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Tram

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With more than 14,000 units built,Tatra T3is the most widely produced tram model in history.
Zürich trammultiple-unit train

Atram(also known as astreetcarortrolleyin theUnited States) is a type ofurban rail transitconsisting of either individualrailcarsor self-propelledmultiple unit trainsthat run ontramway trackson urban public streets; some include segments on segregatedright-of-way.[1][2][3]The tramlines or tram networks operated aspublic transportare called tramways or simply trams/streetcars. Because of their close similarities, trams are commonly included in the wider termlight rail,[4]which also includes systems separated from other traffic.

Tram vehicles are usually lighter and shorter thanmain lineandrapid transittrains. Most trams use electrical power, usually fed by apantographsliding on anoverhead line;older systems may use atrolley poleor abow collector.In some cases, acontact shoeon athird railis used. If necessary, they may have dual power systems—electricity in city streets and diesel in more rural environments. Occasionally, trams also carryfreight.Some trams, known astram-trains,may have segments that run on mainline railway tracks, similar tointerurbansystems. The differences between these modes of rail transport are often indistinct, and systems may combine multiple features.

Melbourne E-Class Tram.TheMelbourne tram networkis the largest in the world, with 250 km (160 mi) of track.

One of the advantages over earlier forms of transit was the lowrolling resistanceof metal wheels onsteelrails, allowing the trams to haul a greater load for a given effort. Another factor which contributed to the rise of trams was the hightotal cost of ownershipof horses. Electric trams largely replaced animal power in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Improvements in other vehicles such asbusesled to decline of trams in early to mid 20th century. However, trams have seen resurgence since the 1980s.

History

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Creation

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The history of passenger trams, streetcars and trolley systems, began in the early nineteenth century. It can be divided into several distinct periods defined by the principal means of power used. Precursors to the tramway included the wooden or stonewagonwaysthat were used in central Europe to transportmine cartswith unflanged wheels since the 1500s, and the paved limestone trackways designed by the Romans for heavy horse and ox-drawn transportation. By the 1700s, pavedplatewayswithcast ironrails were introduced in England for transporting coal, stone or iron ore from the mines to the urban factories and docks.

Horse-drawn

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A horse-drawn tram operated bySwansea and Mumbles Railway,1870. Established in 1804, the railway service was the world's first.

The world's first passenger train or tram was theSwansea and Mumbles Railway,inWales,UK. The British Parliament passed the Mumbles Railway Act in 1804, and horse-drawn service started in 1807.[5]The service closed in 1827, but was restarted in 1860, again using horses.[6]It was worked by steam from 1877, and then, from 1929, by very large (106-seat) electric tramcars, until closure in 1960.[7]The Swansea and Mumbles Railway was something of a one-off however, and no street tramway appeared in Britain until 1860 when one was built inBirkenheadby the AmericanGeorge Francis Train.[8]

Street railways developed in America before Europe, due to the poorpavingof the streets in American cities which made them unsuitable forhorsebuses,which were then common on the well-paved streets of European cities. Running the horsecars on rails allowed for a much smoother ride. There are records of a street railway running inBaltimoreas early as 1828, however the first authenticated streetcar in America, was theNew York and Harlem Railroaddeveloped by the Irish coach builderJohn Stephenson,in New York City which began service in the year 1832.[9][10]The New York and Harlem Railroad'sFourth Avenue Lineran along theBoweryandFourth Avenuein New York City. It was followed in 1835 by theNew Orleans and Carrollton RailroadinNew Orleans, Louisiana,[11]which still operates as theSt. Charles Streetcar Line.Other American cities did not follow until the 1850s, after which the "animal railway" became an increasingly common feature in the larger towns.[11]

The first permanent tram line in continental Europe was opened in Paris in 1855 byAlphonse Loubatwho had previously worked on American streetcar lines.[12]The tram was developed in numerous cities of Europe (some of the most extensive systems were found in Berlin,Budapest,Birmingham,Saint Petersburg,Lisbon,London,Manchester,Paris,Kyiv).

A horse-drawntram in Sydney,1894. The city saw Australia's first tram service open in 1860.

The first tram in South America opened in 1858 inSantiago, Chile.The first trams in Australia opened in 1860 inSydney.Africa's first tram service started inAlexandriaon 8 January 1863. The first trams in Asia opened in 1869 inBatavia (Jakarta), Netherlands East Indies (Indonesia).

Limitations of horsecars included the fact that any given animal could only work so many hours on a given day, had to be housed, groomed, fed and cared for day in and day out, and produced prodigious amounts of manure, which the streetcar company was charged with storing and then disposing. Since a typical horse pulled a streetcar for about a dozen miles a day and worked for four or five hours, many systems needed ten or more horses in stable for each horsecar. In 1905 the British newspaperNewcastle Daily Chroniclereported that, "A large number of London's discarded horse tramcars have been sent toLincolnshirewhere they are used as sleeping rooms forpotato pickers".[13]

Horse-drawn trams continued to be used inNew York Cityuntil 1917.

Horses continued to be used for light shunting well into the 20th century, and many large metropolitan lines lasted into the early 20th century. New York City had a regular horsecar service on theBleecker Street Lineuntil its closure in 1917.[14]Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,had its Sarah Street line drawn by horses until 1923. The last regular mule-drawn cars in the US ran inSulphur Rock, Arkansas,until 1926 and were commemorated by aU.S. postage stampissued in 1983.[15]The last mule tram service inMexico Cityended in 1932, and a mule tram inCelaya, Mexico,survived until 1954.[16]The last horse-drawn tram to be withdrawn from public service in the UK took passengers fromFintonarailway station to Fintona Junction one mile away on the main Omagh to Enniskillen railway in Northern Ireland. The tram made its last journey on 30 September 1957 when the Omagh to Enniskillen line closed. The "van" is preserved at theUlster Transport Museum.

Horse-drawn trams still operate on the 1876-builtDouglas Bay Horse Tramwayon theIsle of Man,and at the 1894-builthorse tramatVictor HarborinSouth Australia.New horse-drawn systems have been established at theHokkaidōMuseum in Japan and also inDisneyland.A horse-tram route inPolishgmina Mrozy,first built in 1902, was reopened in 2012.

Steam

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A steamtram enginefrom theCologne-Bonn Railway,pulling a train throughBrühlmarketplace, c. 1900

The first mechanical trams were powered bysteam.[17]Generally, there were two types of steam tram. The first and most common had a smallsteam locomotive(called atram enginein the UK) at the head of a line of one or more carriages, similar to a small train. Systems with such steam trams includedChristchurch,New Zealand; Sydney, Australia; other city systems inNew South Wales;Munich,Germany (from August 1883 on),[18]British India(from 1885) and the Dublin & Blessington Steam Tramway (from 1888) in Ireland. Steam tramways also were used on the suburban tramway lines aroundMilanandPadua;the lastGamba de Legn( "Peg-Leg" ) tramway ran on the Milan-Magenta-Castano Primo route in late 1957.[19]

The other style of steam tram had the steam engine in the body of the tram, referred to as atram engine(UK) orsteam dummy(US). The most notable system to adopt such trams was in Paris. French-designed steam trams also operated inRockhampton,in the Australian state ofQueenslandbetween 1909 and 1939.Stockholm,Sweden, had a steam tram line at the island ofSödermalmbetween 1887 and 1901.

Tram engines usually had modifications to make them suitable for street running in residential areas. The wheels, and other moving parts of the machinery, were usually enclosed for safety reasons and to make the engines quieter. Measures were often taken to prevent the engines from emitting visible smoke or steam. Usually the engines usedcokerather than coal as fuel to avoid emitting smoke;condensersorsuperheatingwere used to avoid emitting visible steam. A major drawback of this style of tram was the limited space for the engine, so that these trams were usually underpowered. Steam trams faded out around the 1890s to 1900s, being replaced by electric trams.

Cable-hauled

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Winding drums of theLondon and Blackwallcable-operated railway

Another motive system for trams was the cable car, which was pulled along afixed trackby a moving steel cable, the cable usually running in a slot below the street level. The power to move the cable was normally provided at a "powerhouse" site a distance away from the actual vehicle. TheLondon and Blackwall Railway,which opened for passengers in east London, England, in 1840 used such a system.[20]

The first practical cable car line was tested inSan Francisco,in 1873. Part of its success is attributed to the development of an effective and reliablecable gripmechanism, to grab and release the moving cable without damage. The second city to operate cable trams wasDunedin,from 1881 to 1957.[21]

The most extensive cable system in the US was built inChicagoin stages between 1859 and 1892. New York City developed multiple cable car lines, that operated from 1883 to 1909.[22]Los Angeles also had several cable car lines, including the Second Street Cable Railroad, which operated from 1885 to 1889, and the Temple Street Cable Railway, which operated from 1886 to 1898.[citation needed]

The firstcable car service in Melbourne,1885. From its founding to 1940, Melbourne operated one of the largest cable car networks in the world.

