Hong Kong Tramways

Hong Kong Tramways (Chinese: 香港電車) is a tram system in Hong Kong, being one of the earliest forms of public transport in the metropolis. Owned and operated by Veolia Transport, the tramway runs on Hong Kong Island between Shau Kei Wan and Kennedy Town, with a branch circulating Happy Valley.

Trams in Hong Kong have not only been a form of commuter transport for over 100 years, but also a major tourist attraction and one of the most environmentally friendly ways of travelling in Hong Kong.^[1] It is the only tram system in the world operated exclusively with double-decker trams, and is one of only three non-heritage tram systems in the world that use double-deck cars.

History

Hong Kong's tram system was inaugurated using electric trams. It has never used horse or steam power.

Timeline

• 1881: Tramway system is proposed for Hong Kong.
• 1901: Proposal is accepted by Hong Kong Government.
• 1902: Hong Kong Tramway Electric Company Limited founded.
• 1902: Name changed to Electric Traction Company of Hong Kong Limited.
• 1903: Construction of a single-track system began, from Kennedy Town to Causeway Bay. The route was later extended to Shau Kei Wan.
• 1904: Bodies of the first fleet of 26 tramcars were built in the United Kingdom. They were then shipped in pieces Hung Hom to be assembled. The tramcars were all single-deck. Ten tramcars were designed for first class passengers and the others were for third class passengers. The first-class compartment was enclosed in the centre with two long benches on both sides, with both the front and back ends open. Seating capacity was 32 passengers. The third-class tramcars were open-sided, with six sets of benches running crossways, back to back, seating 48 passengers. Tram fares for the first and the third class were 10 cents and 5 cents respectively. Initially, the company planned to divide the trams into 3 classes, but subsequently only first and third class were chosen for ease of operation.
• 1910: Name of the company changed to The Hong Kong Tramways Limited.
• 1912: Owing to strong passenger demand, the first double-deck tramcar was introduced in 1912. The tramcar had an open top design, fitted with garden-type seats. The first class occupied the upper deck and one-third of the lower deck. Ten new tramcars were constructed.
• 1922: Electricity was contracted and supplied by Hong Kong Electric Co. Ltd (HEC)
• 1925: Enclosed double-decker trams replaced open-top trams.
• 1932: North Point Depot came into service.
• 1941: Japanese Occupation took place. Very limited tram service was provided. Only 12 tramcars were in operation daily from Causeway Bay to Western Market. All single-decker trams were retired.
• 1945: After three years and eight months of Japanese Occupation, all 109 tramcars still remained, but only 15 were operational. By October 1945, 40 tramcars were back in service.
• 1949: Single-track system was replaced by double-track system in August.
• 1950: Tramways undertook an extensive re-design and started building its own trams. Tram bodies adopted a "modern" design.
• 1954: North Point Depot closed and Russell Street Depot expanded and renamed Sharp Street Depot.
• 1964: Three locally made trams added.
• 1965: Due to passenger demand, a single-deck trailer was introduced. The trailer was attached to the back of ordinary tramcar and designed to serve first class passengers only. The maximum capacity was 36 persons for each trailer.
• 1966: As trailers were well accepted by passengers, 22 single deck trailers were deployed in the fleet during 1966–67. Although trailers played a significant role in the tramways, they were finally withdrawn from the service in 1980s.
• 1967: New-type trams designed.
• 1972: Class distinction abolished and flat fare introduced.
• 1974: The Hong Kong Tramways Limited acquired by Wharf Holdings
• 1976 – Drop-in coin boxes were installed on trams. A coin-box was fitted at the front exit, near the driver. Passengers had to drop in the exact fare on leaving the tram. Rotating turnstiles were fitted at the entrance, which is located at the rear of a tram. Conductors were no longer needed and most of them retrained to become motormen.
• 1986: Tram refurbishment has begun.
• 1989: Sharp Street Depot closed and terminus function split between Sai Wan Ho and the Whitty Street depots.
• 1992: Two double-deck trams made by Tramways were exported to the Wirral Tramway, Birkenhead, in the UK.
• 1992: Point Automation System deployed and points man system for altering the direction of tram manually was abolished.
• 2000: Coloured destination blinds had begun.
• 2000: Tramways launched the new "Millennium" tram on 24 October 2000, which was designed and manufactured by its own engineering team. The success of this tramcar marked an important milestone in the history of Hong Kong Tramways and this kind of tram was categorised as the fifth-generation of tramcar.
• 2001: The Octopus electronic smart card payment system introduced on trams.
• 2004: Hong Kong Tramways celebrates 100 years of service.
• 2007: Route map was installed on each tram stop. New driving panels were introduced in November.
• 2008: Air-conditioning was installed on antique tram #128.
• 2009: 50% stake and operating rights obtained by Veolia Transport; followed by full ownership by Veolia Transport.
• 2011: Hong Kong Tramways launched the seventh-generation tram on November 28, 2011. It is a combination of modern interior design with traditional tram body exterior. The face-lift allows tram’s iconic image to be maintained.
• 2014: Hong Kong Tramways celebrates 110 years of service.

