| Zagreb Electric Tram | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Locale | Zagreb,Croatia |
| Transit type | Tram Bus Funicular Gondola lift |
| Number of lines | 19 tram lines 146 bus lines |
| Daily ridership | 490,000 |
| Chief executive | Marko Bogdanović |
| Website | www.zet.hr |
| Operation | |
| Began operation | 1891 |
| Technical | |
| System length | 116 km (72 mi) |
| Track gauge | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) (narrow gauge) |
TheZagreb Electric Tram (Croatian: Zagrebački električni tramvaj,ZET) is thetransit authority responsible for public transport inZagreb, the capital ofCroatia, and parts of the surroundingZagreb County.
ZET operates an extensivebus system, 19tram lines (15 daytime lines and 4 nighttime lines), agondola lift and afunicular line. Historically, ZET workshops also produced trams (namely, types M-22, M-24 and three TMK 101 prototypes). The vehicles are painted in blue, a recognizable symbol of the city's public transport. ZET offers free public transportation to all citizens over 65 and under 18 years old, starting in 2024 and 2025 respectively.[1]
Zagreb Electric Tram was founded in 1891, the year the firsthorse-drawn trams started operation in Zagreb.[2] The firstelectric trams started operating in 1910, and the belgian companyCompagnie Mutuelle de Tramways was commissioned to build and maintain the tram infrastructure.[3] In 1916, as money was scarce duringWorld War I and the service worsened, theCity Savings Bank bought the majority of ZET shares. To improve service, the bank invested in a new workshop for tram repairs, and later, in 1924, in the reconstruction of existing tracks and construction of new ones.[4] In 1929, ZET took control of theZagreb Funicular.[5] Soon after, in 1931, after ZET merged with City Bus Transport (Gradski autobusni promet), it took control of all busses and bus lines in the city.[2][3] In 1960, it was chosen as the investor of theZagreb Cable Car, which was opened in 1963.[2][6] In 1990, the City of Zagreb became the new owner of ZET, and in 2007, it became a subsidiary ofZagreb Holding.[3] In both 2014 and 2017, as part of a restructuring of Zagreb Holding, theCity Assembly voted to make ZET once again a public company under the ownership of the city.[7][8] The change happened in January 2018.[9][10]
Zagreb Electric Tram is headquartered at Ozaljska 105, located on the Ljubljanica tram depot.[11] It employs 3698 people.[12] Trade Union of Drivers and Transport Workers ZET Zagreb (Sindikat vozača i prometnih radnika ZET Zagreb) is atrade union representing the employees.[13] The management of the company is split between the management board, whose president is the director of the company, and the supervisory board.[14]
| Name[15] | Tenure |
|---|---|
| Ludvig Payerle | 25 July 1891 – 31 May 1909 |
| Joseph Brand | 1 June 1909 – 4 August 1911 |
| Antun Lončarić | 4 August 1911 – 1 June 1913 |
| Artur Reicher | 1 June 1913 – 29 August 1917 |
| Adolfo Košak | 29 August 1917 – 31 March 1939 |
| Dragutin Mandl | 1 April 1939 – 11 March 1946 |
| Slavko Milosavljević | 11 March 1946 – 14 August 1946 |
| Šime Brnčić | 14 August 1946 – 15 December 1947 |
| Nikola Ljubešić[a] | 15 December 1947 – 6 April 1949 |
| Slavko Barberić | 6 April 1949 – 30 June 1950 |
| Julio Markužić | 1 July 1950 – 31 January 1951 |
| Ivan Vasiljević | 1 February 1951 – 20 July 1951 |
| Šime Brnčić | 21 July 1951 – 19 November 1954 |
| Josip Jug | 19 November 1954 – 5 March 1955 |
| Šime Brnčić | 5 March 1955 – 22 April 1955 |
| Slavko Milosavljević | 22 April 1955 – 19 March 1956 |
| Franjo Mihl | 19 March 1956 – 1 March 1963 |
| Ivan Horvatić | 1 March 1963 – 1 April 1971 |
| Stjepan Potlaček | 1 June 1971 – 29 February 1976 |
| Dragutin Kračun | 1 March 1976 – 17 May 1976 |
| Branko Rački | 17 May 1976 – 11 March 1987 |
| Zvonimir Kovačić | 11 March 1987 – 30 September 1987 |
| Julius Pevalek | 1 October 1987 – 5 October 2006 |
| Ivan Tolić | 7 October 2006 – 12 May 2010 |
| Dubravko Baričević | 13 May 2010 – 14 November 2013 |
| Ivan Tolić | 15 November 2013 – 30 October 2014 |
| Ljuba Romčević Žgela | 31 October 2014 – 31 January 2022 |
| Marko Bogdanović | Since 1 February 2022 |