From 1885 to 1940, the city ofMelbourne,Victoria, Australia operated one of the largest cable systems in the world, at its peak running 592 trams on 75 kilometres (47 mi) of track. There were also two isolated cable lines inSydney,New South Wales, Australia; the North Sydney line from 1886 to 1900, and the King Street line from 1892 to 1905.[citation needed]

InDresden,Germany, in 1901 an elevatedsuspendedcable car following theEugen Langen one-railed floating tram systemstarted operating. Cable cars operated onHighgate Hillin North London andKenningtontoBrixtonHill in South London.[when?]They also worked around "Upper Douglas" in theIsle of Manfrom 1897 to 1929 (cable car 72/73 is the sole survivor of the fleet).[citation needed]

In Italy, inTrieste,theTrieste–Opicina tramwaywas opened in 1902, with the steepest section of the route being negotiated with the help of afunicularand its cables.[citation needed]

Cable cars suffered from highinfrastructurecosts, since an expensive system ofcables,pulleys,stationary enginesand lengthy underground vault structures beneath the rails had to be provided. They also required physical strength and skill to operate, and alert operators to avoid obstructions and other cable cars. The cable had to be disconnected ( "dropped" ) at designated locations to allow the cars to coast by inertia, for example when crossing another cable line. The cable then had to be "picked up" to resume progress, the whole operation requiring precise timing to avoid damage to the cable and the grip mechanism. Breaks and frays in the cable, which occurred frequently, required the complete cessation of services over a cable route while the cable was repaired. Due to overall wear, the entire length of cable (typically several kilometres) had to be replaced on a regular schedule. After the development of reliable electrically powered trams, the costly high-maintenance cable car systems were rapidly replaced in most locations.[citation needed]

TheSan Francisco cable car's effectiveness in hilly environments partially explains its continued use.

Cable cars remained especially effective in hilly cities, since their nondriven wheels did notlose tractionas they climbed or descended a steep hill. The moving cable pulled the car up the hill at a steady pace, unlike a low-powered steam or horse-drawn car. Cable cars do have wheel brakes andtrack brakes,but the cable also helps restrain the car to going downhill at a constant speed. Performance in steep terrain partially explains the survival of cable cars in San Francisco.[citation needed]

TheSan Francisco cable cars,though significantly reduced in number, continue to provide regular transportation service, in addition to being a well-knowntourist attraction.A single cable line also survives inWellington(rebuilt in 1979 as afunicularbut still called the "Wellington Cable Car"). Another system, with two separate cable lines and a shared power station in the middle, operates from the Welsh town ofLlandudnoup to the top of theGreat Ormehill inNorth Wales,UK.[citation needed]

Liquid fossil fuel

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The only petrol-driven tram ofStockholms Spårvägar,on line 19, in the 1920s

Hastingsand some other tramways, for exampleStockholms Spårvägarin Sweden and some lines inKarachi,usedpetroltrams.Galveston Island Trolleyin Texas operateddiesel tramsdue to the city's hurricane-prone location, which would have resulted in frequent damage to an electrical supply system. AlthoughPortland, Victoriapromotes itstourist tram[23]as being a cable car it actually operates using a diesel motor. The tram, which runs on a circular route around the town of Portland, uses dummies and salons formerly used on theMelbourne cable tramway systemand since restored.

Gas fossil fuel

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In the late 19th and early 20th centuries a number of systems in various parts of the world employed trams powered by gas,naphthagas orcoal gasin particular. Gas trams are known to have operated betweenAlphingtonandClifton Hillin the northern suburbs ofMelbourne,Australia (1886–1888); in Berlin andDresden,Germany; inEstonia(1921–1951); betweenJelenia Góra,Cieplice,andSobieszówin Poland (from 1897); and in the UK atLytham St Annes,Trafford Park,Manchester (1897–1908) andNeath,Wales (1896–1920).

Comparatively little has been published about gas trams. However, research on the subject was carried out for an article in the October 2011 edition of "The Times", the historical journal of the Australian Association of Timetable Collectors, later renamed the Australian Timetable Association.[24][25][26][27]

Electric

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Gross-Lichterfelde Tramin 1882. Early electric trams operated by the company lackedoverhead wires,drawing current from the rails.

The world's first electric tram line operated inSestroretsknearSaint Petersburginvented and tested by inventorFyodor Pirotskyin 1875.[28][29]Later, using a similar technology, Pirotsky put into service the first public electric tramway in St. Petersburg, which operated only during September 1880.[30] The second demonstration tramway was presented by Siemens & Halske at the 1879 Berlin Industrial Exposition. The first public electric tramway used for permanent service was theGross-Lichterfelde tramwayinLichterfeldenear Berlin in Germany, which opened in 1881. It was built byWerner von Siemenswho contacted Pirotsky. This was the world's first commercially successful electric tram. It drew current from the rails at first, withoverhead wirebeing installed in 1883.[31]

In Britain,Volk's Electric Railwaywas opened in 1883 in Brighton. This two kilometer line along the seafront,re-gaugedto2 ft8+12in(825 mm) in 1884, remains in service as the oldest operating electric tramway in the world. Also in 1883,Mödling and Hinterbrühl Tramwas opened nearViennain Austria. It was the first tram in the world in regular service that was run with electricity served by an overhead line withpantographcurrent collectors.TheBlackpool Tramwaywas opened in Blackpool, UK on 29 September 1885 using conduit collection along Blackpool Promenade. This system is still in operation in modernised form.[32]

The earliest tram system in Canada was built byJohn Joseph Wright,brother of the famous mining entrepreneurWhitaker Wright,inTorontoin 1883, introducing electric trams in 1892. In the US, multiple experimentalelectric tramswere exhibited at the 1884World Cotton CentennialWorld's Fair inNew Orleans, Louisiana,but they were not deemed good enough to replace theLammfireless engines then propelling theSt. Charles Avenue Streetcarin that city. The first commercial installation of an electric streetcar in the United States was built in 1884 inCleveland, Ohio,and operated for a period of one year by the East Cleveland Street Railway Company.[33]The first city-wide electric streetcar system was implemented in1886inMontgomery, Alabama,by theCapital City Street RailwayCompany, and ran for 50 years.[34]

In 1888, theRichmond Union Passenger Railwaybegan to operate trams inRichmond, Virginia,thatFrank J. Spraguehad built. Sprague later developedmultiple unitcontrol, first demonstrated in Chicago in 1897, allowing multiple cars to be coupled together and operated by a single motorman. This gave rise to the modernsubwaytrain. Following the improvement of an overhead "trolley" system on streetcars for collecting electricity fromoverhead wiresby Sprague, electric tram systems were rapidly adopted across the world.[35]

Earlier electric trains proved difficult or unreliable and experienced limited success until the second half of the 1880s, when new types of current collectors were developed.[30]Siemens' line, for example, provided power through a live rail and a return rail, like amodel train,limiting thevoltagethat could be used, and deliveringelectric shocksto people and animals crossing the tracks.[36]Siemens later designed his own version of overhead current collection, called thebow collector.One of the first systems to use it was inThorold, Ontario,opened in 1887, and it was considered quite successful. While this line proved quite versatile as one of the earliest fully functional electric streetcar installations, it required horse-drawn support while climbing theNiagara Escarpmentand for two months of the winter whenhydroelectricitywas not available. It continued in service in its original form into the 1950s.[citation needed]

Sidney Howe Shortdesigned and produced the firstelectric motorthat operated a streetcar without gears. The motor had itsarmaturedirect-connected to thestreetcar'saxlefor the driving force.[37][38][39][40][41]Short pioneered "use of a conduit system of concealed feed" thereby eliminating the necessity ofoverhead wireand atrolley polefor street cars and railways.[42][37][38]While at the University of Denver he conducted experiments which established thatmultiple unitpowered cars were a better way to operate trains and trolleys.[37][38]

Atram in Budapestin 1908. The city established a network of electric trams in 1894.

Electric tramways spread to many European cities in the 1890s, such as:

  • Prague, Bohemia (then in the Austro-Hungarian Empire), in 1891;
  • Kyiv, Ukraine,in 1892;
  • Dresden, Germany; Lyon, France; and Milan and Genoa, Italy,Douglas, Isle of Manin 1893;
  • Rome, Italy: Plauen, Germany; Bucharest, Romania;[43]Lviv, Ukraine;Belgrade, Serbia in 1894;
  • Bristol, United Kingdom; and Munich, Germany in 1895;
  • Bilbao, Spain, in 1896;
  • Copenhagen, Denmark; and Vienna, Austria, in 1897;
  • Florence and Turin, Italy, in 1898;
  • Helsinki, Finland; and Madrid and Barcelona, Spain, in 1899.[30]

Sarajevobuilt a citywide system of electric trams in 1895.[44]Budapestestablishedits tramway systemin 1887, and its ring line has grown to be the busiest tram line in Europe, with a tram running once per minute at rush hour.BucharestandBelgrade[45]ran a regular service from 1894.[46][47]Ljubljanaintroducedits tram systemin 1901 – it closed in 1958.[48]Oslohad the first tramway inScandinavia,starting operation on 2 March 1894.[49]

The first electric tramway in Australia was a Sprague system demonstrated at the 1888Melbourne Centennial ExhibitioninMelbourne;afterwards, this was installed as a commercial venture operating between the outer Melbourne suburb ofBox Hilland the then tourist-oriented country townDoncasterfrom 1889 to 1896.[50]Electric systems were also built inAdelaide,Ballarat,Bendigo,Brisbane,Fremantle,Geelong,Hobart,Kalgoorlie,Launceston,Leonora,Newcastle,Perth,andSydney.

