Public transport in Bucharest began with horse-drawn trams, introduced in 1871, just two years after they started operating in Timișoara. Initially, trams were pulled by horses and ran on limited routes, but they played an essential role in residents’ urban mobility. At the time, only boyars (nobles) could own private carriages, so collective transport was indispensable for everyone else. The first step toward modernization came on December 9, 1894, when the first electric tram in Bucharest entered service on the Obor–Cotroceni route.

The electric tram, introduced under the administration of the Romanian Tramways Company (Societatea Română de Tramvaie), surprisingly received the number 14. This numbering did not reflect the chronological order of electric lines, but the fact that 13 horse-tram lines already existed, each marked with a distinctive color so that illiterate people could recognize them. Line 14, painted green, crossed the city from east to west and thus became the first step toward electrifying Bucharest’s transport network.

The route and organization of line 14

Initially, the Obor terminus was at Iancului School, and the line was gradually extended to the Pantelimon barrier (city gate). With minor changes, the basic route has remained similar even today: it started at the Power Plant (Uzina Electrică), crossed the Dâmbovița River over the Domnița Maria Bridge, then continued along Queen Elisabeta Boulevard, Academiei, Carol I, and Pache Protopopescu boulevards.

The decision to introduce electric trams sparked heated debate. Opponents argued that Romania was an agrarian country and that reducing the number of horses used for tram traction would hurt local farms, veterinarians, and associated trades such as harness-making and horseshoeing. However, the Mayor of Bucharest at the time, Barbu Ștefănescu Delavrancea, rejected these arguments, emphasizing the need to modernize the city and avoid falling behind other European countries. In the Municipal Gazette (Monitorul Comunal) no. 45 from 1900, Delavrancea cited Switzerland as an example where agricultural production had not prevented the adoption of electric trams.

Horse trams and their end

Horse trams continued to run for another three decades, with the last car withdrawn in 1929. After they disappeared, a few rails remained on Ion Ghica and Smârdan streets, but these were likely handed over as scrap metal to the Soviet allies after 1944. The electric network expanded rapidly between 1900 and 1935, allowing passengers to reach almost any point in the city, and the lines began to modernize as full electrification took hold.

The development of modern trams and the communist period

During the communist period, the tram network underwent major changes. Stops were spaced farther apart, central lines were disconnected, and route termini were pushed outward. These changes reduced flexibility but still allowed passengers to travel between peripheral neighborhoods and the city center.

The first modern Romanian tram, with a 65% low floor, was produced in 2009 at the URAC factory, near Colentina Hospital. Named Bucur LF – CA and nicknamed “The Locust” because of its olive color and toughness, the tram was adapted to Bucharest’s infrastructure. To date, 15 such trams have been built, most of them running on line 1. A prototype with an 80% low floor is under development, aiming to match modern international models equipped with ramps for passengers with disabilities.

The history of the Bucharest Tramways Company

STB—then called the Bucharest Tramways Company (Societatea Tramvaielor București)—was established in 1908 with the mission of electrifying the tram network. In 1921, STB became the most important public transport company in Romania and one of the largest in Europe. Its fleet included buses on Renault, Henschel, or Chevrolet chassis, operating on 22 routes totaling 131 km of double track.

After World War II, the company became the Bucharest Transport Enterprise (Întreprinderea de Transport București, ITB). In 1949, the first trolleybus line was introduced, and between 1972 and 1980 ITB reached its peak, with 800 trams, 2,500 buses, and 700 trolleybuses, ranking as the fourth-largest transport company in the world.

The modern era of Bucharest transport

After the Revolution, ITB was transformed into the Autonomous Administration of Bucharest Transport (R.A.T.B.). In 1991, 150 new buses were introduced under the Camel brand, and in 2005–2006 the Bucur-LF low-floor trams and Mercedes-Benz Citaro buses began replacing the classic paper ticketing system, with contactless cards being introduced.

Today, STB remains essential to the capital’s mobility, even though the infrastructure is not fully modernized. Line 14 continues to symbolize Bucharest’s shift toward electric transport, maintaining an almost intact initial route and showing that some decisions made more than a century ago still shape urban life.

Retrospective and conclusions

Bucharest’s first electric tram line—line 14—was a decisive step toward modernizing the city. The initial reluctance, tied to potential job losses for farriers or to Romania’s “predominantly agricultural” character, seems quaint now, but it reflects a common reaction to technological change. The green-painted, number-14 electric tram gradually became part of the city, and the public transport network evolved alongside Bucharest, adapting to urban and technological shifts. From horse-drawn trams to the modern “Locust,” the history of public transport in the capital is a clear example of continuous transformation and adaptation to residents’ needs.