TRAM IN BiRMiNGHAM
Last edited 8 days ago by Ellrbrown
Birmingham Corporation Tramways
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Birmingham Corporation Tramways
Birmingham Corporation Tram in 1953, shortly before the service was scrapped.
Operation
Locale Birmingham
Open 4 January 1904
Close 4 July 1953
Status Closed
Infrastructure
Track gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
Propulsion system(s) Electric
Statistics
Route length 80.5 miles (129.6 km)
Map of the tram routes in 1930
Remains of tram track in Edmund Street, Birmingham
Birmingham Corporation Tramways operated a network of tramways in Birmingham from 1904 until 1953. It was the largest narrow-gauge tramway network in the UK, built to a gauge of 3 ft 6 inches. It was the largest tramway network in the UK after London, Glasgow and Manchester.
There were a total of 843 trams (with a maximum of 825 in service at any one time), 20 depots, 45 main routes and a total route length of 80 1⁄2 miles (129.6 km).[1]
Birmingham Corporation built all the tramways and leased the track to various companies.
Birmingham was a pioneer in the development of reserved trackways which served the suburban areas as the city grew in the 1920s and 1930s.
Model of a BCT tram, at the National Tramway Museum
HistoryEdit
4 January 1904 – commence tramway at Aston Road North
1 January 1907 – took over some City of Birmingham Tramways Company Ltd routes, (CBTC was a British Electric Traction controlled company) - majority of the company's routes having been owned by Birmingham Corporation from their inception.
1 July 1911 – took over the former cable tramway to Handsworth[2]
1 January 1912 – took over lines owned by Erdington Urban District Council, but operated by Birmingham Corporation Tramways, which subsequently passed into the hands of Birmingham Corporation following expansion of the city's boundaries in 1911.
1 January 1912 – took over City of Birmingham Tramways Company Ltd - remainder of the company's routes, ownership of which had passed to Birmingham Corporation from the local councils of Aston Manor, Handsworth, and King's Norton & Northfield, following expansion of the city boundaries in 1911.
1 April 1924 – took over operation of West Bromwich Corporation-owned lines previously leased to the Birmingham and Midland Tramways Joint Committee South Staffordshire Tramways Company, a British Electric Traction subsidiary
1 April 1928 – took over Birmingham and Midland Tramways Joint Committee Birmingham and District Power and Traction Co Ltd - main line to Dudley.
18 October 18 October 1927 – name changed to Birmingham Corporation Tramway and Omnibus Department.
9 November 1937 – name changed to Birmingham City Transport.
RoutesEdit
Tram no 395 seen preserved at Thinktank, Birmingham
Route Description Abandoned Short workings
2 Steelhouse Lane to Erdington 4 June 1953 59 Steelhouse Lane to Gravelly Hill, 60 Steelhouse Lane to Aston Cross, 64 Steelhouse Lane to High Street, Erdington
3 Martineau Street to Witton via Six Ways 11 September 1939
3x Martineau Street to Witton via Aston Cross 31 December 1949
4 Station Street to Stoney Lane 5 January 1937
5 Lozells to Gravelly Hill 30 September 1950
6 Martineau Street to Perry Barr 21 December 1949
7 Martineau Street to Nechells
8 Martineau Street to Alum Rock 30 September 1950 61 Martineau Street via the Gate Inn, Saltley to Pelham Arms (Sladefield Road)
10 Martineau Street to Washwood Heath 30 September 1950 9 Martineau Street to Ward End Fox & Goose Pub, 62 inward working of route 10
15 High Street to South Yardley 2 October 1948 13 High Street to Small Heath Park, 56 High Street to Hay Mills
16 Station Street to South Yardley 6 January 1934 14 Station Street to Small Heath Park, 57 Station Street to Hay Mills
17 High Street to Stratford Road (College Road) 5 January 1937 19 High Street to Stratford Road (St. John's Street), 58 High Street to Stoney Lane/Stratford Road, 82 High Street to Stratford Road (Fox Hollies Road/Highfields Road)
18 Station Street to Stratford Road 5 January 1937 21 Station Street to Stratford Road (College Road)