Melbourne Tram system in 1979. Melbourne remained the only city to operate a tram network in Australia through the 1970s.
Streetcar inToledo, Ohio,1895

By the 1970s, the only full tramway system remaining in Australia was the Melbourne tram system. However, there were also a few single lines remaining elsewhere: theGlenelg tram line,connecting Adelaide to the beachside suburb ofGlenelg,and tourist trams in the VictorianGoldfieldscities of Bendigo and Ballarat. In recent years the Melbourne system, generally recognised as the largest urban tram network in the world, has been considerably modernised and expanded.[51]The Adelaide line has been extended to the Entertainment Centre, and work is progressing on further extensions.[52]Sydneyre-introduced trams (or light rail) on 31 August 1997. A completely new system, known asG:link,was introduced on theGold Coast, Queensland,on 20 July 2014. TheNewcastle Light Railopened in February 2019, while theCanberra light railopened on 20 April 2019.[53]This is the first time that there have been trams in Canberra, even thoughWalter Burley Griffin's 1914–1920 plans for the capital then in the planning stage did propose a Canberra tram system.[54]

In Japan, the Kyoto Electric railroad was the first tram system, starting operation in 1895.[55]By 1932, the network had grown to 82 railway companies in 65 cities, with a total network length of 1,479 km (919 mi).[56]By the 1960s the tram had generally died out in Japan.[57][58]

Two rare but significant alternatives wereconduit current collection,which was widely used in London, Washington, D.C., and New York City, and thesurface contact collectionmethod, used inWolverhampton(the Lorain system),TorquayandHastingsin the UK (the Dolter stud system), and inBordeaux,France (theground-level power supplysystem).[citation needed]

The convenience and economy of electricity resulted in its rapid adoption once the technical problems of production and transmission of electricity were solved. Electric trams largely replaced animal power and other forms of motive power including cable and steam, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.[citation needed]

There was one particular hazard associated with trams powered from a trolley pole off an overhead line on the early electrified systems. Since the tram relies on contact with the rails for the current return path, a problem arises if the tram is derailed or (more usually) if it halts on a section of track that has been heavily sanded by a previous tram, and the tram loses electrical contact with the rails. In this event, the underframe of the tram, by virtue of a circuit path through ancillary loads (such as interior lighting), is live at the full supply voltage, typically 600 volts DC. In British terminology, such a tram was said to be 'grounded'—not to be confused with the US English use of the term, which means the exact opposite. Any person stepping off the tram and completing the earth return circuit with their body could receive a serious electric shock. If "grounded", the driver was required to jump off the tram (avoiding simultaneous contact with the tram and the ground) and pull down the trolley pole, before allowing passengers off the tram. Unless derailed, the tram could usually be recovered by running water down the running rails from a point higher than the tram, the water providing a conducting bridge between the tram and the rails.[citation needed]With improved technology, this ceased to be an problem.

In the 2000s, several companies introduced catenary-free designs: Alstom's Citadis line uses a third rail, Bombardier's PRIMOVE LRV is charged by contactless induction plates embedded in the trackway and CAF URBOS tram uses ultracaps technology[59][60]

Battery

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Recharging battery-powered trams ofParis and Seine Tramway Company,Pont de Puteaux, Paris, late 1890s

As early as 1834,Thomas Davenport,a Vermont blacksmith, had invented a battery-powered electric motor which he later patented. The following year he used it to operate a small model electric car on a short section of track four feet in diameter.[61][62]

Attempts to usebatteriesas a source of electricity were made from the 1880s and 1890s, with unsuccessful trials conducted in among other placesBendigoandAdelaidein Australia, and for about 14 years asThe HagueaccutramofHTMin the Netherlands. The first trams in Bendigo, Australia, in 1892, were battery-powered, but within as little as three months they were replaced with horse-drawn trams. InNew York Citysome minor lines also used storage batteries. Then, more recently during the 1950s, a longer battery-operated tramway line ran fromMilantoBergamo.In China there is aNanjing battery Tram lineand has been running since 2014.[63]In 2019, theWest Midlands MetroinBirmingham,England adopted battery-powered trams on sections through the city centre close toGrade I listedBirmingham Town Hall.

Compressed air

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Paris and Berne (Switzerland) operated trams that were powered bycompressed airusing theMekarski system.[64][65] Trials on street tramways in Britain, including by theNorth Metropolitan Tramway Companybetween Kings Cross and Holloway, London (1883), achieved acceptable results but were found not to be economic because of the combined coal consumption of the stationary compressor and the onboard steam boiler.[66][67]

Human power

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Until the 1930s a small number of tramways in Japan were operated by human power.[68]Tramcar from Matsuyama Handcar Tramway,Osaki,Japan.

The Convict Tramway[69]was hauled by human power in the form of convicts from thePort Arthurconvict settlement.[70]and was created to replace the hazardous sea voyage fromHobarttoPort Arthur, Tasmania.[71][69]Charles O'Hara Boothoversaw the construction of the tramway.[72]

It opened in 1836 and ran for 8 km (5.0 mi) from Oakwood toTaranna.[73]By most definitions, the tramway was the first passenger-carrying railway/tramway in Australia.[71]An unconfirmed report says that it continued toEaglehawk Neckand, if this was so, the length of the tramway would have been more than doubled. The tramway carried passengers and freight, and ran on wooden rails. The gauge is unknown. The date of closure is unknown, but it was certainly prior to 1877.[74]

Hydrogen

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In March 2015,China South Rail Corporation(CSR) demonstrated the world's first hydrogenfuel cell vehicletramcar at an assembly facility inQingdao.The chief engineer of the CSR subsidiaryCSR Sifang Co Ltd.,Liang Jianying, said that the company is studying how to reduce the running costs of the tram.[75][76]

Hybrid system

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TheTrieste–Opicina tramwayinTriesteoperates a hybrid funicular tramway system. Conventional electric trams are operated instreet runningand onreserved trackfor most of their route. However, on one steep segment of track, they are assisted by cable tractors, which push the trams uphill and act as brakes for the downhill run. For safety, the cable tractors are always deployed on the downhill side of the tram vehicle.

Similar systems were used elsewhere in the past, notably on theQueen Anne Counterbalancein Seattle and theDarling Streetwharf line in Sydney.

Modern development

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In the mid-20th century many tram systems were disbanded, replaced by buses,trolleybuses,automobiles orrapid transit.TheGeneral Motors streetcar conspiracywas a case study of the decline of trams in the United States. In the 21st century, trams have been re-introduced in cities where they had been closed down for decades (such asTramlinkin London), or kept in heritage use (such asSpårväg Cityin Stockholm). Most trams made since the 1990s (such as theBombardier Flexityseries andAlstom Citadis) are articulatedlow-floor tramswith features such asregenerative braking.

Design

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A modern designŠkoda Artictram inTampere,Finland, in 2022
Siemens tram in Almada near Lisbon.

Trams have been used for two main purposes: for carrying passengers and for carrying cargo. There are several types of passenger tram:

Operation

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Several trams in Toronto on a dedicated right of way lane. The tram in the left foreground is about to enter a portion of the tram network that operates in mixed traffic.

There are two main types of tramways, the classic tramway built in the early 20th century with the tram system operating in mixed traffic, and the later type which is most often associated with the tram system having its own right of way. Tram systems that have their own right of way are often calledlight railbut this does not always hold true. Though these two systems differ in their operation, their equipment is much the same.

Controls

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Trams were traditionally operated with separate levers for applying power and brakes. More modern vehicles use alocomotive-style controller which incorporate adead man's switch.The success of thePCC streetcarhad also seen trams use automobile-stylefoot controlsallowing hands-free operation, particularly when the driver was responsible for fare collection.

Power supply

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Overhead linesare used to provide power for most electric trams. Overhead wires are used for both trams and light rail systems.

