Tram and light rail transit systems

Orange tram
Peter Witt-Serie 28 tram in Milan

Although tram systems date to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many old systems were closed during the mid-20th century because of the advent of automobile (incl. bus) travel. This was especially the case in North America, but postwar reductions and shutdowns also occurred on British, French and other Western European urban rail networks. However, traditional tramway systems survived, and eventually even began to thrive from the late 20th century onward, some eventually operating as much as when they were first built over a century ago. Their numbers have been augmented by modern tramway or light rail systems in cities which had discarded this form of transport.

Europe

Much tramway infrastructure was lost during the mid-20th century in many European cities, although not on the same scale as in other parts of the world (such as North America). Most of Eastern Europe retained tramway systems until recently, but some cities are reconsidering their transport priorities. Some Western European cities are rehabilitating, upgrading, expanding and reconstructing old tramway lines, and many Western European towns and cities are building new tram lines.

North America

In North America (especially the United States), trams are generally known as streetcars or trolleys; a "tram" is a tourist trolley, an aerial tramway or a people mover. Streetcar lines were largely torn up during the mid-20th century for a variety of financial, technological and social reasons. Exceptions include New Orleans, Newark, Seattle, Philadelphia (with a much smaller network than before), Boston and San Francisco. Pittsburgh kept most of its streetcar system (serving the city and many suburbs) until January 27, 1967, making it the longest-lasting large-network U.S. streetcar system.

Canada

Toronto has the largest streetcar system in the Americas. Most of the country's streetcar systems disappeared after World War II, giving way to buses:

Toronto's system grew with the abandonment of streetcar operations in the United States and the rest of Canada, as the Toronto Transit Commission purchased cars from many former operators.

During the late 20th century, several cities installed light rail systems (partially along the same corridors as the streetcars). Some have restored their old streetcars and run them as a heritage ride for tourists; an example is the Vancouver Downtown Historic Railway.

Central America

Panama

Trams in Panama predate the country's founding; tram service began in 1893 in Panama City, in what was then Colombia. The last old trams stopped operating in 1941. Panama Metro began operating the first subway in mainland Central America, a 12-station system, on April 5, 2014.[1]

South America

Argentina

Red tram at a station
Former San Diego light rail car in service on the Metrotranvía Mendoza in 2015

Buenos Aires (once known as the City of Trams) had one of the world's most extensive networks, with over 857 km (535 mi) of track.[2] Most of it was dismantled during the 1960s in favor of bus transportation.

The Anglo-Argentine Tramways Company opened Latin America's first underground tram system, Subte Line A, in 1913. The original route was underground and at street level until 1926, and pantograph cars—built by La Brugeoise in Belgium—had low doors at the ends (for boarding from the street) and high doors in the middle (for boarding from a tunnel platform). Subte Line A is arguably one of the continent's first light metros. The vintage carriages (without the end doors) remained in operation until 2013.

Using Line A's surface non-revenue tracks in the Caballito neighborhood, the Asociación Amigos del Tranvía (Friends of the Tramway Association)[3] operates a heritage streetcar service with restored tram and metro cars on weekends and holidays from the Polvorín Workshop. The Tren de la Costa (Coastal Train), a light-rail service running on a right-of-way formerly used from 1891 to 1961, began in 1995. Serving tourists and commuters, it runs from the northern suburbs of Buenos Aires to Tigre along the Paraná River for about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi). The PreMetro E2 operates as a feeder at the end of Metro Line E in the western suburbs. In central Buenos Aires, the Tranvía del Este (or Puerto Madero Tramway) was an experimental tramway which operated on a 2-kilometre (1.2 mi) route in the Puerto Madero District from 2007 to 2012 with a single-car Alstom Citadis tram—two cars during the first year—on loan from Madrid. Planned extensions did not come to fruition, and low ridership led to a decision to discontinue service. The 12.6-kilometre (7.8 mi) Metrotranvía Mendoza (Mendoza Light Rail) opened for regular service in the city of Mendoza in October 2012, operating on relaid tracks on a former Ferrocarril General San Martín mainline right-of-way with LRVs (light-rail vehicles) acquired from San Diego, California.[4]

Brazil

Brazil has the largest light-rail network in Latin America, with new systems under construction. Rio de Janeiro has the largest system, with three lines, 42 stations and 30 kilometres (19 mi) of rail lines. Santos, Maceio, Fortaleza, Recife, Cariri, Sobral and Cuiaba also have light rail. The city of Santos has a 12-kilometre (7.5 mi) line with 15 stations. Fortaleza has a 20-kilometre (12 mi), 10-station line. Recife has two lines with nine stations each and 32 kilometres (20 mi) of track. Sobral has a 12-station, 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) line. The nine-station, 14-kilometre (8.7 mi) Cariri Light Rail connects the twin cities of Crato and Juazeiro do Norte. Maceió has a 15-station, 35-kilometre (22 mi) line. Cuiabá, with two lines, 23 kilometres (14 mi) of track and 33 stations, is in the final stages of implementing its light-rail system.

