Warsaw orders another 50 Solaris articulated diesel buses suitable for evacuation duties

Warsaw is further expanding its special-purpose fleet: the city’s public transport authority, Zarząd Transportu Miejskiego (ZTM), has signed a contract for the procurement of another 50 Solaris Urbino 18 diesel-powered articulated buses. The latest order expands on an agreement concluded in December 2025, originally covering 120 vehicles, under which the Polish capital has secured the purchase of a total of 170 new articulated buses. What makes the contract unusual is that the vehicles will be suitable not only for day-to-day public transport operations, but also for emergency, civil protection and evacuation duties.

The public procurement procedure concluded last December originally covered the delivery of 120 18-metre Solaris Urbino 18 buses, while also allowing for the purchase of a further 100 vehicles of identical specification in two separate batches of 50. ZTM has now signed a contract for the first such extension, valued at approximately PLN 145 million. This represents an average procurement cost of PLN 2.9 million per vehicle, or approximately HUF 240 million, compared with a unit value of PLN 2.7 million for the original order.

The buses ordered under the extension are therefore approximately 7.4% more expensive than the original 120 vehicles. However, the difference is not necessarily attributable to a change in technical specification, as the procurement concerns buses of the same type and configuration. The price of the later order was determined through separate negotiations, meaning that the unit price in the original contract was not automatically applicable. The difference may also have been influenced by changes in manufacturing and supplier costs in the meantime, as well as the later delivery schedule, although the transport authority did not provide a detailed explanation of their actual role.

The unit procurement price was, however, already considered high in the case of the original order when compared with conventional urban diesel articulated buses. This is explained by the vehicles’ dual purpose: in addition to public transport operations, they are also being prepared for civil protection and evacuation duties, with provision for four stretchers in each vehicle. The design and conversion work associated with the special configuration, as well as the cost of the stretchers and their securing equipment, are also included in the procurement.

Delivery of the newly ordered 50 buses may begin on 22 October 2027, in batches of ten as planned. Meanwhile, the first examples from the original fleet of 120 vehicles could arrive in Warsaw as early as the end of this year: delivery of the first ten buses is scheduled for the first week of December, while delivery of the full base quantity must be completed by July 2027. The combined value of the two contracts is close to PLN 469 million.

The fully low-floor, 18-metre buses will each be capable of carrying 133 passengers, including 39 seated. The vehicles will be fitted with Euro 6 diesel engines, air conditioning, a modern passenger information system and an alcohol interlock for drivers. Photovoltaic panels will also be installed on the roof to reduce onboard energy consumption. Accessible travel will be supported by wheelchair spaces, a fold-out ramp, a kneeling function that lowers the floor height of the passenger compartment at stops, and push-buttons with Braille lettering. The safety equipment will also include driver assistance and monitoring systems compliant with the European Union’s GSR II requirements. The vehicles’ most important feature, however, is naturally their aforementioned dual-purpose design.

The vehicles will be put into service by Warsaw’s municipal bus operator, Miejskie Zakłady Autobusowe (MZA). Solaris has so far delivered more than 1,750 buses to the Polish capital, including conventional diesel, hybrid, gas-powered and fully electric vehicles. With the latest contract, Warsaw has used half of the originally available option for a total of 100 additional vehicles, leaving scope for the procurement of a further 50 articulated buses.