Electric trams use various devices to collect power fromoverhead lines.The most common device is thepantograph,while some older systems usetrolley polesorbow collectors.Ground-level power supplyhas become a more recent innovation. Another technology usessupercapacitors;when aninsulatorat a track switch cuts off power from the tram for a short distance along the line, the tram can use energy stored in a largecapacitorto drive the tram past the gap in the power feed.[77] The old tram systems in London,Manhattan(New York City), and Washington, D.C., used live rails, like those on third-rail electrified railways, but in a conduit underneath the road, from which they drew power through aplough.It was calledconduit current collection.Washington's was the last of these to close, in 1962. No commercial tramway uses this system anymore. More recently, an equivalent to these systems has been developed which allows for the safe installation of athird railon city streets, known as surface current collection orground-level power supply;the main example of this is the new tramway inBordeaux.

Ground-level power supply

[edit]
A section ofAPStrack inBordeauxwith powered and neutral sections

A ground-level power supply system, also called surface current collection oralimentation par le sol(APS), is an updated version of the original stud type system. APS uses a third rail placed between the running rails, divided electrically into eight-metre powered segments with three-metre neutral sections between. Each tram has two power collection skates, next to which are antennas that send radio signals to energize the power rail segments as the tram passes over them.

Older systems required mechanical switching systems which were susceptible to environmental problems. At any one time no more than two consecutive segments under the tram should be live. Wireless and solid state switching eliminate mechanical problems.

Alstomdeveloped the system primarily to avoid intrusive power supply cables in the sensitive area of the old city of oldBordeaux.[78]

Routes

[edit]
The fragmented tram routes of Paris are slowly being joined up.

Route patterns vary greatly among the world's tram systems, leading to differentnetwork topologies.

  • Most systems start by building up a strongly nucleated radial pattern of routes linking the city centre with residential suburbs and traffic hubs such as railway stations and hospitals, usually following main roads. Some of these, such as those inHong Kong,BlackpoolandBergen,still essentially comprise a single route. Some suburbs may be served by loop lines connecting two adjacent radial roads. Some modern systems have started by reusing existing radial railway tracks, as inNottinghamandBirmingham,sometimesjoining them togetherby a section of street track through the city centre, as inManchester.Later developments often include tangential routes linking adjacent suburbs directly, or multiple routes through the town centre to avoid congestion (as in Manchester'sSecond City Crossing).
  • Other new systems, particularly those in large cities which already have well-developed metro and suburban railway systems, such asLondonandParis,have started by building isolated suburban lines feeding into railway or metro stations. In Paris these have then been linked byring lines.
  • A third, weakly nucleated, route pattern may grow up where a number of nearby small settlements are linked, such as in the coal-mining areas served byBOGESTRAor theSilesian Interurbans.
  • A fourth starting point may be a loop in the city centre, sometimes called adowntown circulator,as inPortlandorEl Paso.
  • Occasionally a modern tramway system may grow from a preserved heritage line, as inStockholm.

The resulting route patterns are very different. Some have a rational structure, covering their catchment area as efficiently as possible, with new suburbs being planned with tramlines integral to their layout – such is the case inAmsterdam.BordeauxandMontpellierhave built comprehensive networks, based on radial routes with numerous interconnections, within the last two decades. Some systems serve only parts of their cities, withBerlinbeing the prime example, as trams survived the city's political division only in the Eastern part. Other systems have ended up with a rather random route map, for instance when some previous operating companies have ceased operation (as with thetramways vicinaux/buurtspoorwegeninBrussels) or where isolated outlying lines have been preserved (as on the eastern fringe of Berlin). InRome,the remnant of the system comprises three isolated radial routes, not connecting in the ancient city centre, but linked by a ring route. Some apparently anomalous lines continue in operation where a new line would not on rational grounds be built, because it is much more costly to build a new line than to continue operating an existing one.

In some places, the opportunity is taken when roads are being repaved to lay tramlines (though without erecting overhead cables) even though no service is immediately planned: such is the case inLeipzigerstraßein Berlin, the Haarlemmer Houttuinen in Amsterdam, and Botermarkt in Ghent.

Cross-border trams

[edit]

Tram systems operate across national borders inBasel(from Switzerland into France and Germany),Geneva(from Switzerland into France) andStrasbourg(from France into Germany). A plannedline linking Hasselt (Belgium) with Maastricht (Netherlands)was cancelled in June 2022.

Route-setting

[edit]
A 3-way Hanning & Kahl point-setting system atAmsterdam Centraal station.It automatically sends trams arriving at stand A to the correct platform. The indicator on the right displays "Lijn 24, Spoor 4". The points are accordingly set to send the next tram, on route 24 to De Boelelaan/VU, into the platform 4 on the left. Meanwhile, a tram 4 to RAI waits at platform 2.

Where tracks diverge, the driver chooses the route, usually either by flicking a switch on the dashboard or by use of the power pedal – generally if power is applied the tram goes straight on, whereas if no power is applied the tram turns. Some systems use automatic point-setting systems, where the route for each journey is downloaded from a central computer, and an onboard computer actuates each point as it comes to it via aninduction loop.Such is the case atManchester Metrolink.[79]If the powered system breaks down, most points may be operated manually, by inserting a metal lever ('point iron') into thepoint machine.

Track

[edit]
Cross sectionof a grooved tram rail

Tramway track can have differentrail profilesto accommodate the various operating environments of the vehicle. They may be embedded intoconcretefor street-running operation, or use standardballastedtrack withrailroad tieson high-speed sections. A more ecological solution is to embed tracks intograss turf,an approach known asgreen track.

Tramway tracks use agrooved railwith agroovedesigned for tramway or railway track inpavementor grassed surfaces (grassed track or track in a lawn). The rail has the railhead on one side and the guard on the other. The guard provides accommodation for the flange. The guard carries no weight, but may act as a checkrail. Grooved rail was invented in 1852 byAlphonse Loubat,a French inventor who developed improvements in tram and rail equipment, and helped develop tram lines in New York City and Paris. The invention of grooved rail enabled tramways to be laid without causing a nuisance to other road users, except unsuspecting cyclists, who could get their wheels caught in the groove. The grooves may become filled with gravel and dirt (particularly if infrequently used or after a period of idleness) and need clearing from time to time, this being done by a "scrubber" tram. Failure to clear the grooves can lead to a bumpy ride for the passengers, damage to either wheel or rail and possibly derailing.

In narrow situations double-track tram lines sometimes reduce to single track, or, to avoidswitches,have the tracks interlaced, e.g. in the Leidsestraat inAmsterdamon three short stretches (seemap detail); this is known as interlaced orgauntlet track.There is a UK example of interlaced track on theTramlink,just west of Mitcham Station, where the formation is narrowed by an old landslip causing an obstruction. (See photo inTramlinkentry).

Track gauge

[edit]

Historically, thetrack gaugehas had considerable variations, withnarrow gaugecommon in many early systems. However, most light rail systems are nowstandard gauge.An important advantage of standard gauge is that standard railway maintenance equipment can be used on it, rather than custom-built machinery. Using standard gauge also allows light rail vehicles to be delivered and relocated conveniently using freight railways and locomotives.

Another factor favoring standard gauge is that low-floor vehicles are becoming popular, and there is generally insufficient space for wheelchairs to move between the wheels in a narrow gauge layout. Standard gauge also enables – at least in theory – a larger choice of manufacturers and thus lower procurement costs for new vehicles. However, other factors such as electrification orloading gaugefor which there is more variation may require costly custom built units regardless.

Tram stop

[edit]
Tram stops can range from purpose-built, tram-exclusive facilities (left), to simple stops within a public road (right).

Tram stops may be similar tobus stopsin design and use, particularly in street-running sections, where in some cases other vehicles are legally required to stop clear of the tram doors. Some stops may haverailway platforms,particularly in private right-of-way sections and where trams are boarded at standardrailway platform height,as opposed to using steps at the doorway orlow-floor trams.