20 Station Street to Stratford Road (St. John's Road)
22 Station Street to Bolton Road 4 February 1930
23 Colmore Row to Handsworth 1 April 1939 28 Colmore Row to New Inns, Crocketts Lane, Handsworth
24 Colmore Row to Lozells via Wheeler Street (clockwise 25) 1 April 1939
25 Colmore Row to Lozells via Wheeler Street (anticlockwise 24) 7 August 1933
26 Colmore Row to Oxhill Road 1 April 1939 27 Colmore Row to Stafford Road, Soho Road, Handsworth
29 City to Bearwood via Dudley Road 30 September 1939 30 Edmund Street to Windmill Lane, Cape Hill, Smethwick, 55 Edmund Street to Dudley Road/Grove Lane
31 Edmund Street to Soho 30 September 1939
32 Edmund Street to Lodge Road 29 March 1947
33 Navigation Street to Ladywood 30 August 1947
34 Navigation Street to Bearwood via Hagley Road 9 August 1930
36 City to Cotteridge 5 May 1952 46 Navigation Street to Stirchley
37 City to Cannon Hill Park 1 October 1949
39 City to Alcester Lanes End 1 October 1949 38 Hill Street to High Street/Vicarage Road, Kings Heath via Balsall Heath, 49 Navigation Street to Mary Street/Park Road, Balsall Heath, 52 Hill Street to Station Road, Kings Heath via Balsall Heath, 66 Hill Street to Moseley via Balsall Heath
42 City to Alcester Lanes End 1 October 1949 43 High Street to Station Road, Kings Heath via Moseley Road, 48 High Street to High Street/Vicarage Road, Kings Heath, 67 Dale End to Moseley via Bradford Street
44 Dale End/Albert Street to Acocks Green 5 January 1937 91 High Street to Warwick Road, Tyseley
45 Dale End/Albert Street to Sparkbrook 5 January 1937
50 High Street to Moseley Road depot 1 October 1949 41 Navigation Street to Moseley Road Depot
51 Hill Street to Alcester Lane End 1 October 1949 40 Hill Street to High Street/Vicarage Road, Kings Heath via Leopold Street, 65 Hill Street to Moseley via Leopold Street
53 Navigation Street to Dogpool Lane
63 Steelhouse Lane to Fort Dunlop 4 July 1953
68 Villa Road to Soho Road, Lozells, Gravelly Hill and Erdington (Sundays only) 1923
70 Navigation Street to Rednal 5 July 1952 35 Navigation Street to Selly Oak, 54 Navigation Street to Pebble Mill Road, 69 Navigation Street to Northfield, 72 Navigation Street to Longbridge
71 Navigation Street to Rubery 5 July 1952
74 City to Dudley 1 April 1939 74 Livery Street to Carters Green, West Bromwich, 76 Colmore Road to Great Bridge, 77 Colmore Row to Spon Lane/High Street, West Bromwich
75 City to Wednesbury 1 April 1939
78 Steelhouse Lane to Short Heath 4 July 1953 1 Steelhouse Lane to Stockland Green
79 Steelhouse Lane to Pype Hayes Park 4 July 1953 63 Steelhouse Lane to Holly Lane/Tyburn Road
81 Villa Road to Soho Road, Lozells to Pype Hayes (Sundays only) 1930
84 City to Stechford 2 October 1948 12 High Street to Bordesley Green (Blake Street) via Deritend and Coventry Road
87 City to Dudley 30 September 1939 85 Edmund Street to Spon Lane, West Bromwich via Smethwick, 86 Edmund Street to Oldbury via Smethwick, 88 Windmill Lane to Spon Lane, West Bromwich via Smethwick
90 City to Stechford 2 October 1948 11 High Street to Bordesley Green (Blake Lane) via Fazeley Street
Depots and Works
Tramcar fleet
Statistics
Surviving artifacts and infrastructureEdit
Tramcars
Vehicle 107 (1906) under restoration at Aston Manor Road Transport Museum
Vehicle 395 (1911) rescued by City of Birmingham Museums and Galleries. Restored in 1953 and presented to Birmingham Science Museum. Now preserved in Thinktank, Birmingham
Shelters
Tramway shelter from Birmingham preserved at the Crich Tramway Museum
One preserved at Crich Tramway Museum (53.089842°N 1.485869°W)
Depots
Moseley Road Depot - Grade II listed.[5] (52.4543°N 1.8857°W)
Selly Oak Depot, Harborne Lane - now Storage Units. (52.44189°N 1.94268°W)
Witton Depot (52.511651°N 1.885399°W)
Silver Street, Kings Heath - now International Stock (52.43345°N 1.89402°W)
Miller Street - First Corporation built depot (52.49274°N 1.89348°W)
Highgate Road. Closed to trams 1937. Used for buses until the 1950s. (52.45872°N 1.87418°W)
Steam Tram coke yard, 1899 - Stratford Road/ College Road junction.