Tram and bus tickets can be bought at normal and ZETkiosks or in the vehicle from the driver, for cash only.[17] The yellow ticket scan machines are located next to the driver cabin in a bus, or at the front and the back of a tram. Starting in 2024, it is possible to deposit money into theMojZET app and scan the QR code next to the tram doors to buy the ticket.[18] ZET also sell transport passes for a month or a year. People under 18 and over 65 don’t have to pay for a pass, but have to have it present, while students get a discount.[1][19][20] ZET employsticket inspectors to inforce the rules.[21]
According to research from 2005, urban public transport allowed for approximately 41.26% of all trips in Zagreb.[22]
| Year | Number of passengers[23][24] | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 288,470,000 | - |
| 2018 | 273,343,000 |  5.24 |
| 2019 | 261,992,000 | 4.15 |
| 2020 | 187,881,000 | 28.92 |
| 2021 | 170,638,000 | 9.18 |
| 2022 | 170,679,000 |  0.02 |
| 2023 | 158,673,000 | 7.03 |
| 2024 | 179,095,000 | 12.87 |
The first tram line was opened on 5 September 1891, setting off a vital part of the Zagreb mass transit system. The first electric trams started operating on 18 August 1910.[4] Today, Zagreb features a tram network of 259 trams on 15 day and 4 night lines running over 116 km (72 mi) of tracks through 261 stations and transporting little under 490,000 passengers per day.[24][25][26][27][28] The majority of stations serve multiple tram lines. Trams are more frequent on work days, especially duringrush hour, and the least frequent on Sunday. Daytime lines come every 5-15 minutes on average.[29]
Bus transport was introduced in Zagreb in 1927, and was first managed by the enterprise Bus Transport (Autobus promet). In 1930, the concession was given toV. & M. Barešić & Company and their affiliate companyAutobrzovoz. TheCity Savings Bank took control of the bus system in 1931 and commissioned the enterprise City Bus Transport (Gradski autobusni promet) to manage the lines, which later merged with ZET.[3][30] Starting out small, the network has since expanded to 146 bus lines, consisting of 480 buses.[31][24] The buses primarily run outside the city center where there are no trams, in the suburbs and to nearby cities, such asZaprešić,Velika Gorica,Bistra, etc.[32] Bus service frequencies vary significantly between lines. Timetables are available at the stops and online.[33]
The current stock consists ofMAN,Mercedes-Benz andIveco buses, all of themlow-floor.[34] In 2007, ZET started using 10biodiesel busses, and in 2008 it bought 60CNG buses, but since the city had no adequate CGN pumps, the busses were barely used until 2014, when a proper pump was built.[35][36][37][38] The first electric bus was put into service in April 2025.[39]
The onlyfunicular in Zagreb is operated by ZET, connecting Ilica through Josip Eugen Tomić Street with Strossmayerovo Promenade to the north, on theUpper Town.[40] The funicular was built by David William Klein and opened on 8 October 1890, starting permanent operation on 23 April 1893. In 1929, the funicular became property of the City of Zagreb, and ZET took control of the maintenance and the finances of the funicular. In 1934, thesteam engines were replaced with an electric drive system.[41] It has two cars for 28 passengers each, and with a speed of 1.5 m/s takes 1 minute to complete the trip. It runs on a 1200 mm gauge track, with a length of 66 m and height 30.5 m, and inclination 52%, or 27.52°.[42][43]
ZET was the investor of the firstgondola lift in Zagreb, which started construction in 1962, and was opened in July 1963, in use until 2007. It had 88 cabins, each for 4 people. It took 23 minutes to get to the top ofMedvednica, with a height difference of 670 m. In 2007, after one of theelectric motors broke, it was concluded that the repairs would be too expensive, and the gondola lift was permanently closed.[2][44]
The new gondola lift was opened in 2022 and has 84 cabins, able to transport 1500 people per hour. The route is 5017 m long with a height difference of 754 m. The ride lasts for from 16 to 22 minutes, depending on the speed, which is around 20 km/h. The new cabins are accessible to people with disabilities and bycicles.[45][46][47]
Regarding the current situation in the number of trips in the City of Zagreb, the public urban transport allows for approximately 41.26% of trips, and 58.74% of trips using personal cars.
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