Plans for a tram line on the Danube embankment had been lain out by the German Siemens and Halske company in 1884. However, implementation was delayed for 16 years due to flood protection measures, administrative blockages and fears for the cityscape of the Pest promenade. The line was finally opened on 20 October 1900 – writes hirado.hu.

The Pesti Közúti Vaspálya Társaság and the Budai Közúti Vaspálya Társaság companies merged in 1878 to create the Budapesti Közúti Vaspálya Társaság (BKTV) ('Budapest public road railway company'). They began modifying horse-drawn railways into tram lines. By the time, feeding horses had become more expensive than electricity. The final horse-drawn railway – outside of Margaret Island was electrified in 1898.

In 1888 balázs Mór formed the Budapesi Városi Vasut (BVV) company ('Budapest urban railway') with Lindheim and co., and Siemens and Halske. BVV was the first company to open a normal gauge (1435) tram line on the Egyetem Square–Sztáczió Street–köztemető Road route.

A tram manufactured by Siemens-Halske in the 1890s (Photo: FSZEK Budapest Collection)

They opened the Podmaniczky Street line in the same year. BVV also dismantled the test track on the outer ring road and constructed a regular gauge track instead. by May 1890, the company offered services to Kerepese (Rákóczi) Road, and by August to Üllői Road. The following year the company was renamed Budapesti Villamos Városi Valús (BVVV) Rt ('Budapest electric urban railway').

Teréz Boulevard as seen from Erzsébet Boulevard, the Király Street intersection in the foreground in 1900 (Photo: Fortepan/Budapest Archives/photographs by György Klösz/Reference No.: HU.BFL.XV.19.d.1.08.011)

Lines operated by BKVT were given odd numbers, those by BVVV even numbers. The competition between the two companies often resulted in under-planned development efforts. As a result, the two companies were merged and taken under public ownership in 1918.

BVVV secured the right to construct the tram line on the Pest embankment. Construction began in 1896, and the section between Boráros Square and Erzsébet Bridge was completed in 1897. The section between Erzsébet Bridge and the Academy was opened on 20 October 1900.

Tracks were lain on a 498-metre-long iron viaduct that rests on three lines of riveted columns to leave the promenade undisturbed. Tunnels lead from the walkway to the shore, and warehouses were also built in the area. The tracks were divided from the promenade by a stone parapet topped with a cast-iron railing with integrated public lighting designed by Miklós Ybl.

One of the first trams on display in the old building of the Transport Museum (Photo: Hungarian Museum of Science, Technology, and Transport)

Following the great flood of 1838, the construction of embankments in Budapest began. Work started on either side of the Chain Bridge at a total length of 345 metres. The embankment from Petőfi Square to Zoltán Street was built in 1865–1866, based on plans by Ferenc Reiter. The two-level section between Margit Bridge and Boráros Square was completed in 1881. It was initially built 8.5 metres above the water level. In 1891 this was raised to 10 metres.

Source: hirado.hu

Cover photo: Tram line 2 on the embankment today (Photo: bkk.hu)