Track
Remains of tram track, Rednal Terminus
Edmund Street, Birmingham City Centre (52.48054°N 1.90348°W)
Rednal Terminus (52.384012°N 2.002013°W)
See also
References
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TRAM IN BRUSSELS
TRAM IN BRUSSELS
Last edited 2 months ago by Sladen
Trams in Brussels
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Brussels tramway network
A Bombardier T3000 in Brussels, 2010.
Operation
Locale Brussels, Belgium
Routes 19 (2013)[1]
Owner(s) Brussels-Capital Region
Operator(s) STIB/MIVB
Infrastructure
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Propulsion system(s) Electricity
Electrification 600 V DC
Statistics
Route length 138.9 km (86.3 mi)[2]
Passengers (2012) 123.5 million[3]
Horsecar era: 1869–ca. 1900
Status Converted to electricity
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Propulsion system(s) Horses
Steam tram era: 1876–1877, 1879
Status Experiments abandoned
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Propulsion system(s) Steam
Accumulator tram era: 1883, 1886–1889
Status Experiments abandoned
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Propulsion system(s) Rechargable batteries
Electric tram era: since 1894
Status Still Running
Owner(s) Brussels-Capital Region
Operator(s) STIB/MIVB
(since 1954)
Minimum curve radius {{{era4_minimum_radius_of_curvature}}}
Overview
Brussels tramway network, 2009.
Website STIB/MIVB (English)
The Brussels tram (or streetcar) system is a transport system in Brussels, Belgium. It is one of the ten largest tram systems in the world, carrying some 123.5 million passengers in 2012.[3] In 2013, the Brussels tram system consists of 19 tram lines[1] (three of which – lines T3, T4 and T7 – qualify as premetro lines).[4] As of 2011, the tram system's total route length was 138.9 km (86.3 mi),[2] making it one of the larger tram networks in Europe. Its development has demonstrated many of the quandaries that face local public transport planners. The Brussels tram system also has a number of interesting peculiarities.
HistoryEdit
Old route 103 near Rogier.
The first horse-drawn trams were introduced in Brussels in 1869, running from the Porte de Namur to the Bois de la Cambre.[5] The first electric tramway came to Brussels in 1894.[5]
Intermodal integrationEdit
The system exists in a somewhat unusual local government context, because Brussels is a self-governing region, as an enclave within Flanders, although only some 3.3 kilometres from Wallonia at the closest point. This means that three-way deals are necessary between Brussels’ own STIB/MIVB, Flanders’ De Lijn and Wallonia’s TEC.
STIB sees itself as a provider of mobility rather than just public transport, and has a 49% share in the Cambio carsharing franchise. The Brussels conurbation — 19 municipalities plus adjoining commuter belt — is also served by a fairly dense network of main-line trains. The MOBIB contactless smart card can be used on buses, trams and the metro, and is gradually being extended to other modes, although it is not yet accepted by De Lijn or TEC. A simple tariff system permits unlimited changes with a one-hour period for €2.50 when bought from the driver, €2.00 from a ticket machine.
Ridership has been rising, and user-friendly features that have grown up through custom and practice help this. For instance, passengers open the doors by pressing a green strip on the central pole (in PCC trams) or an illuminated button (on Flexity trams), and drivers usually make a point of waiting for latecomers. However, overcrowding at rush hours and at weekend is common. Fare-dodging is reputedly quite high, despite periodic enforcement campaigns, and this is being addressed by the installation of ticket barriers in all metro stations. From 2013, the obligation to check out of as well as into the system is being progressively introduced.
RoutesEdit
A tram at Porte de Hal premetro station
Platforms of Boileau premetro station, clearly showing the dual platform heights
As of 2013, there are 19 tram routes,[1] totaling 138.9 kilometres (86.3 mi),[2] and serving most parts of the city, including the two partial ring routes (T7 and T92). The tram routes have a very varied feel, including street running through narrow streets in working-class districts (lines T81 and T83), cobbled central reservation, reserved track through parkland and woods (T44), signal-controlled running in tunnels (the premetro lines T3, T4 and T7), and short stretches in cutting (the old route T18, closed in 2007). Almost all trams are double-ended and all are double-sided, and while some stub termini remain (T4, T51, T97), most have loops. The route pattern shows some notable gaps, particularly along major radial routes, because these were originally served by the national network of buurtspoorwegen/tramways vicinaux. These had a gauge of one metre, rather than the Brussels standard gauge, and so the tracks could not easily be taken over when the lines were progressively closed from the 1960s onwards.