Manufacturing

[edit]

Approximately 5,000 new trams are manufactured each year. As of February 2017, 4,478 new trams were on order from their makers, with options being open for a further 1,092.[80]

The main manufacturers are:

Trams on order as February 2017
Manufacturer Firm orders Options
Bombardier 962 296
Alstom 650 202
Siemens 557 205
CAF 411 112
CRRC 370 30
PKTS/Metrovagonmash 316
Kinkisharyo 155 97
Stadler-Vossloh 189 25
Stadler 182 28
Škoda Transtech 104 47
Škoda 110
Durmazlar 90

Debate

[edit]

Advantages

[edit]
Produced in 1923 and 1924, the 900 Series tram is still used by theNew Orleans tram system.Trams typically have longer service life than internal combustion buses.
AV3Atram running downtracks embedded in grasson the Timișoara Boulevard inBucharest,Romania
  • Trams (and road public transport in general) can be much more efficient in terms of road usage than cars – one vehicle replaces about 40 cars (which take up a far larger area of road space).[81][82]
A Nantes tram in front of the Bouffay stop
  • Vehicles run moreefficientlycompared to similar vehicles that use rubber tyres, since therolling resistanceof steel on steel is lower than rubber on asphalt.[83]
  • There is a well studied effect that the installation of a tram service – even if service frequency, speed and price all remain constant – leads to higher ridership and mode shift away from cars compared to buses.[84]Conversely, the abandonment of tram service leads to measurable declines in ridership.
  • Being guided by rails means that even very long tram units can navigate tight, winding city streets that are inaccessible to long buses.
  • Tram vehicles are very durable, with some being in continuous revenue service for more than fifty years. This is especially true compared to internal combustion buses, which tend to require high amounts of maintenance and break down after less than 20 years, mostly due to the vibrations of the engine.
  • In many cases tram networks have a higher capacity than similar buses. This has been cited as a reason for the replacement of one of Europe's busiest bus lines (with three-minute headways in peak times) with a tram byDresdner Verkehrsbetriebe.
  • Due to the above-mentioned capacity advantage, labor costs (which form the biggest share of operating costs of many public transit systems) per passenger can be significantly lower compared to buses.
  • Trams and light rail systems can be cheaper to install than subways or other forms ofheavy rail.In Berlin the commonly cited figure is that one kilometer of subway costs as much as ten kilometers of tramway.
  • ULR Ultra Light Rail developments with prefabricated track and onboard power (no OHL Over Head Line) in the UK are aiming for £10 m per km[85]as opposed to convention tram rail and OHL at £20–£30 m per km.[86]
  • Tramways can take advantage of oldheavy railalignments. Some examples include theManchester Metrolinkof which theBury Linewas part of theEast Lancashire Railway,theAltrincham Linewas part of theManchester South Junction and Altrincham Railway,and theOldham and Rochdale Linewas theOldham Loop Line.Other examples can be found inParis,London,Boston,MelbourneandSydney.They hence sometimes take advantage of high speed track while on train tracks.
  • As tram lines are permanent this allows local authorities to redevelop and revitalise their towns and cities provided suitable planning changes are made.[87]Melbourne will allow higher buildings (5 to 6 story) along tram routes leaving the existing suburbs behind unchanged whilst doubling the cities density.[88]
  • The tram with its fixed route gives developers confidence to invest as opposed to a changeable bus route.
  • Trams produce less air pollution than rubber tyred transport which produce tyre, asphalt and brake based pollutants. The use of regenerative electric motor braking in trams lowers mechanical brake use. Steel wheel and rail particulates are produced but regular wheel alignment and flexible track mounting can reduce emissions.
  • Tram networks can link to other operational heavy rail and rapid transit systems, allowing vehicles to move directly from one to the other without passengers needing to alight. Trams that are compatible with heavy rail systems are calledtram-trains,while those that can use subway tunnels are calledpre-metroorStadtbahn.
  • Passengers can reach surface stations quicker than underground stations. Subjective safety at surface stations is often seen to be higher.
  • Trams can be tourist attractions in ways buses usually are not.
  • Many modern tram systems plant low growing vegetation – mostly grasses – between the tracks which has a psychological effect on perceived noise levels and the benefits ofgreenspace.This is not possible for buses as they deviate too much from an "ideal" track in daily operations.

Disadvantages

[edit]
A sign advising cyclists to dismount due to tram tracks. Tram tracks pose a hazard for cyclists, as their wheels may get caught in the track.
  • Installing rails for tram tracks and overhead lines for power means a higher up-front cost than using buses which require no modifications to streets to begin operations.
  • Tram tracks can be hazardous for cyclists, as bikes, particularly those with narrow tyres, may get their wheels caught in the track grooves.[89]It is possible to close the grooves of the tracks on critical sections by rubber profiles that are pressed down by the wheelflanges of the passing tram but that cannot be lowered by the weight of a cyclist.[90]If not well-maintained, however, these lose their effectiveness over time.[citation needed]
  • When wet, tram tracks tend to become slippery and thus dangerous for bicycles and motorcycles, especially in traffic.[89][91]In some cases, even cars can be affected.[92]
  • The opening of new tram and light rail systems has sometimes been accompanied by a marked increase in car accidents, as a result of drivers' unfamiliarity with the physics andgeometryof trams.[93]Though such increases may be temporary, long-term conflicts between motorists and light rail operations can be alleviated by segregating their respective rights-of-way and installing appropriate signage and warning systems.[94]
  • Rail transport can expose neighbouring populations to moderate levels of low-frequency noise. However, transportation planners usenoise mitigationstrategies to minimise these effects.[95]Most of all, the potential for decreased private motor vehicle operations along the tram's service line because of the service provision could result in lowerambient noise levelsthan without.
  • The overhead power lines and supporting poles utilized by trams (except for those using a third rail) can be unsightly and contribute tovisual pollution.[96]

By region

[edit]
The driver's seat in the tram of the Russian model «Lvionok» («Lionet»)
Tram networks around the world:[97]
Countries with tram networks
Countries without tram networks

Trams are in a period of growth, with about 800 tram systems operating around the world, 10 or so new systems being opened each year, and many being gradually extended.[98]Some of these systems date from the late 19th or early 20th centuries. In the past 20 years their numbers have been augmented by modern tramway or light rail systems in cities that had abandoned this form of transport. There have also been some new tram systems in cities that never previously had them.

Tramways with tramcars(British English) orstreet railways with streetcars(North American English) were common throughout the industrialised world in the late 19th and early 20th centuries but they had disappeared from most British, Canadian, French and US cities by the mid-20th century.[99]

By contrast,trams in parts of continental Europecontinued to be used by many cities, although there were declines in some countries, including the Netherlands.[100]

Since 1980 trams have returned to favour in many places, partly because their tendency to dominate the roadway, formerly seen as a disadvantage, is considered to be a merit since it raises the visibility of public transport (encouraging car users to change their mode of travel), and enables streets to be reconfigured to give more space to pedestrians, making cites more pleasant places to live. New systems have been built in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, France, Australia and many other countries.

In Milan, Italy, the old "Ventotto"trams are considered a" symbol "of the city. The same can be said oftrams in Melbournein general, but particularly the iconicW class.TheToronto streetcar systemhad similarly become an iconic symbol of the city, operating the largest network in the Americas as well as the only large-scale tram system in Canada (not including light rail systems, or heritage lines).[101][102]

Major tram and light rail systems

[edit]

Existing systems

[edit]
Map of the Melbourne tram network.
Map of Melbourne's tram system in 2011. The tram system is the largest the world.

The largest tram (classic tram,streetcar,straßenbahn) andfast tram(light rail,stadtbahn) networks in the world by route length as of 2016[103]are:

Other large transit networks that operate streetcar and light rail systems include:

Map ofSaint Petersburg's tram systemin 2024. The system was once the world's largest, before it was surpassed by Melbourne's system.
Statistics
[edit]
  • Tram and light rail systems operate in 388 cities across the world, 206 of which are in Europe;
  • The longest single tram line and route in the world is the 68 km (42 mi) interurbanBelgian Coast Tram (Kusttram),which runs almost the entire length of the Belgian coast. Another fairly long interurban line is theValley Metro Railagglomeration ofPhoenix, Arizona,with its 42 km (26 mi).[123][124]The world's longest urban intracity tram line is 33 km (21 mi) counter-ring routes 5/5a inKazan(Tatarstan,Russia).
City Startram at longest intracity tram route inKazan
  • Since 1985, 120 light rail systems have opened;
  • Since 2000, 78 systems have opened while 13 have closed. The countries that have opened the most systems since 2000 are the US (23), France (20), Spain (16), and Turkey (8);
  • 15,618 km (9,705 mi) of track is in operation, with 850 km (530 mi) in construction and a further 2,350 km (1,460 mi) planned;
  • The longest systems are in Melbourne (254 km or 158 mi), Saint Petersburg (228 km or 142 mi), Katowice (Upper Silesian Industrial Region) (200 km or 120 mi), Cologne (193 km or 120 mi), Berlin (192 km or 119 mi), Milan (182 km or 113 mi), Budapest (172 km or 107 mi), and Vienna (170 km or 110 mi).
  • These lines have 32,345 stops at an average spacing of 484 metres;
  • They carry 13.5 billion passengers a year, 3% of all public transport passengers. The highest-volume systems are Budapest (396 million passengers a year), Prague (372 m),[125]Bucharest (322 m), Saint Petersburg (312 m), and Vienna (305 m);
  • The most busy networks (passengers per km, per year) are: Istanbul, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Sarajevo.
  • Just over 36,000 trams and light rail vehicles are in operation. The largest fleets are in Prague (788), Vienna (782), Warsaw (756), Saint-Petersburg (750), Moscow (632)
  • Between 1997 and 2014, 400–450 vehicles were built each year.
  • As of October 2015, Hong Kong has the world's only exclusively double-decker tramway system.[126]
  • The busiest junction in any tram network is the Lazarská x Spálená junction in Prague with appx. 150 vehicles passing through per hour.[127]
  • World's longest 9-sectioned 56 metres (184 ft)-meter articulated tram vehicleCAF Urbos 3/9started operationin Budapestin 2016.Škoda ForCityvehicles family allows expansion of length up to 72 metres (236 ft) with 539 passengers.

