Familiar situation: every morning hundreds of people living in Austrian villages a few kilometers from Bratislava get into their own cars and drive to work or study in the city because there is simply no direct public transport. In autumn 2026, they may have an alternative — a new cross-border bus line 902, with rides free for three months.
Bratislavská integrovaná doprava (BID — Bratislava Integrated Transport, organizer of integrated transport in Bratislava region) signed a contract with carrier Arriva Mobility Solutions for a test operation of the route. On August 18, Bratislavský večerník reported. The preliminary start date is September 1, 2026, but the exact date depends on license issuance, and Bratislava region has not officially confirmed it yet.
Where the bus will go
The line will connect Petržalka (živnosť - trade license district) with four Austrian communities: Kittsee, Berg, Edelstal, and Prellenkirchen. This is interesting for Ukrainians for several reasons: some work or study in Bratislava while living in Austria, others travel for shopping or to visit friends. We add this route to our collection about transport in Slovakia.
The final route is not yet decided; two options are considered:
- If permission is granted for temporary border crossing at Kopčianska street, the line will start at Pajštúnska stop in Petržalka (živnosť - trade license district).
- The alternative is via the Berg border crossing. Then the starting stop will be Farského, where you can transfer to a tram.
According to preliminary plans, the bus will run Monday to Saturday with intervals of at least two hours. A low-floor Iveco Crossway LE 12M bus will be used on the route, writes iMHD.sk.
How much it costs and who pays
The contract price is 2.063 euros per kilometer, and during the three months of testing the bus should travel a maximum of 34,033 kilometers. So the pilot will cost about 70 thousand euros.
The money for the pilot comes from the European project NUTSHELL@CE of the Interreg Central Europe program. It runs from May 2024 to April 2027, has a budget of 2.25 million euros, and unites 12 partners from 8 countries. The project’s goal is to improve transport connections in rural and peripheral regions of Central Europe.
The project was supported by the mayors of all four Austrian communities: on March 11, 2026, an informational meeting took place at Kittsee castle with representatives of BID (Bratislava Integrated Transport) and the cross-border platform baum_cityregion.
Is there a precedent
Yes, and a quite successful one. Since 2022, a cross-border line 901 runs between Bratislava and the Austrian town Hainburg an der Donau. On working days during peak hours it runs about every 30 minutes, and a basic single ticket bought from the driver costs 2.50 euros. The experience of this line was used by organizers when preparing route 902.
What will happen next
Three months of free rides is a test. Organizers want to measure real demand: how many people board, at what times, between which stops. If passenger flow is stable, the line may remain permanent but paid, according to integrated system tariffs.
For now, Bratislava region is cautious with forecasts. “The project is already ongoing, we are currently finalizing technical and operational details of the test operation. We will announce the exact launch date after completion,” said the region’s spokeswoman Lucia Forman. So if you live near the border or regularly travel to Austria, watch for announcements: the first trip may start in a few weeks.