The complementary routing of vicinal and urban tracks and the replacement of key lines by metro has led to some peculiar track layouts, for instance at the Barrière de St-Gilles/Bareel St-Gillis. Though all seven roads at this circular junction originally had tram lines, only three of the original seven remain.[6] To negotiate a sharp turn, the old route T18 (closed 1 July 2007) had to make a 270-degree turn on its journey away from the city centre, looping round and crossing its own path.
Under the South station, the premetro and metro tracks swap from running on the right to running on the left where they run parallel to provide cross-platform interchange between the two lines. This serves no apparent purpose, but may be because main line trains in Belgium run on the left. Trams cross back to the right under Place Bara but the metro stays on the left as far as the Roi Baudouin terminus.
There is no tram priority at traffic lights, but the track layout is used to avoid hold-ups on route T92 at the Ma Campagne and Place Janson crossroads, which lie 300 metres from each other on the Chaussée de Charleroi/Charleroisesteenweg. There is lateral space for only one track in a raised central reservation, and the rails swerve to the left approximately 100 metres in front of the junction so that cars can queue in the right-hand lane.
Between 2006 and 2009, a phased transformation of the network took place, with the aim of improving regularity and relieving overcrowding. The premetro service between North station and Albert was restructured with fewer lines passing through it, but at more regular intervals. These routes use the new longer Bombardier trams. The major part of the North-South Axis (from Lemonnier to Rogier) is now used only by lines T3 and T4 during the day, branded Chrono. Tram line T55 from Schaerbeek (north of Brussels) that used to use the North-South Axis now terminates at Rogier. The old line T52 was replaced by line T3 in the north (from Brussels-South railway station to Thomas and from Van Praet to Esplanade), T82 (from Drogenbos to Lemonnier) and T32 in the south. The old tram line T56 was also eliminated.
A previously implemented part of the plan was the creation of line T25 in April 2007. Line T25 goes from Rogier to the Boondael/Boondaal railway station following the route of the ex-line T90 from Rogier to Buyl, then leaves the outer ring towards the Université Libre de Bruxelles campus of Solbosch.
On March 14, 2011, old lines T23 and T24 were merged to create the new eastern semicircular premetro line T7 which runs almost entirely in its own right of way from Heizel/Heysel in the north to Vanderkindere in the south.
High-floor and low-floor trams
Rolling StockEdit
A PCC leaving Place Rogier/Rogierplein for South/Midi station, before the opening of the North-South premetro. The tram stop in the background was also used by the Vicinal, which had its terminal loop here.
As of July 2010, STIB operates the following trams, stabled at five depots:
Tramcar Type Depot Allocations Count
PCC 7700/7800 All 128
PCC 7900 ? 61
Bombardier T2000 Ixelles, Schaerbeek 51
Bombardier T3000 ? 151
Bombardier T4000 ? 35
Total 326
Livery
2010 Vancouver Olympics
Heritage trams
Route list
Statistics
See also
References
Footnotes
External links
Read in another language
MobileDesktop
Content is available under CC BY-SA 3.0 unless otherwise noted.
Terms of UsePrivacy
Last edited 2 months ago by Sladen
Trams in Brussels
Watch this page
Brussels tramway network
A Bombardier T3000 in Brussels, 2010.
Operation
Locale Brussels, Belgium
Routes 19 (2013)[1]
Owner(s) Brussels-Capital Region
Operator(s) STIB/MIVB
Infrastructure
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Propulsion system(s) Electricity
Electrification 600 V DC
Statistics
Route length 138.9 km (86.3 mi)[2]
Passengers (2012) 123.5 million[3]
Horsecar era: 1869–ca. 1900
Status Converted to electricity
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Propulsion system(s) Horses
Steam tram era: 1876–1877, 1879
Status Experiments abandoned
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Propulsion system(s) Steam
Accumulator tram era: 1883, 1886–1889
Status Experiments abandoned
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Propulsion system(s) Rechargable batteries
Electric tram era: since 1894
Status Still Running
Owner(s) Brussels-Capital Region
Operator(s) STIB/MIVB
(since 1954)
Minimum curve radius {{{era4_minimum_radius_of_curvature}}}
Overview
Brussels tramway network, 2009.
