April 2, 2026, 8:15 a.m.
(The Odesa tram. PHOTO: Municipal enterprise "Odesmiskelektrotrans" / Facebook)
On April 2, Odesa reopened the country's longest tram route No. 7 North-South, which connects remote areas of the city. After months of downtime due to the energy crisis, electric vehicles are gradually returning to their routes.
This was reported by the press service of Odesmiskelectrotrans.
The route connects Peresypskyi and Kyivskyi districts, passing through the central part of the city. The trams will run from Paustovskogo Street to the 11th station of Lustdorfska Road and cover more than 120 stops. The total length of the route is 64 kilometers in both directions, making it critically important for Odesa's transportation links.
According to the company, the interval on the route will be 12-13 minutes. This should ensure stable communication between the most remote areas of the city after a long break in the operation of electric transport.
Odesmiskelectrotrans started testing tram routes on March 26 and 27. The test runs were intended to check the readiness of the infrastructure and rolling stock after a long break in operation.
Electric transport in Odesa was effectively shut down on December 13, 2025, after one of the largest air attacks by Russian troops, which led to serious damage to the energy infrastructure. Due to the electricity shortage, the city was forced to switch to an alternative transportation model.
In particular, on January 5, social buses started operating in Odesa, partially or completely duplicating the routes of trams and trolleybuses. The city received 25 buses from other Ukrainian communities, including Lviv, Kropyvnytskyi, and Mykolaiv. At the end of February, the fleet was supplemented by eight more buses transferred from the Kyiv region. Rides on these buses remained free of charge.
On March 28, trams and trolleybuses started operating in test mode, with about 30% of the rolling stock on the lines. The restoration of route 7 is one of the key stages in the gradual return of urban electric transport to full operation.
Анна Бальчінос