Trams in Rome

The current Rome tram system is a leftover from what once was the largest tram system in Italy. With its fragmented structure, it does not currently function as a backbone of the city's public transport. The system is owned and operated by Agenzia per i Trasporti Autoferrotranviari del Comune di Roma

The key node of the tram network in Rome is Porta Maggiore, where four out of six lines meet (3, 5, 14 and 19), as well as the Rome-Pantano railway. This is about 1 km east of Roma Termini railway station, and not connected to the metro network.

The following lines currently run:

2 Piazzale Flaminio ↔ Piazza Mancini

This short line runs through the Flaminio neighbourhood, connecting at Piazzale Flaminio (near the Porta del Popolo) with Line A and the Rome-Viterbo railway line. Some runs of the 2 on weekdays (marked as 2/) run from Piazza Mancini to Piazza Risorgimento, running with the 19 across the Tevere to the Vatican.

3 Piazza Thorvaldsen (in the Villa Borghese) ↔ Trastevere railway station.

Partially reopened on August 27, 2012. This is the longest line after line 19, going round the city centre in a wide arc from north via east to south-west. At the western endpoint Trastevere railway station, this line connects with the Regional railways (lines 1, 3 and 5), while connections with Metro A are at Manzoni and San Giovanni. There are four connections with metro Line B: one at Policlinico, and three on the stretch Piramide - Circo Massimo (Rome Metro) - Colosseo, where line 3 follows Metro B on the surface. From the Roma Trastevere railway station to Piazzale Ostiense, the line is still served by the 3B bus line.^[3]

5 Roma Termini railway station ↔ Piazza dei Gerani.

This line runs east from Termini railway station. It connects with line A at Termini metro station, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele IIand Manzoni.

8 Piazza Venezia ↔ Via del Casaletto.

Line 8 is the newest line of the system, always running with modern stock. It also reaches furthest into the historic city centre, connecting it with Trastevere railway station. Although there are plans to extend the line eastward from Largo Argentina to Termini railway station, Rome's mayor Alemanno spoke of a new terminus west of Largo Argentina, at via delle Botteghe Oscure, in August 2010.^[4] Works for the extension began on June 19, 2012 ^[5] and the new terminus, located in piazza Venezia, was opened on June 6, 2013.^[6]

14 Stazione Termini ↔ Viale Palmiro Togliatti

This line mostly follows the route of line 5.

19 Piazza Risorgimento ↔ Piazza dei Gerani.

This line connects the Vatican with the rest of the tram network, following the route of first line 3, and then line 5. It connects with the metro at Ottaviano – San Pietro – Musei Vaticani, Lepanto (Rome Metro) (both Line A) and Policlinico (line B). Line 19 is the longest line, connecting with all other tram lines, except for line 8.

Athens Tram

This article is about the modern tram network that has operated in Athens since 2004. For Athens' first-generation tram system that operated from 1882-1960, see Trams in Athens

The Athens Tram is the modern public tram network system serving Athens, Greece. It is now owned and operated byUrban Rail Transport (STASY) S.A.

STASY operates a fleet of 35 Sirio vehicles,^[1] which serve 3 tram lines^[2] and 48 tram stops.^[1] The tram network spans a total length of 27 kilometres (16.8 mi),^[3] and covers ten Athenian suburbs.^] This network runs fromSyntagma Square to the southwestern suburb of Palaio Faliro, where the line splits in two branches; the first runs along the Athens coastline toward the southern suburb of Voula, while the other heads toward the Piraeus district of Neo Faliro. The network covers the majority of the city's Saronic Gulf coastline. Athens' STASY tram system provides average daily service to 65,000 passengers, and employs 345 people

Old tram networks (1908-1960)[edit]

Main article: Trams in Athens

Athens Tram began its operations in 1882 with horse tramways. After 1908, the metre gauge tram network became electrified^[1] and was extended to 21 lines.

The original Athens tram system ceased operations in 1960 and was replaced by trolleybuses and thermal buses.^[1]

However, a standard gauge tram system was constructed along the perimeter of Piraeus Harbour by the Hellenic Electric Railways.