Website STIB/MIVB (English)
The Brussels tram (or streetcar) system is a transport system in Brussels, Belgium. It is one of the ten largest tram systems in the world, carrying some 123.5 million passengers in 2012.[3] In 2013, the Brussels tram system consists of 19 tram lines[1] (three of which – lines T3, T4 and T7 – qualify as premetro lines).[4] As of 2011, the tram system's total route length was 138.9 km (86.3 mi),[2] making it one of the larger tram networks in Europe. Its development has demonstrated many of the quandaries that face local public transport planners. The Brussels tram system also has a number of interesting peculiarities.
HistoryEdit
Old route 103 near Rogier.
The first horse-drawn trams were introduced in Brussels in 1869, running from the Porte de Namur to the Bois de la Cambre.[5] The first electric tramway came to Brussels in 1894.[5]
Intermodal integrationEdit
The system exists in a somewhat unusual local government context, because Brussels is a self-governing region, as an enclave within Flanders, although only some 3.3 kilometres from Wallonia at the closest point. This means that three-way deals are necessary between Brussels’ own STIB/MIVB, Flanders’ De Lijn and Wallonia’s TEC.
STIB sees itself as a provider of mobility rather than just public transport, and has a 49% share in the Cambio carsharing franchise. The Brussels conurbation — 19 municipalities plus adjoining commuter belt — is also served by a fairly dense network of main-line trains. The MOBIB contactless smart card can be used on buses, trams and the metro, and is gradually being extended to other modes, although it is not yet accepted by De Lijn or TEC. A simple tariff system permits unlimited changes with a one-hour period for €2.50 when bought from the driver, €2.00 from a ticket machine.
Ridership has been rising, and user-friendly features that have grown up through custom and practice help this. For instance, passengers open the doors by pressing a green strip on the central pole (in PCC trams) or an illuminated button (on Flexity trams), and drivers usually make a point of waiting for latecomers. However, overcrowding at rush hours and at weekend is common. Fare-dodging is reputedly quite high, despite periodic enforcement campaigns, and this is being addressed by the installation of ticket barriers in all metro stations. From 2013, the obligation to check out of as well as into the system is being progressively introduced.
RoutesEdit
A tram at Porte de Hal premetro station
Platforms of Boileau premetro station, clearly showing the dual platform heights
As of 2013, there are 19 tram routes,[1] totaling 138.9 kilometres (86.3 mi),[2] and serving most parts of the city, including the two partial ring routes (T7 and T92). The tram routes have a very varied feel, including street running through narrow streets in working-class districts (lines T81 and T83), cobbled central reservation, reserved track through parkland and woods (T44), signal-controlled running in tunnels (the premetro lines T3, T4 and T7), and short stretches in cutting (the old route T18, closed in 2007). Almost all trams are double-ended and all are double-sided, and while some stub termini remain (T4, T51, T97), most have loops. The route pattern shows some notable gaps, particularly along major radial routes, because these were originally served by the national network of buurtspoorwegen/tramways vicinaux. These had a gauge of one metre, rather than the Brussels standard gauge, and so the tracks could not easily be taken over when the lines were progressively closed from the 1960s onwards.
The complementary routing of vicinal and urban tracks and the replacement of key lines by metro has led to some peculiar track layouts, for instance at the Barrière de St-Gilles/Bareel St-Gillis. Though all seven roads at this circular junction originally had tram lines, only three of the original seven remain.[6] To negotiate a sharp turn, the old route T18 (closed 1 July 2007) had to make a 270-degree turn on its journey away from the city centre, looping round and crossing its own path.
Under the South station, the premetro and metro tracks swap from running on the right to running on the left where they run parallel to provide cross-platform interchange between the two lines. This serves no apparent purpose, but may be because main line trains in Belgium run on the left. Trams cross back to the right under Place Bara but the metro stays on the left as far as the Roi Baudouin terminus.
There is no tram priority at traffic lights, but the track layout is used to avoid hold-ups on route T92 at the Ma Campagne and Place Janson crossroads, which lie 300 metres from each other on the Chaussée de Charleroi/Charleroisesteenweg. There is lateral space for only one track in a raised central reservation, and the rails swerve to the left approximately 100 metres in front of the junction so that cars can queue in the right-hand lane.