Historical

[edit]
At its peak, theParis tram systemwas the world's largest, with over 1,111 kilometres (690 mi) of track in 1925.

Historically, theParis Tram Systemwas, at its peak, the world's largest system, with 1,111 km (690 mi) of track in 1925[citation needed](according to other sources, ca. 640 km (400 mi) of route length in 1930). However it was completely closed in 1938.[128]The next largest system appears to have been 857 km (533 mi), inBuenos Airesbefore 19 February 1963. The third largest was Chicago, with over 850 km (530 mi) of track,[129]but it was all converted totrolleybusand bus services by 21 June 1958. Before its decline, theBVGin Berlin operated a very large network with 634 km (394 mi) of route. Before its system was converted to trolleybus (and later bus) services in the 1930s (last tramway closed 6 July 1952), the first-generation London network had 555 km (345 mi) of route in 1931.[130]In 1958 trams in Rio de Jainero were employed on (433 km; 269 mi) of track. The final line, theSanta Teresa routewas closed in 1968.[131]During a period in the 1980s, the world's largest tram system was inLeningrad(St. Petersburg) with 350 km (220 mi), USSR, and was included as such in theGuinness World Records;[citation needed]however Saint Petersburg's tram system has declined in size since the fall of the Soviet Union.Viennain 1960 had 340 km (211 mi), before the expansion of bus services and the opening of a subway (1976). Substituting subway services for tram routes continues. 320 km (199 mi) was inMinneapolis–Saint Paulin 1947: There streetcars ended 31 October 1953 in Minneapolis and 19 June 1954 in St. Paul.[132]TheSydney tram network,before it was closed on 25 February 1961, had 291 km (181 mi) of route, and was thus the largest in Australia. Since 1961, the Melbourne system (recognised as the world's largest) assumed Sydney's title as the largest network in Australia.

Africa

[edit]

Asia

[edit]

China

[edit]
  • Tramway systems were well established in the Asian region at the start of the 20th century but started a steady decline during the mid to late 1930s. The 1960s marked the end of its dominance in public transportation with most major systems closed and the equipment and rails sold for scrap; however, some extensive original systems still remain in service in Japan. In recent years there has been renewed interest in the tram with modern systems being built in Japan and China.
A tram inChengdu,whose line forms a part of theChengdu Metro.The city is one of several in China to invest in tram systems in the early 21st century.
  • Tram services in Chinaexisted in several cities during the 20th century; however, by the end of the century, only the systems inDalian,Hong Kong,andChangchunremained extant. The 21st century has seen a resurgence in the development of tram transport as China struggles with urban traffic congestion and pollution with at least 15 systems operating. Hong Kong has an exclusive fleet of double-decker trams. As of 2019,Wuyishan,Baoshan,Jiaxing,andHaikouhave new tram systems under construction.

India

[edit]
A tram inKolkata,India

Indonesia

[edit]
  • In Batavia (Jakarta), the capital of the former Dutch colony of the Netherlands East Indies, a horse tram service started in 1869. A steam tram ran from 1881, and electrification followed in 1897. All Jakarta trams were discontinued in the 1960s by an independent Indonesia due to pressure fromSukarno,who saw tram network as "antiquated" and a "relic of [the] colonial era". The other cities in Indonesia who used to have urban tram network wereSurabayaandSemarang.
  • The Semarang tram network was constructed between 1882 and 1883, essentially as an inner suburb extension of the Samarang Joana Railway (SJS) network. The company already had an extensive rural tram network to the east of Semarang. Due to financial difficulties that hampered the SJS railway company, the Semarang tram network was closed in 1940 (despite public protest in Semarang) and their rolling stock transferred to the Surabaya tram network.
  • Surabaya's tram network was built in 1886. Initially consisting of steam trams only, electric trams were added in 1923. They served Surabaya commuters well into the independence era. The electric tram bowed out from service in 1968, while its steam counterpart outlived the electrics, becoming the world's last urban steam tram service before its closure in 1978.
  • In 2012, there was talk of reviving Surabaya's tram network as a part of Surabaya Mass Rapid Transit project, which will see parts of the old electric tram right of way reactivated, and it will be combined with the future monorail network. The project is aimed to alleviate Surabaya's traffic congestion and provide cheap public transportation for Surabaya commuters. In 2014, the project entered the tender phase.

Israel

[edit]
  • The 13-kilometre-longJerusalem Light Railsystem began operation in August 2011 and is being extended, with the full system expected to be in operation by 2023. A significant portion of it will be underground. A light rail system forBeershebais also planned.

Japan

[edit]
  • The first Japanese tram line was inaugurated in 1895 as theKyoto Electric Railroad.The tram reached its zenith in 1932 when 82 rail companies operated 1,479 kilometres of track in 65 cities. The tram declined in popularity through the remaining years of the 1930s and during the 1960s many of the remaining operational tramways were shut down or converted into commuter railway lines.

Pakistan

[edit]
  • A tram system is planned for construction inGwadar,Pakistan, where construction started in late 2011.
  • Trams are also under construction inDHA City, Karachi.

Sri Lanka

[edit]
  • The Northern and Central areas of the City ofColombohad an electric Tram Car system (3 ft 6 inor1,067 mmgauge). This system commenced operations about 1900 and was discontinued by 1960. However, a new tram system is being brought to Colombo as part of the plan ofWestern Region Megapolis.

Taiwan

[edit]

Thailand

[edit]
  • An extensivetram systemran in Bangkok from 1888, until it was suspended in 1968. A smaller single-route tram route tram inLopburiwas also suspended in the early 1960s.

Europe

[edit]

France

[edit]

Urban public transportation has been experiencing a sustained revival since the 1990s. Many European cities are rehabilitating, upgrading, expanding and reconstructing their old tramway lines and building new tramway lines.[135]In 2014, theAubagne tramwayinSouthern Francebecame the first tram system in the worldnot to charge fares.[136]

Germany

[edit]
Cologne Stadtbahnis the largest tram network in theEuropean Union.

In many European cities, tramway infrastructure was lost during the mid-20th century, though not always on the same scale as in other parts of the world such as North America. Most of Central and Eastern Europe retained the majority of its tramway systems and it is here that the largest and busiest tram systems in the world are found. Germany and France have the most tram systems, with over 50 and over 30 networks.

United Kingdom

[edit]
Blackpool tram in 2003

In the UK, most of the old Victorian era tramways were decommissioned from the 1950s–70s and replaced by buses. The exceptions wereBlackpool Tramway,opened in 1885 and one of the few tramways to usedouble decker tramsin the 21st century, andGreat Orme Tramwaywhich has operated atLlandudnosince 1902.[137]

Since the early 2000s, tramways have been restored in many cities to reduce commuters' dependency on cars. These includeEdinburgh Tramway,Manchester Metrolink,andNottingham Tramway.

Many decommissioned trams are preserved attransport museumsandheritage railways.The first of these wasSeaton Tramway,which opened in 1971 but dates back to 1949. Other preserved tramways includeCrich Tramway(opened 1963),East Anglia Transport Museum(opened 1965),Heaton Tramway(opened 1979),Telford steam tram(opened 1980), andWirral Tramway(opened 1995). Additionally,Beamish Museumhas reconstructed a turn of the century tramway using original rails and preserved tramcars.[138]

North America

[edit]

In North America, these vehicles are called "streetcars" (or "trolleys" in parts of the United States); the termtramis more likely to be understood as anaerial tramwayor apeople-mover,though "tram" may be used colloquially in Canada. Streetcar systems were developed in late 19th to early 20th centuries in a number of cities throughout North America. However, most North American cities saw their streetcar lines removed in the mid-20th century for a variety of financial, technological and social reasons. Exceptions includedBoston,[139]Cleveland,Mexico City,New Orleans,Newark,Philadelphia,Pittsburgh,San Francisco,andToronto.

Canada

[edit]
TheToronto streetcar systemis the largest streetcar system in theAmericas.