Asia

Green double-deck tram
Double-deck trams continue to run in Hong Kong.

Although tram systems were well-established in Asia at the start of the 20th century, they began a steady decline during the mid to late 1930s. The 1960s marked the end of the continent's dominance in public transportation, with most major systems closed and their equipment and rail sold for scrap; however, extensive original lines remain in service in Hong Kong and Japan. There is rekindled interest in trams, with modern systems being built in South Korea, Japan and the Philippines. Kolkata has Asia's oldest operating electric tram system: 36 routes, operating since 1902.

The first Japanese tram line began in 1895 as the Kyoto Electric Railroad. The tram reached its zenith in 1932, when 82 rail companies operated 1,479 kilometres (919 mi) of track in 65 cities. Its popularity declined during the rest of the decade, a trend accelerated by the Pacific War, the occupation of Japan and the rebuilding years. Although many of the remaining tramways were shut down and dismantled in favor of auto, bus, and rapid rail service during the 1960s, the system remained extensive compared to that of the United States.

Australasia

Tram at a station
Newer Citadis Melbourne tram
Yellow-and-blue tram
Flexity 2 G:link tram being tested on the Gold Coast

In Australasia, trams are used extensively only in Melbourne; all other major cities largely dismantled their networks by the 1970s. Adelaide retained one line (which has been extended), and work on a new line is in progress. Sydney reintroduced tram service in 1997 on one new line (which has been extended), with a second line scheduled to open in 2019. Ballarat, Bendigo, Christchurch and Auckland have reintroduced trams as heritage operations. The Gold Coast opened the G:link, a new light-rail line, in 2014; it was extended in 2017. The G:link is the first tram-light rail line to operate in Queensland since the closure of the Brisbane tram network in 1969. In 2017, Canberra was building its first light-rail line.

A distinctive feature of many classic Australasian trams was their early use of a lowered central section between bogies (wheel sets), intended to make passenger access easier by reducing the number of steps required to reach the inside of the vehicle. Cars with this feature were known as "drop-centres".

Africa

Egypt

Yellow tram next to a yellow car
Former Copenhagen articulated car in service on Alexandria's urban tramway
Older tram at a station
The tram from Heliopolis terminates at Cairo's Rameses Station.

Although Cairo and Alexandria have historic systems which still exist, the once-extensive Cairo urban system is nearly defunct. The express tram line to and within Masr el-Djedida (Heliopolis) is still in operation. It is an example of a surviving interurban electric railway, the ancestor of light rail. A small 1970s system in the city of Helwan, 25 kilometres (16 mi) south, is still operational. Some of Cairo's cars are former Toronto Transit Commission PCC streetcars.

Alexandria's urban system and express routes to its eastern suburbs are still in operation. The urban system operates yellow cars (including some acquired from Copenhagen), primarily on street track. The express system (Ramleh routes) operates three-car blue trains, including some double-deck cars, on largely reserved track. There are also some dual-system routes.

Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, construction by China Railway Group Limited was ongoing on Addis Ababa Light Rail in 2013.[5] The Ethiopian Railway Corporation began construction of the 34.25-kilometre (21.3 mi) double-track electrified light rail project in December 2011, funded by the Export-Import Bank of China.[6] Initially, the system would have two lines. The project was expected to take three years to complete,[5] and trial operations began in early 2015.[7]

Tunisia

Tunis had traditional trams until about 1960. A new light-rail line began operation in 1985, and has been followed by other systems.

South Africa

Public transport in South Africa began in Cape Town in May 1801, when a weekly coach service to Simon's Town was announced. The Cape's first horse-drawn omnibus was introduced, based on George Shilbeer's model. The Cape Town and Green Point Tramway Company was formed in September 1862, and began operations on April 1, 1863.

Single- and double-deck horse-drawn trams were used. Cape Town's electric tram system initially had ten cars which were built in Philadelphia. Lady Sivewright, the wife of James Sivewright, opened the new system on August 6, 1896. At the time of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897, Cape Town and its suburbs had 32 electric trams running on about 23 miles (37 km) of track. The new power station was inadequate, and had to be expanded. Tram service also existed in Pretoria, Durban and Johannesburg (where the Rand Tram, the suburban railway to Boksburg, opened in 1890), but were replaced by petrol, diesel and trolleybus systems by the early 1960s.