Between 2006 and 2009, a phased transformation of the network took place, with the aim of improving regularity and relieving overcrowding. The premetro service between North station and Albert was restructured with fewer lines passing through it, but at more regular intervals. These routes use the new longer Bombardier trams. The major part of the North-South Axis (from Lemonnier to Rogier) is now used only by lines T3 and T4 during the day, branded Chrono. Tram line T55 from Schaerbeek (north of Brussels) that used to use the North-South Axis now terminates at Rogier. The old line T52 was replaced by line T3 in the north (from Brussels-South railway station to Thomas and from Van Praet to Esplanade), T82 (from Drogenbos to Lemonnier) and T32 in the south. The old tram line T56 was also eliminated.
A previously implemented part of the plan was the creation of line T25 in April 2007. Line T25 goes from Rogier to the Boondael/Boondaal railway station following the route of the ex-line T90 from Rogier to Buyl, then leaves the outer ring towards the Université Libre de Bruxelles campus of Solbosch.
On March 14, 2011, old lines T23 and T24 were merged to create the new eastern semicircular premetro line T7 which runs almost entirely in its own right of way from Heizel/Heysel in the north to Vanderkindere in the south.
High-floor and low-floor trams
Rolling StockEdit
A PCC leaving Place Rogier/Rogierplein for South/Midi station, before the opening of the North-South premetro. The tram stop in the background was also used by the Vicinal, which had its terminal loop here.
As of July 2010, STIB operates the following trams, stabled at five depots:
Tramcar Type Depot Allocations Count
PCC 7700/7800 All 128
PCC 7900 ? 61
Bombardier T2000 Ixelles, Schaerbeek 51
Bombardier T3000 ? 151
Bombardier T4000 ? 35
Total 326
Livery
2010 Vancouver Olympics
Heritage trams
Route list
Statistics
See also
References
Footnotes
External links
Read in another language
MobileDesktop
Content is available under CC BY-SA 3.0 unless otherwise noted.
Terms of UsePrivacy
29 Ocak 2015 Perşembe
NiCE TRAMVAY
NICE TRAMVAY
Last edited 1 month ago by IJBall
Nice tramway
Watch this page
This article is about the modern tram network that has operated in Nice since 2007. For Nice's first-generation tram system that operated from 1879-1953, see Trams in Nice.
Nice tramway
Tram crossing Place Garibaldi, where it lowers its pantograph and is powered by batteries.
Overview
Native name Tramway de Nice
Locale Nice, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France
Transit type Tram
Number of lines 1
Number of stations 21
Daily ridership 70,000 (2010)
Operation
Began operation 2007
Operator(s) Veolia Transdev
Technical
System length 8.7 km (5.4 mi)
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
System map
Tramway de Nice Line 1
Legend
Las Planas
Comte de Falicon
Le Ray
Gorbella
Valrose Université
Borriglione
Libération (For Nice CP station )
Marseille-Ventimille Railway line
Gare Thiers (For Nice Ville station)
Jean Médecin
Points allowing half-line operation if place Masséna is closed
Masséna
Unelectrified section (crossing of place Masséna)
Opéra-Vieille Ville
Points allowing half-line operation if place Masséna is closed
Cathédrale-Vieille Ville
Unelectrified section (crossing of place Garibaldi)
Garibaldi
Acropolis
Palais des Expositions
Marseille-Ventimille Railway line
Vauban
St-Jean d'Angely Université
St-Roch
Virgile Barel
St-Charles
Pont Michel
The Nice tramway (French: Tramway de Nice) is a 8.7-kilometre (5.4 mi), single-line tramway in the city of Nice in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France. It is operated by the Société nouvelle des transports de l'agglomération niçoise division of Veolia Transdev[1] under the name Lignes d'azur.
Opened on 24 November 2007, it replaced bus lines 1, 2, 5 and 18. From the start, the system had 20 Alstom Citadis trains in service, providing a frequency of seven minutes. Since its inception, the number of passengers has increased from 70,000 per day in 2008 to 90,000 per day in 2011. The frequency of trams is to gradually increase from seven to five minutes, even four minutes by 2011.
Given the success of the T1 line, mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi decided to create two other lines, which are planned to go into service beginning in 2015. Line 2 is to serve the Nice airport to the west through the construction of a multimodal center and the Port of Nice to the east. Line 3 will cross the valley of the Var. In addition, the Nice Côte d'azur urban region decided to extend line 1 to the Pasteur neighbourhood.
HistoryEdit
1900-1953
Main article: Trams in Nice
The first tramway in Nice opened in 1879, was electrified in 1900, and was followed by a departmental network in 1906. The entire network was electrified in 1910. In the 1920s, the network had 11 lines, some of which were partially used for goods transport. However, the tram was criticised and was replaced by buses on some lines beginning in 1927. The last tramway in Nice ceased service on 10 January 1953.
