Planning and construction The design of the Metrotram seen in Kryvyi Rih has its roots in the socialist urban planning guidelines that were formulated in the 1960s, based on models of the emergence of new urban centers and the transport arrangements that would suit them, in particular, how a small settlement would grow into a full-sized city, and at which point a
rapid transit system would need to be built. At the time, Kryvyi Rih already had a developed
tram network, but like most urban centers, overcrowding and widespread congestion proved too much for the light rail to serve as the main transport arteries. Moreover, the city was destroyed in
World War II and rebuilt, with all the requirements of a modern city considered in planning. The city was chosen to test whether the construction of a full-scale metro system could be avoided by adopting a
light rail design for a socialist city, one that uses tram rolling stock but meets the standards of the metro. Also, the Metrotram was intended to serve only an interim, albeit necessary, role, with provision for conversion into a full
rapid transit system. The project was developed in 1972 by the Kharkiv Institute "UkrkomunNDIproekt", the and "Kharkivmetroproekt" of the . According to Soviet standards, the construction of the metro was envisaged only in cities with a population of over a million, but the population of Kryvyi Rih in the 1970s was only about 700 thousand residents. Construction began in 1974. In Kryvyi Rih, the Metrotram route was built from scratch, with most of the section running along the surface, except for underground sections in the city center wherever needed. All of the underground dimensions were made with provision for eventual conversion into a full metro system. Each metro station is an architectural monument for its neighborhood, in the style of late
Soviet architecture. and on 19 May 2001 "
Miska Likarnia" station opened. "
Vovnopriadylna" station was also supposed to open, but was never completed due to lack of passenger demand after plans for a residnetial area nearby was cancelled. By the year 2001, the metrotram system measured at almost with 11 stations. On 28 February 2007, the
Kryvyi Rih City Council voted to rename "Zhovtneva" station to "Hutovsky" station in honor of late mayor who governed during the construction and opening of the Metrotram. In 2012, the southern end of the line was connected with the city's conventional
tram system and an additional route was created extending to the nearby metallurgical plant and closest tram stops, which opened on 25 May 2012. During this project, "
Kiltseva" station needed renovation to allow for the expansion, but led to controversy over its high cost of about ₴ 3.8 million
hryvnias (about $250 thousand
USD). Criticism also arose over the poor vehicle quality leading to several breakdowns and traffic complications on the first day of opening. In 2016, three stations in the system were renamed to comply with
decommunization in Ukraine, with "Hutovsky" renamed as "
Soniachna", "Maidan Artema" renamed as "
Vechirnii Bulvar", and "Dzerzhinskaya" renamed as "
Mudriona". In Winter 2017, a new route towards
NKGZK was launched, and also, route was extended to
PivdHZK (Southern Mining and Processing Plant). On 1 May 2021 Kryvyi Rih became the first city in Ukraine to introduce free travel in public transport for its citizens. In Spring 2022 travel by city public transport became free for all passengers. On January 8, 2024, a missile strike by Russian occupiers damaged the line and contact network on the section between "
Vechirnii Bulvar" and "
Miska Likarnia" stations, with traffic reopening three days later.
Timeline , like the other stations, was built up to a full metro standard ==Facts and figures==