Doesn’t the name S\u00f6rgy\u00e1r sound intriguing? It is the final destination of the 37A tram. The 37A tram runs between Blaha Lujza Square and S\u00f6rgy\u00e1r. The Budapesti K\u00f6zleked\u00e9si Zrt operates it.
The 37A is not just any tram. It is a supplementary service. The 37 tram covers the full route to the New Public Cemetery. The 37A tram helps to fill in the gaps.
Let’s dive into its history. On August 16 1944 the BSZKRT introduced the 37A. It ran between Orczy Square and Sibrik Mikl\u00f3s Street. This service only lasted a week. Anew tram 53 then ran from K\u00f6zv\u00e1g\u00f3h\u00edd.
The 37A resurfaced on February 18 1957. This time it ran from Orczy Square to J\u00e1szber\u00e9nyi Street. This happened when the 37 tram extended to Akna Street. The supplementary service disappeared again on June 16 1958. This was during the reorganisation of the K\u0151b\u00e1nya routes.
The 37A reappeared on September 17 1961. It ran on public holidays. From January 13 1964 it also ran during peak hours and Saturday afternoons. It supplemented the 37 tram. The 37 tram extended to the New Public Cemetery during these times. At other times the 37A ran between J\u00f3zsef k\u00f6r\u00fat and Akna Street.
In 1968 the BKV took over tram operations. On August 31 1977 the 37A was discontinued again. It was reintroduced on January 20 1992. At that time it replaced the 37 tram in the evenings and weekends.
Since September 1 2005 the 37A only runs to S\u00f6rgy\u00e1r. On August 1 2012 the M\u00c1V X stop was removed. Passenger traffic had decreased. In 2013 a side gate opened at the Fiumei Road Cemetery. As a result the Salg\u00f3tarj\u00e1ni Street Cemetery stop was reopened. TW6000 trams with passenger request stops were introduced. This helped avoid unnecessary stops.
What trams can you expect on the 37A today? On weekdays you will usually find TW 6000 trams. On weekends \u010cKD\u2013BKV Tatra T5C5K trams are used. The trams are stored in Baross and Sz\u00e1va depots.
Tatra T5C5 trams were used from the beginning. In 1997 the Zugl\u00f3 depot temporarily provided trams. This was due to renovations on tram line 1. On December 15 2000 Ganz CSMG trams replaced the Tatra trams. This was due to the extension of tram line 1. Ferencv\u00e1ros again provided the trams from September 3 2005. From July 1 2008 the Baross depot also provided trams. On December 20 2008 Tatra trams returned to the line. On June 16 2013 TW 6000 trams from the Sz\u00e1va depot replaced them. In 2014 Tatra T5C5 trams were temporarily used again. This was because of renovations on tram line 3. From August 1 2015 Ferencv\u00e1ros again provided the trams. Since January 2019 the Sz\u00e1va depot has provided them.
The 37A tram offers several connections. You can connect to trams 28 and 28A at multiple stops. These include Blaha Lujza T\u00e9r M II. J\u00e1nos P\u00e1l p\u00e1pa t\u00e9r M Teleki L\u00e1szl\u00f3 t\u00e9r Magdolna utca \u00c9lessarok and S\u00f6rgy\u00e1r. At Blaha Lujza T\u00e9r M you can also connect to trams 4 and 6. Several bus lines also connect to the 37A at various points.