Current tramline
A Nice tramway car at Place Massena.
Part of the Nice tramway track is lined by grass.
Like many other French cities, Nice has major traffic problems, including the fact that most economic activities are concentrated in the centre. To overcome these problems, studies on the implementation of transit in dedicated lanes were conducted in 1987. The city of Nice began to implement dedicated bus lanes in 1997, and launched a study on the implementation of a tram line in 1998.
Trams were chosen because they appeared to be more reliable than buses, since they are not subject to the vagaries of traffic, but they are less expensive than a subway line. The tram was declared a public utility in 2003 and work began the same year; the line was placed in service on 24 November 2007 after several weeks of technical trials, even though construction was not fully completed.
In the months following the launch of the tram, there were between 65,000 and 70,000 passengers daily;[2] the number rose to 90,000 by January 2011.[3]
NetworkEdit
The Nice tramway was designed to serve most of the population of Nice. As the city is situated on hilly ground by the sea, the line was drawn as a U shape, passing through the city centre.
There is currently only one line, served by two termini: Henri Sappia and Pont Michel. A second line, connecting the city centre with the airport and the Central Business District (CADAM, Arénas), is under construction.
Henri Sappia terminus
A Nice tramway car pulling into the depot.
Formerly called "Las Planas",[4] the north-western terminus of the tramway was renamed "Henri Sappia" in July, 2013. The Henri Sappia depot is situated at the northwestern terminus of the line in the neighbourhood of Le Rouret, where the Count of Falicon and the Marquis of Rouret once owned large villas and many farms dotted the land.
Above the tram terminus sport and cultural centres have been built. The plaza in front of the station has been raised and planted, with a fountain of water jets installed.
Fontaine du Temple
The Fontaine du Temple neighbourhood where the Comte de Falicon tram stop is built has been remodelled for the arrival of the tramway. The plaza has been repaved and will host an outdoor market.
Planned extensions
Tram and art
Rolling stockEdit
The cars of the Nice tramway are unique and have been designed to blend in with the Niçois architecture. They are based on the Alstom Citadis family of tramcars and were built near La Rochelle, Poitou-Charentes. A standard 5-car tram measures 35 m but extra carriages may be added, bringing the length to 45 m. The tram is 2.65 m wide and can carry 200 passengers at 18 km/h compared to 11 km/h for the bus. It uses the 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge.
Power supply
See also
References
External links
Read in another language
MobileDesktop
Content is available under CC BY-SA 3.0 unless otherwise noted.
Terms of UsePrivacy
Last edited 1 month ago by IJBall
Nice tramway
Watch this page
This article is about the modern tram network that has operated in Nice since 2007. For Nice's first-generation tram system that operated from 1879-1953, see Trams in Nice.
Nice tramway
Tram crossing Place Garibaldi, where it lowers its pantograph and is powered by batteries.
Overview
Native name Tramway de Nice
Locale Nice, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France
Transit type Tram
Number of lines 1
Number of stations 21
Daily ridership 70,000 (2010)
Operation
Began operation 2007
Operator(s) Veolia Transdev
Technical
System length 8.7 km (5.4 mi)
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
System map
Tramway de Nice Line 1
Legend
Las Planas
Comte de Falicon
Le Ray
Gorbella
Valrose Université
Borriglione
Libération (For Nice CP station )
Marseille-Ventimille Railway line
Gare Thiers (For Nice Ville station)
Jean Médecin
Points allowing half-line operation if place Masséna is closed
Masséna
Unelectrified section (crossing of place Masséna)
Opéra-Vieille Ville
Points allowing half-line operation if place Masséna is closed
Cathédrale-Vieille Ville
Unelectrified section (crossing of place Garibaldi)
Garibaldi
Acropolis
Palais des Expositions
Marseille-Ventimille Railway line
Vauban
St-Jean d'Angely Université
St-Roch
Virgile Barel
St-Charles
Pont Michel
The Nice tramway (French: Tramway de Nice) is a 8.7-kilometre (5.4 mi), single-line tramway in the city of Nice in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France. It is operated by the Société nouvelle des transports de l'agglomération niçoise division of Veolia Transdev[1] under the name Lignes d'azur.
Opened on 24 November 2007, it replaced bus lines 1, 2, 5 and 18. From the start, the system had 20 Alstom Citadis trains in service, providing a frequency of seven minutes. Since its inception, the number of passengers has increased from 70,000 per day in 2008 to 90,000 per day in 2011. The frequency of trams is to gradually increase from seven to five minutes, even four minutes by 2011.
