Sarajevo Tram Line 11, Named for Dzeko, Opens September 27
Sarajevo opens its first new tram line since 1962 on September 27: the 12.9-kilometer Ilidza-Hrasnica route will run as line 11, named for national team captain Edin Dzeko.
The final test run of the tram on the new line to Sarajevo’s Hrasnica neighborhood took place today, with regular service starting tomorrow, September 27. Sarajevo Canton Transport Minister Adnan Steta and Ilidza Municipality head Nermin Muzur walked the route together after the technical inspection was completed, marking the largest transport infrastructure project in Sarajevo since the Olympics.
The new section runs 12.9 kilometers round trip and connects Ilidza with Hrasnica. It is the first expansion of the Sarajevo tram network since 1962, and the project also involved underground work: sewage and stormwater collectors were relocated, along with a number of underground utilities that crossed the route. Tram stops were built and fitted out along the line, 251 catenary poles were installed, and power is supplied by two traction substations.
“Generations heard stories about the tram to Hrasnica, and today we finished the last test run,” Steta said after the test ride, Klix reports.
The project’s investor is the Sarajevo Canton Transport Ministry, and the works were carried out by a consortium of Turkish companies, Yapi Merkezi Insaat ve Sanayi and Yapiray Demiryolu Insaat Sistemleri Sanayi ve Ticaret. Construction was supervised by a consortium made up of Yuksel Proje, PPG and Saraj Inzenjering, while funding came from a loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
Muzur said after the ride that reaching Hrasnica by tram felt special. “We heard the stories, the promises, and our generation managed to finish this project,” he said.
Why Does the Line Carry Number 11?
The new line connecting Bascarsija and Hrasnica will carry number 11, the same number captain Edin Dzeko wore on the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team jersey. Minister Steta announced the decision after Dzeko revealed he will play his final match for the national team on October 2, against Sweden in Zenica, after 151 appearances in the jersey bearing the national crest.
“Let it remain for generations to come. Captain, thank you for everything. Your Sarajevo,” Steta wrote on social media, N1 BiH reports.
Dzeko’s associate and PR representative Jasmin Ligata bid farewell to the captain, saying that after twenty years, one chapter is closing.
“One chapter, one era, the most beautiful story ever when it comes to the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team, closes on October 2 in Zenica after 20 years,” Ligata wrote.
The existing bus lines from Hrasnica, Butmir, Sokolovic Kolonija and Kovaci, which currently run to Ilidza, will keep their current schedules until it becomes clear how passengers adjust to the new tram line. The Hrasnica to Bascarsija bus line stays in service for the same reason. The Transport Ministry is urging drivers and pedestrians to observe the new traffic signals along the route, since the tram’s arrival changes the habits traffic participants are used to.
The sources do not give an exact date for when Steta announced the line would carry number 11, only that the decision followed Dzeko’s announcement about his retirement from the national team.
