected to be expanded by upgrading existing tram lines to light rail status.
Most trams operated by STB are manufactured internally by STB at their subsidiary URAC Bucharest. Currently, URAC produces three models for STB – two three-section, partially low-floor, wheelchair-accessible models as well as a two-section, non-wheelchair-accessible model, made from scrapped Tatra axles with new equipment. It is uncertain if their production will continue, because as of now their production has been halted for the past 7 years.
Routes 1, 7, 10, 11, 21, 25, 32, 41 are wheelchair-accessible, using new Astra Imperio Metropolitan, V3A-93-PPC, V3A-CH-PPC/V3A-CA-PPC or Bucur LF trams. Lines 14, 16/17, 19, 23, 27, 40, 42, 44, 47, 53 and 55 are also wheel chair accessible when V3A-93-PPC will become wheelchair-accessible as soon as more V3A-PPC will undergo reparations or modernisations, or even buy more new tramsets.
The maximum speed of trams in Bucharest is.

Fleet

In 2018, the STB had a fleet of 486 trams, most of which were the V3A-M type. The fleet is spread across 7 tram depots and 1 mixed tram-trolleybus depot. The fleet utilisation rate during workdays stood at 55.6% in 2018. In December 2022, the first 15 Astra Imperio Metropolitan trams were put into circulation.

Tickets

Surface transportation, operated by STB uses a different ticketing system from the metro network, operated by Metrorex, a separate entity. Their tickets and prices can be found on their website, available in English as well. http://www.stb.ro/
They include subscriptions, rechargeable cards as well as single use cards. A simple metropolitan ticket valid on all surface lines for 90 minutes costs 3 RON and can be activated by tapping either a STB transit card or a contactless bank card on the ticket machines present inside all vehicles. Tickets can also be bought through SMS by sending a message to 7458, with the message "C", you will be charged 0.65 EUR + VAT. You can also purchase a 24-hour pass for 8 RON at any kiosk or by sending the message "AB" to the same number, costing you 1.5 EUR + VAT.
This method of SMS-based payment is also available through the app, InfoTB. The app can also plan routes using all types of transportation in the city, and show the GPS location of vehicles. Approximately 85% of vehicles are equipped with a GPS positioning system.
A separate app, 24Pay, can be used to pay for fares using a credit card.
An online account can also be created on the website, that allows clients to add credit to their STB cards.
BCR ATMs also allow clients to recharge their physical cards with money.
Metrorex and STB have integrated tickets and passes, information which is available on their websites, but also on the Bucharest Metro page. An integrated fare costs 5 RON and can be used simultaneously on both surface lines and the metro, with a time limit of 120 minutes.
The Bucharest Metro uses a per-entry constant fare system, every entry costing 3 RON, regardless of stations travelled, time spent or zones used, changing lines doesn't require additional pay and is free, the only exception is Gara De Nord, where the 2 corresponding stations are separate and thus you are required to exit the system and pay again at the other station to transfer lines, though free transfers from the M1 to the M4 can be done at the neighbouring Basarb station.
Passengers can purchase paper tickets loaded with 1, 2 or 10 fares or simply tap their contactless bank cards at the turnstiles, which will charge them 3 RON. Rechargeable contactless metro cards can also be issued and loaded with passes available for either a day, a week, a month or a year. The most commonly used pass is the 1 month pass priced at 80 RON.

Personal cars

At the end of 2008, in Bucharest there were 1.24 million vehicles, of which 985.000 were personal cars. In 2007 there were 150.000 fewer vehicles, which means the number of vehicles increased by 13.76% in one year.
With so many cars and a very high population density, parking is a problem in Bucharest.

CFR Trains

In 2011, Bucharest had 99 km of railway lines, 79 of which were electric.
Bucharest has several train stations throughout and around the city, the main one being Gara de Nord where trains depart to all destinations. Other main stations include Baneasa, Obor and Basarab.
Gara de Nord is a relatively modern station. It was opened in 1872 and has undergone modernization and refurbishment several times. From here, trains leave to every destination in Romania and to other European cities. The other stations only see around five trains a day and are not considered "important" stations by CFR.
Bucharest was once home to a vast system of industrial railways that sprawled all over the city, linking factories to the surrounding neighbourhoods and towns. However most of these are now gone and what remains has fallen into disrepair. Therefore, Bucharest doesn't have an RER/S-Bahn type of commuter network. Attempts have been made in the past to introduce such a system, but so far not much has been achieved. It is true that there are trains operated by CFR from Bucharest to neighbouring towns, however due to long journey times and poor rolling stock most people tend to use personal cars to get into the city.