As commissioned by the City of County Rank of Hódmezővásárhely, the ‘Tram-train Consortium’ comprising TRENECON COWI Kft., FŐMTERV Zrt. and Forrás Unió Kft. prepared a detailed feasibility study for the development of public transport connections between the two cities. The purpose of the development was to develop quality public transport between Hódmezővásárhely and Szeged, whereby an attractive and safe alternative may emerge as opposed to individual vehicle traffic.

In the project, FŐMTERV was responsible for conducting traffic surveys and devising the whole technical content conceptually and a feasibility study at the design level.

Tram-train represents a suburban rail-guided means of transport and connection, which connects the urban tramways (networks) of neighbouring municipalities via a Vignoles railway, thereby ensuring the quick and transfer-free connection of city centres. In Europe, tram-train systems have been present since the beginning of the 1990s. In Hungary, no such system has been established yet, but a couple of cities in Hungary other than Szeged (Debrecen and Miskolc) also plan to construct such a means of transport. The connection between the two cities of county rank located 25 km from each other is very tight, about 8,000 commutes are made between the two municipalities on an average working day.

On the basis of the conditions of the current situation, the setting of very long-term goals and the specification of means, the conceptual alternatives were as follows:

1. Development of suburban railway services between the two cities;
2. Connection of the railway and the tram system in Szeged in a tram-train system, without the construction of a tramway in Hódmezővásárhely;
3. Tram development in Hódmezővásárhely in a tram-train system, with a common platform transfer connection at the Szeged-Rókus Railway Station;
4. Introduction of a tram-train system between Hódmezővásárhely and Szeged along with tramway development in Hódmezővásárhely.

On the basis of technical, traffic and economic evaluations, Alternative IV was selected from them and devised with the following main technical content:

• Construction of a 3.3 km long single-track tramway with a passing siding and a terminal in Hódmezővásárhely;
• Development of railway line 135 between Népkert, Hódmezővásárhely and Rókus, Szeged (increasing the speed and construction of passing sidings);
• Construction of track connections between tram line 1 at Rókus, Szeged and railway line 135;
• Procurement of eight 34 m long hybrid (diesel-electric) vehicles, which are also suitable for running in Szeged;
• Development of areas adjacent to railway stations: P+R car parks and B+R bicycle parks, passenger information;
• ITS development (establishment of a stop and vehicle monitoring information system);
• Establishment of a car depot in Szeged (by expanding the site of Szegedi Közlekedési Kft.).