Torontooperates the largest streetcar system in theAmericasin terms of track length and ridership. Operated by theToronto Transit Commission,the system consists of both street-running and grade-separated tramways. The streetcar system was established in 1861, and used a variety of vehicles in its history, including horse-drawn streetcars,Peter Witt streetcars,the PCC streetcar, and theCanadian Light Rail Vehicleand its articulated counterpart, theArticulated Light Rail Vehicle.Since 29 December 2019,[140]the system exclusively uses theFlexity Outlookmade byBombardier Transportation.[141][142][143][144]

Streetcars once existed in the Canadian cities ofCalgary,Edmonton,Halifax,Hamilton,Kingston,Kitchener,London,Montreal,Ottawa,Peterborough,Quebec City,Regina,Saskatoon,Windsor,Winnipeg, St. John's andVancouver.However, Canadian cities excluding Toronto, removed their streetcar systems in the mid-20th century. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, light rail systems were introduced in Calgary and Edmonton; with another light rail system established in Ottawa in 2001. There has been something of a renaissance for light railways in mid-sized cities withWaterloo, Ontariothe first to come on line and construction underway inMississauga, OntarioandHamilton, Ontario.In the late 20th century, several Canadian locales restored portions of their defunct streetcar lines, operating them as a heritage feature for tourists. Heritage streetcar lines in Canada include theHigh Level Bridge Streetcarin Edmonton, theNelson Electric TramwayinNelson,and theWhitehorse Waterfront TrolleyinWhitehorse.

United States

[edit]
Opened in 2001, thePortland Streetcarwas the first (non-heritage) tram network established in North America in decades.

Pittsburgh had kept most of its streetcar system serving the city and suburbs, making it the longest-lasting large-network streetcar system in the United States.[citation needed]However, most of the city's streetcar lines had been abandoned by the early 1970s, and the handful of surviving streetcar lines were converted to light rail in the 1980s. San Francisco'sMuni Metrosystem is the largest surviving streetcar system in the United States, and has even revived previously closed streetcar lines such as theF Market & Wharvesheritage streetcar line. In the late 20th century, several cities installed modern light rail systems, some along the same corridors as their old streetcars systems, the first of these being theSan Diego TrolleyinSan Diegoin 1981.

In the 1980s, some cities in the United States brought back streetcar lines, includingMemphis,Tampa,andLittle Rock;However, these streetcar systems were designed as heritage streetcar lines, and used vintage or replica-vintage vehicles. The first "second-generation streetcar system" in North America was opened inPortlandin 2001.[145]The system utilizes modern vehicles that feature low-floor streetcars. These newer streetcar systems were built in several American cities in the early 21st century includingAtlanta,Charlotte,Cincinnati,Dallas,Detroit,Kansas City,Milwaukee,Oklahoma City,Seattle,Tucson,andWashington, D.C.

Oceania

[edit]

Australia

[edit]
  • Historically, there have been trams in the following Australian cities and towns:Adelaide,Ballarat,Bendigo,Brisbane,Broken Hill,Derby,Fremantle,Gawler,Geelong,Hobart,Kalgoorlie,Launceston,Leonora,Maitland,Melbourne,MoontaWallaroo,Newcastle,Perth,Rockhampton,Sorrento,SydneyandVictor Harbor.They ranged from extensive systems to single lines. Virtually all known types of motive power have been utilised in Australia at some stage.
  • The Sydney system, which closed in 1961, was the most extensive and the largest passenger carrier of any Australian public transport system then or since, moving over 400 million passengers per annum, at its peak. In 1997, Sydney reintroduced tram services on a modernlight rail network;the 2010s saw a significant expansion of the network.
  • Melbourne and Adelaide were the only major cities in Australia to retain trams (although Adelaide only retained a single line and dismantled the rest of its network). Other cities had largely dismantled their tram networks by the 1970s.
  • Ballarat and Bendigo have retained some trams as heritage vehicles operating on limited trackage. In 2008 and 2009, Bendigo trialled using its heritage trams for regular public transport, but the service was too infrequent to be useful for that.
  • Portland, Victoria,introduced a tourist tram line in 1996, which uses two replicas of a Melbournecable tramgrip caror dummy, driven by a concealeddieselmotor, and two restored trailer cars.
  • A completely new tram system opened on theGold Coaston 20 July 2014, with a major extension completed in December 2017. That system is known as theG:linkand is the first tram/light rail system in the state of Queensland since Brisbane closed its tram network in 1969.
Construction oflight rail in Canberra.The development of light rail became a major issue in the2016 ACT general elections.

New Zealand

[edit]
A painting ofAucklandin 1889 with horse-drawn trams on the roadway.
  • New Zealand's tram gauges were not standardised; the 15 systems used no less than five gauges, making swapping of rolling stock from system to system impractical.[a]

South America

[edit]

Argentina

[edit]
PreMetro line E2is a tram network that has operated inBuenos Airessince 1987.
  • Buenos Airesonce had one of the most extensive tramway networks in the world with over 857 km (533 mi) of track, but most of it was dismantled during the 1960s in favour of bus transportation. A new line, thePreMetro line E2system feeding theLine Eof theBuenos Aires Undergroundhas been operating since 1987 on the outskirts of Buenos Aires.

Brazil

[edit]

Chile

[edit]
  • InSantiago,there are plans for a tramway that will connect the comunes of Las Condes, Lo Barnechea y Vitacura. (tranvía de Las Condes)

Colombia

[edit]

Ecuador

[edit]
  • InCuenca,a tram line started operating since March 2019 as the main public transportation system in the city. The L1 of theCuenca tramis 20.4 km (12.7 mi) long with 20 stops and usesAlstom Citadis(302) trains.

Incidents

[edit]
  • In January 1864, well-knownAnglo-AustralianmusicianandcomposerIsaac Nathanwas hit and killed by a Sydney horse tram when his clothing was caught in the door, whilst he was attempting to alight. Nathan is reputed to be one of the first tram fatalities in the Southern Hemisphere (many sources claim that it was the first such accident).[155][156]
  • On the morning of 18 August 1901, four masked men, described as "urbanbushrangers",held up an eastbound horse tram in Riversdale Road,Melbourne,just past Power Street. For their trouble the men received£2 10/-in fares from driver Thomas Taylor, and £21 19/- from eight passengers. One passenger was injured. The bandits were never caught. Contemporary newspapers hypothesised that the bandits were after a specific commuter who travelled regularly on this particular tram and who was in the habit of carrying large amounts of cash.[157][158]
  • In theTottenham Outragein 1909, two armed robbers hijacked a tram and were chased by the police in another tram.[159]
  • On 7 June 1926 Catalan architectAntoni Gaudíwas knocked down by aBarcelonatram and subsequently died.[160]
  • On 27 February 1930,Paul de Vivie(pen name Vélocio), godfather of thedérailleurwas killed by a tram in St Étienne[161]

Tram modelling

[edit]
A model of a town with atram modelbuilt into it

Model trams are popular inHO scale(1:87) andO scale(1:48 in the US and generally 1:43,5 and 1:45 in Europe and Asia). They are typically powered and will accept plastic figures inside. Common manufacturers areRocoandLima,with many custom models being made as well. The German firm Hödl[162]and the Austrian Halling[163]specialise in 1:87 scale.[164]

In the US,Bachmann Industriesis a mass supplier of HO streetcars and kits.Bowser Manufacturinghas produced white metal models for over 50 years.[165]There are many boutique vendors offering limited run epoxy and wood models. At the high end are highly detailed brass models which are usually imported from Japan or Korea and can cost in excess of $500. Many of these run on16.5 mm(0.65 in) gauge track, which is correct for the representation of4 ft8+12in(1,435 mm) (standard gauge) in HO scale as in US and Japan, but incorrect in 4 mm (1:76.2) scale, as it represents4 ft8+12in(1,435 mm). This scale/gauge hybrid is called OO scale. O scale trams are also very popular among tram modellers because the increased size allows for more detail and easier crafting of overhead wiring. In the US these models are usually purchased in epoxy or wood kits and some as brass models. The Saint Petersburg Tram Company[166]produces highly detailed polyurethane non-powered O Scale models from around the world which can easily be powered by trucks from vendors like Q-Car.[167]

In the US, one of the best resources for model tram enthusiasts is the East Penn Traction Club of Philadelphia[168]and Trolleyville a website of the Southern California Traction Club.[169]

It is thought that the first example of a working model tramcar in the UK built by an amateur for fun was in 1929, when Frank E. Wilson created a replica of London County Council Tramways E class car 444 in 1:16 scale, which he demonstrated at an early Model Engineer Exhibition. Another of his models was London E/1 1800, which was the only tramway exhibit in the Faraday Memorial Exhibition of 1931. Together with likeminded friends, Frank Wilson went on to found the Tramway & Light Railway Society[170]in 1938, establishing tramway modelling as a hobby.

Etymology and terminology

[edit]
A sign inPortlandthat reads "go by streetcar". Trams are often called streetcars in North America.

The English termstramandtramwayare derived from theScotswordtram,[171]referring respectively to a type of truck (goods wagonor freightrailroad car) used incoal minesand the tracks on which they ran. The wordtramprobably derived fromMiddle Flemishtrame( "beam, handle of a barrow, bar, rung" ). The identical wordtramewith the meaning "crossbeam" is also used in theFrench language.Etymologists believe that the wordtramrefers to the wooden beams the railway tracks were initially made of before the railroad pioneers switched to the much more wear-resistant tracks made of iron and, later, steel.[172]The wordTram-caris attested from 1873.[173]

Alternatives

[edit]
Trackless Train at theDesert of Maine

Although the termstramandtramwayhave been adopted by many languages, they are not used universally in English; North Americans preferstreetcar,trolley,ortrolleycar.The termstreetcaris first recorded in 1840, and originally referred tohorsecars.

