Swiss Partners in Vinnytsia: a Visit of Trust, Tram2000 and New Prospects for Cooperation

‘Cooperation between Vinnytsia and Switzerland is already a separate brand,’ said Silvan Hungerbühler, Deputy Head of the Cooperation Programme at the Embassy of Switzerland in Ukraine, at the beginning of a meeting with Vinnytsia Mayor Serhii Morhunov. The delegation also included Marc-Alexandre Graf, Programme Manager of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, and Mariia Druzhynina, Coordinator of the Cooperation Programme.

During the meeting, Mayor Serhii Morhunov stressed the importance of partnership with Switzerland and thanked for the long-term support that allows the city to implement large-scale infrastructure initiatives.

‘I had a very substantive dialogue with our Swiss partners. We recalled joint projects that have already become part of the city's history and discussed future initiatives. In particular, I presented the Crystal Innovation and Technology Park as a potential platform for business development. I invited Swiss companies to participate in its development. I am convinced that horizontal ties, in particular between businesses, are the most effective in building sustainable development. Switzerland is our reliable strategic partner, and we are grateful for this trust, which has lasted for almost two decades,’ said Serhii Morhunov.

The key topics of the visit included the development of public transport, energy efficiency, mobility support and environmental infrastructure. Silvan Hungerbühler and Marc-Alexandre Graf, as well as Mariia Druzhynina, visited Vinnytsia Transport Company to see how Swiss Tram2000 trams operate.

‘Swiss trams have become a part of the city's rhythm, and the support of our partners is a reliable shoulder in a difficult time for the country. Today, there are 39 Tram2000 tramcars in Vinnytsia, 29 of which are on routes and carry passengers every day. We showed our partners what work has been done to adapt this transport. The specialists of our transport company are making technical modifications on their own to bring the cars in line with the requirements of Ukrainian legislation and the specifics of the city's infrastructure,’ said the director of the Department of Transport and Urban Mobility of Vinnytsia City Council Andrii Sorokin.

The project is also unique in that the technical adaptation of the trams is carried out directly in Vinnytsia by the company's tram depot specialists. It is not only about retrofitting the interiors, but also about bringing the vehicles up to safety standards.

‘These tramcars are being operated in Ukraine for the first time, so we are going through all the certification procedures in line with local safety standards. For example, unlike in Switzerland, where trams run on separate lines, we have shared sections with car traffic. This requires the installation of rear-view mirrors, additional turn and brake lights, as well as other elements required by our legislation. All of this is to ensure safe and comfortable passenger transportation in Vinnytsia,’ adds Andrii Sorokin.

The engineers who completed their training in Zurich are already applying their knowledge in their native Vinnytsia.

‘Tram2000s are much more complex than the Mirage we used to operate, so they require a different level of maintenance. These cars have electronic and pneumatic systems that we have not worked with before. During our internship in Zurich, we were trained by specialists who had been maintaining these cars for years. Under the guidance of the local professionals, we were given real-life practical tasks: we looked for technical faults, learnt to correct errors, worked with brake systems and engines. It was an invaluable experience that we are already using in Vinnytsia,’ says Yevhenii Dudnyk, chief engineer of the tram depot.

The Swiss partners paid special attention to infrastructure projects aimed at improving energy efficiency, conserving resources and developing sustainable urban infrastructure.

New areas of cooperation were also discussed during the visit, in particular in the areas of urban transport and energy efficiency, spatial development, and cooperation with Swiss businesses.