Modern tram system[edit]

In March 2001, Tram S.A. was established as a public utility company under the supervision of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, as a subsidiary company of Attiko Metro S.A. the state company which developed the Athens Metro network.^[1][4] The company started the construction of the tram lines in the beginning of 2002, while the commercial launch of the system took place in July 2004, a few weeks prior to the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. The construction of the tram network was financed by theThird European Regional Development Fund and Greek state funds.^[1]

In March 2011, the Greek Government passed Law 3920^[5] to allow ISAPand Athens Tram to be absorbed by Athens Metro Operations Company (AMEL). The resulting company was renamed "STASY S.A." (Greek: ΣΤΑΣΥ Α.Ε.) and is a subsidiary of OASA S.A. The merger was officially announced on June 10, 2011.^[6]

Ticketing policy

Ticket counters operate in some of the stations. Also automatic ticket machines with touch screens are located at each tram station.^[7]

Purchased tickets are valid for 90 minutes (1.5 hours) after validation and can be used for several rides in most other means of public transport in Athens including the metro, buses, trolleybuses, and the urban part of thesuburban railway (between Piraeus, Magoula and Koropi stations, excluding the airport). Passengers must validate their tickets at the machines at the station where they board at the start of their ride.^[8]

There are daily and weekly tickets, as well as monthly cards which also apply for all means of public transport in Athens.^[8][9] Fares are checked frequently; passengers who fail to show a validated ticket or a monthly card are penalized by a fine of 60 times the price of a standard ticket.^[10]

Children under 6, the handicapped, and persons currently enlisted in the military are eligible for free transportation.^[11]

Trams in Istanbul

This article is about the first-generation historical tram system in Istanbul. For Istanbul's modern tramways, see Istanbul modern tramways. For Istanbul's modern "heritage" tramlines, see Istanbul nostalgic tramways.

The former capital of the Ottoman Empire was once served, on both its Asian and European sides, by a large network of trams in Istanbul. Its first-generation tram network first operated as a horse tram system, and was eventually converted to electric trams in the early twentieth century. The original tram network finally closed in 1966.

Trams returned in 1990, and a second-generation of modern tram service began service in 1992. In this modern era, Istanbul is served by three separate tramway systems. The Asian side has a heritage tramline, whereas the European side has both a heritage tramline and a modern tram system.

Istanbul inaugurated horse trams in 1872 and these served the people of Istanbul until 1912. Following this date, electric trams were put in place and they were the main means for urban public transport until 1966. Many additional tramlines were added over time, and the system reached its greatest extent in 1956 with 108 million passengers carried by 270 tram-cars on 56 tram lines. But starting from the mid-1950s, automobile traffic congestion in Istanbul increased rapidly. Bus and taxi services grew rapidly over the same period of time. The number of private cars also increased greatly, and many narrow streets, which were ideal for trams, now started filling up with motor vehicles. Tramcars were not modernized for many decades, and some of the 1911 electric cars were still running in the 1960s. At that time, modern buses provided faster and smoother journeys, whereas the trams were slower, narrow single-coach cars and had many outdated features like bow collectors. Poor maintenance of tracks caused derailments and bumpy rides. Due to the city's rapid growth, reconstruction of Istanbul's infrastructure became urgent, and many streets were widened. The transport authority thought that slow tram transport sharing road space with fast bus transport would cause many problems in trying to guarantee smoother city transportation. In sum, the tramway had little comfort and was slow because it was caught in the traffic jam caused by the cars, and the tracks were also outdated, noisy and in the middle of the street. Cars had to pass the tramway on the right, causing danger for the pedestrians boarding and alighting the tramway. Comparatively, electric trolleybuses had proved to be a good alternative to trams in many countries. Due to all of these factors, the transport department decide to replace trams with trolleybuses in Istanbul.

Trolleybuses service started well, but due to their needed continuous high investment and maintenance, they were not affordable to transport authority either, and trolleybus service survived only 23 years.

After closing the tram network in mid-1960s, it was believed that by removing the old-fashioned obstacle to smooth city traveling, the city would be able to move faster than before, but this belief was proven to be false in the following years. The uncontrolled increase in petrol-based vehicles like buses, taxis, and private carsbegan to choke the streets of Istanbul. For being situated mostly in Asia, Turkey suffered by many problems common to developing countries, including pollution,traffic jams, illegal migration, low literacy and increasing population, etc. Increasing population led to the increasing urbanization of Istanbul, which spawned increasing motor vehicles, increasing air and noise pollution, and increasing traffic jams and smog. The city eventually became slower than pre-tram closure era. From 1970 onwards, all this problems grew rapidly, and by the mid-1980s Istanbulians realized that the failure to control motor vehicles, and the closure of tram network, was a great mistake. Many cities around the world like Tunis, Buenos Aires, etc., also realized this error and, like them, Istanbul also planned for the return of the tram.

As an experiment, Istanbul first opened a heritage tramline at European side in 1990. Due to its increasing popularity, a modern tramline was opened in 1992, also at European side. Another heritage tramline opened in 2003, but this time on the Asian side, and another modern tramline opened in 2007.