World's largest tram systems

City Length (km) Stops Lines Ridership (million/year) Fleet Info year
Melbourne 250 1763 24 203 500 2016[8]
Moscow 208[Note 1] 44 214.5 967 2015[9]
Saint Petersburg 205.5 41 425[Note 2] 781 2011
Cologne 194.8 12 382 2013
Berlin 190 800[Note 2] 22 174.7 2013[10][11]
Vienna 177 1071 29 293.6 525 2013[12]
Milan 160 17 527 2009[13]
Toronto 82 708 11 198 247 2012[14]
Sofia 154[Note 3] 165 15 176 2006[15][16]
Budapest 153 671 33 393.4 911 2011[17]
Leipzig 148.3 510 13 120 245 2016[18]
Prague 142.4 596 31 360 857 2017[19][20]
Brussels 139 19 123 349 2011[21]
Bucharest 139 598 24 322 483 2013[22]
Warsaw 130.5 26 328 763 2016[23]
The Hague 117 10 279 2016
Gothenburg 95 132 15 119 200 2018
Manchester 100 93 8 40 120 2017[24]
Los Angeles 158.5 4 2017
Zürich 73 14 206 258 2013[25]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ This reference ("Евгений Михайлов: Обособление трамвайных путей положительно сказывается на регулярности движения наземного городского транспорта" [Yevgeny Mikhailov: The separation of tramways' positive impact on the reliability of urban transport traffic] (in Russian). Мосгортранс [Mosgortrans]. 17 March 2014. Retrieved 2015-03-06. ) quotes the 2014 single track length of Moscow's tram network to be 416 kilometres (258 mi) – for the purposes of this table, the double track system length of Moscow's tram network is assumed to be roughly half that figure, or approximately 208 kilometres (129 mi).
  2. 1 2 Estimate
  3. ↑ This reference ("Urban transport – History of Sofia Trams". Sofia Urban Mobility Center. 2015. Retrieved 2015-03-01. ) quotes the 2006 single track length of Sofia's tram network to be 308 kilometres (191 mi) – for the purposes of this table, the double track system length of Sofia's tram network is assumed to be roughly half that figure, or approximately 154 kilometres (96 mi).

References

  1. ↑ Etoniru, Nneka; Leme, Luisa; Glickhouse, Rachel (21 April 2014). "On the Rails in Panama City: Central America's First Metro Unveiled". Americas Society – Council of the Americas.
  2. ↑ www.tranvia.org.ar Archived July 28, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Apuntes sobre la Historia Del Tranvía en Buenos Aires(Spanish) Information and photographs – accessed October 25, 2010
  3. ↑ www.tranvia.org.ar Association of Tramway Friends – accessed December 10, 2008
  4. ↑ "Mendoza light rail service begins" (December 2012). Tramways & Urban Transit, p. 451. UK: LRTA Publishing.
  5. 1 2 "Addis Light Rail Progress". Railways Africa. 2 October 2013. Retrieved 2013-11-25.
  6. ↑ "Corporation discloses/Addis light rail project detail". The Ethiopian Herald. March 10, 2013. Archived from the original on November 9, 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  7. ↑ "中国企业承建的埃塞俄比亚首都城市轻轨开始试运行(高清组图)" (in Chinese). February 2, 2015. Archived from the original on July 4, 2017. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Facts & figures". Yarra Trams. 2016. Retrieved 2017-04-06.
  9. ↑ "О предприятии" [About the company] (in Russian). Мосгортранс [Mosgortrans]. Retrieved 2015-03-05.
  10. ↑ "Lines & Networks – Means of transport and lines – Tram – Trams". BVG. Archived from the original on 2014-07-27. Retrieved 2014-04-30.
  11. ↑ "Zahlenspiegel 2014" [Statistics 2014] (pdf) (in German). Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG). 31 December 2013. p. 2. Retrieved 2015-03-05.
  12. ↑ "Unternehmen / Zahlen, Daten, Fakten / 2013" [Company Profile / Figures, Data, Facts / 2013] (pdf) (in German). Wiener Linien. 2013. p. 4. Retrieved 2015-02-28.
  13. ↑ http://www.iclei-europe.org/fileadmin/template/events/ecoprocura2009/files/PDF/C1_CrociPT.pdf
  14. ↑ http://www.ttc.ca/PDF/Transit_expansion_PDFs/Streetcar_network_Factsheet.pdf
  15. ↑ "Urban transport – History of Sofia Trams". Sofia Urban Mobility Center. 2013. Retrieved 2015-03-01.
  16. ↑ "Route network of tram lines of Sofia's public transportation" (PDF). Sofia Urban Mobility Center. 2015. Retrieved 2015-03-01.
  17. ↑ "BKV.hu" (PDF). www.bkv.hu.
  18. ↑ "Statistisches Jahrbuch Leipzig 2017" (PDF).
  19. ↑ "Praha chce stavět tramvajové linky do středních Čech". Novinky.cz (in Czech).
  20. ↑ "Pražská MHD loni přepravila o 9,6 procent více cestujících. Využila ji více než miliarda lidí". Aktuálně.cz (in Czech). 7 March 2017.
  21. ↑ http://www.mivb.be/irj/go/km/docs/STIB-MIVB/INTERNET/attachments/Bilan_2011/STIB_FiguresStatistics_2011.pdf
  22. ↑ http://www.ratb.ro/docpdf/statistic_2013.pdf
  23. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on September 13, 2012. Retrieved September 13, 2012.
  24. ↑ http://www.metrolink.co.uk/pages/news.aspx?newsID=555
  25. ↑ "Zahlen & Fakten – Stadt Zürich". www.stadt-zuerich.ch.
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