The termsstreetcarandtrolleyare often used interchangeably in theUnited States,withtrolleybeing the preferred term in the eastern US andstreetcarin the western US.Streetcaris preferred inEnglish Canada,whiletramwayis preferred inQuebec.In parts of the United States, internally poweredbusesmade to resemble a streetcar are often referred to as "trolleys". To avoid further confusion withtrolley buses,theAmerican Public Transportation Association(APTA) refers to them as "trolley-replica buses".In the United States, the termtramhas sometimes been used for rubber-tiredtrackless trains,which are unrelated to other kinds of trams.

A widely held belief holds the word trolley to derive from thetroller(said to derive from the wordstravelerandroller), a four-wheeled device that was dragged along dual overhead wires by a cable that connected the troller to the top of the car and collected electrical power from theoverhead wires;[174]thisportmanteau derivationis, however, most likelyfolk etymology."Trolley" and variants refer to the verbtroll,meaning "roll" and probably derived fromOld French,[175]and cognate uses of the word were well established for handcarts and horse drayage, as well as for nautical uses.[176]

A trackless train is also called tram in U.S. English.

The alternative North American term 'trolley' may strictly speaking be considered incorrect, as the term can also be applied to cable cars, orconduit carsthat instead draw power from an underground supply. Conventional dieseltourist busesdecorated to look like streetcars are sometimes calledtrolleysin the US (tourist trolley). Furthering confusion, the termtramhas instead been applied to open-sided, low-speedsegmented vehicles on rubber tiresgenerally used to ferry tourists short distances, for example on theUniversal Studios backlot tourand, in many countries, as tourist transport to major destinations. The term may also apply to an aerial ropeway, e.g. theRoosevelt Island Tramway.

TheNew South Walesgovernment in Australia has decided to use the term "light rail" for their trams.

Trolleybus

[edit]

Although the use of the termtrolleyfor tram was not adopted in Europe, the term was later associated with thetrolleybus,a rubber-tired vehicle running on hard pavement, which draws its power from pairs of overhead wires. These electric buses, which use twin trolley poles, are also calledtrackless trolleys(particularly in the northeastern US), or sometimes simplytrolleys(in the UK, as well as thePacific Northwest,includingSeattle,andVancouver).

See also

[edit]

Tram models

[edit]

SeeCategory:Tram vehicles

Trams by region

[edit]

Tram lists

[edit]

Other topics

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^New Zealand used the following gauges:1,435 mm(4 ft8+12in)standard gauge,1,422 mm(4 ft 8 in),4 ft(1,219 mm),1,067 mm(3 ft 6 in),914 mm(3 ft).

References

[edit]

Citations

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General and cited references

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Further reading

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  • Arrivetz, Jean. 1956.Les Tramways Français(No ISBN). Lyon: Editions Omni-Presse.
  • Bett, W. C., and J. C. Gillam. 1962.Great British Tramway Networks(4th Edition),ISBN0-900433-03-5.London:Light Railway Transport League.
  • Bigon, Liora. 2007, "Tracking Ethno-Cultural Differences: The Lagos Steam Tramway (1902–1933)"Journal of Historical Geography,33, 3
  • Brimson, Samuel. 1983.The Tramways of Australia(ISBN0-949825-01-8). Sydney: Dreamweaver Books.
  • Buckley, R. J. 1984.Tramways and Light Railways of Switzerland and Austria(ISBN0-900433-96-5). Milton Keynes, UK:Light Rail Transit Association.
  • Chandler, Allison. 1963.Trolley Through the Countryside(No ISBN). Denver: Sage Books.
  • Cheape, Charles W.Moving the masses: urban public transit in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, 1880–1912(Harvard University Press, 1980)
  • Davies, W. K. J. 1986.100 years of the Belgian vicinal: SNCV/NMVB, 1885–1985: a century of secondary rail transport in Belgium(ISBN0-900433-97-3). Broxbourne, UK: Light Rail Transit Association.
  • Dyer, Peter, and Peter Hodge. 1988.Cane Train: The Sugar-Cane Railways of Fiji(ISBN0-908573-50-2). Wellington: New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society Inc.
  • Gragt, Frits van der. 1968.Europe's Greatest Tramway Network(No ISBN). Leiden, Netherlands: E.J. Brill.
  • Hilton, George W. 1997.The Cable Car in America: A New Treatise upon Cable or Rope Traction As Applied to the Working of Street and Other Railways,Revised Edition (ISBN0-8047-3051-2). Stanford (CA), US: Stanford University Press.
  • Howarth, W. Des. 1971.Tramway Systems of Southern Africa(No ISBN). Johannesburg: published by the author.
  • King, B. R., and J. H. Price. 1995.The Tramways of Portugal(4th Edition) (ISBN0-948106-19-0). London:Light Rail Transit Association.
  • McKay, John P.Tramways and Trolleys: The Rise of Urban Mass Transport in Europe(1976)
  • Middleton, William D.1967.The Time of the Trolley(ISBN0-89024-013-2). Milwaukee (WI), US:Kalmbach Publishing.
  • Morrison, Allen. 1989."The Tramways of Brazil: A 130-Year Survey"(ISBN0-9622348-1-8). New York: Bonde Press.
  • Morrison, Allen. 1992.The Tramways of Chile: 1858–1978(ISBN0-9622348-2-6). New York: Bonde Press.
  • Morrison, Allen. 1996.Latin America by Streetcar: A Pictorial Survey of Urban Rail Transport South of the U.S.A.(ISBN0-9622348-3-4). New York: Bonde Press.
  • Pabst, Martin. 1989.Tram & Trolley in Africa(ISBN3-88490-152-4). Krefeld: Röhr Verlag GMBH.
  • Peschkes, Robert.World Gazetteer of Tram, Trolleybus, and Rapid Transit Systems.
Part One, Latin America(ISBN1-898319-02-2). 1980. Exeter, UK: Quail Map Company.
Part Two, Asia+USSR/ Africa / Australia (ISBN0-948619-00-7). 1987. London: Rapid Transit Publications.
Part Three, Europe(ISBN0-948619-01-5). 1993. London: Rapid Transit Publications.
Part Four, North America(ISBN0-948619-06-6). 1998. London: Rapid Transit Publications.
  • City of Portland; TriMet; Portland Streetcar, Inc. (January 2015). "History of Streetcar Manufacturing in the U.S.".TriMet Streetcar Prototype(PDF).Federal Transit Administration.pp. 30–45.
  • Röhr, Gustav. 1986.Schmalspurparadies Schweiz,Band 1: Berner Oberland, Jura, Westschweiz, Genfer See, Wallis (ISBN3-921679-38-9). Aachen: Schweers + Wall.
  • Rowsome, Frank; Stephan McGuire, tech. ed. (1956). A Trolley Car Treasury: A Century of American Streetcars—Horsecars, Cable Cars, Interurbans, and Trolleys. New York:McGraw-Hill.
  • Schweers, Hans. 1988.Schmalspurparadies Schweiz,Band 2: Nordostschweiz, Mittelland, Zentralschweiz, Graubünden, Tessin (ISBN3-921679-46-X). Aachen: Schweers + Wall.
  • Stewart, Graham. 1985.When Trams Were Trumps in New Zealand(OCLC12723934). Wellington: Grantham House Publishing.
  • Stewart, Graham. 1993The End of the Penny Section(revised and enlarged edition) (ISBN1-86934-037-X). Wellington: Grantham House Publishing.
  • Straßenbahnatlas ehem. Sowjetunion / Tramway Atlas of the former USSR(ISBN3-926524-15-4). 1996. Berlin: Arbeitsgemeinschaft Blickpunkt Straßenbahn, in conjunction with Light Rail Transit Association, London.
  • Straßenbahnatlas Rumänien(compiled by Andreas Günter, Sergei Tarknov and Christian Blank;ISBN3-926524-23-5). 2004. Berlin: Arbeitsgemeinschaft Blickpunkt Straßenbahn.
  • Tramway & Light Railway Atlas: Germany 1996(ISBN0-948106-18-2). 1995. Berlin: Arbeitsgemeinschaft Blickpunkt Straßenbahn, in conjunction with Light Rail Transit Association, London.
  • Turner, Kevin. 1996.The Directory of British Tramways: Every Passenger-Carrying Tramway, Past and Present(ISBN1-85260-549-9). Somerset, UK: Haynes.
  • Waller, Michael H., and Peter Walker. 1992.British & Irish Tramway Systems since 1945(ISBN0-7110-1989-4). Shepperton (Surrey), UK:Ian Allan Ltd.
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