Given the success of the T1 line, mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi decided to create two other lines, which are planned to go into service beginning in 2015. Line 2 is to serve the Nice airport to the west through the construction of a multimodal center and the Port of Nice to the east. Line 3 will cross the valley of the Var. In addition, the Nice Côte d'azur urban region decided to extend line 1 to the Pasteur neighbourhood.
HistoryEdit
1900-1953
Main article: Trams in Nice
The first tramway in Nice opened in 1879, was electrified in 1900, and was followed by a departmental network in 1906. The entire network was electrified in 1910. In the 1920s, the network had 11 lines, some of which were partially used for goods transport. However, the tram was criticised and was replaced by buses on some lines beginning in 1927. The last tramway in Nice ceased service on 10 January 1953.
Current tramline
A Nice tramway car at Place Massena.
Part of the Nice tramway track is lined by grass.
Like many other French cities, Nice has major traffic problems, including the fact that most economic activities are concentrated in the centre. To overcome these problems, studies on the implementation of transit in dedicated lanes were conducted in 1987. The city of Nice began to implement dedicated bus lanes in 1997, and launched a study on the implementation of a tram line in 1998.
Trams were chosen because they appeared to be more reliable than buses, since they are not subject to the vagaries of traffic, but they are less expensive than a subway line. The tram was declared a public utility in 2003 and work began the same year; the line was placed in service on 24 November 2007 after several weeks of technical trials, even though construction was not fully completed.
In the months following the launch of the tram, there were between 65,000 and 70,000 passengers daily;[2] the number rose to 90,000 by January 2011.[3]
NetworkEdit
The Nice tramway was designed to serve most of the population of Nice. As the city is situated on hilly ground by the sea, the line was drawn as a U shape, passing through the city centre.
There is currently only one line, served by two termini: Henri Sappia and Pont Michel. A second line, connecting the city centre with the airport and the Central Business District (CADAM, Arénas), is under construction.
Henri Sappia terminus
A Nice tramway car pulling into the depot.
Formerly called "Las Planas",[4] the north-western terminus of the tramway was renamed "Henri Sappia" in July, 2013. The Henri Sappia depot is situated at the northwestern terminus of the line in the neighbourhood of Le Rouret, where the Count of Falicon and the Marquis of Rouret once owned large villas and many farms dotted the land.
Above the tram terminus sport and cultural centres have been built. The plaza in front of the station has been raised and planted, with a fountain of water jets installed.
Fontaine du Temple
The Fontaine du Temple neighbourhood where the Comte de Falicon tram stop is built has been remodelled for the arrival of the tramway. The plaza has been repaved and will host an outdoor market.
Planned extensions
Tram and art
Rolling stockEdit
The cars of the Nice tramway are unique and have been designed to blend in with the Niçois architecture. They are based on the Alstom Citadis family of tramcars and were built near La Rochelle, Poitou-Charentes. A standard 5-car tram measures 35 m but extra carriages may be added, bringing the length to 45 m. The tram is 2.65 m wide and can carry 200 passengers at 18 km/h compared to 11 km/h for the bus. It uses the 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge.
Power supply
See also
References
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27 Ocak 2015 Salı
Oldham Mumps Metrolink station
Oldham Mumps Metrolink station
3Last edited 4 days ago by P.hogg
Oldham Mumps Metrolink station
Watch this page
Oldham Mumps
Metrolink
A tram at Oldham Mumps Metrolink station
Oldham Mumps
Location of Oldham Mumps in Greater Manchester
Location
Place Oldham
Local authority Metropolitan Borough of Oldham
Coordinates 53.5410°N 2.1022°W
Grid reference SD933049
Platforms 2
Fare zone information
Present status In operation
History
Opened 1 November 1847
Closed as rail station 3 October 2009
Conversion to Metrolink operation 13 June 2012 (temporary station)
27 January 2014 (opening date of permanent station)
Oldham and Rochdale Line
Rochdale Town Centre
Rochdale Railway Station
Newbold
Kingsway
Milnrow
Newhey
Shaw and Crompton
Derker
Oldham Mumps
Oldham Central
Oldham King Street
Westwood
Freehold
South Chadderton
Hollinwood
Failsworth
Newton Heath and Moston
Central Park
Monsall
to Queens Road Depot
Manchester Victoria
to East Didsbury
UK Trams portal
Oldham Mumps Metrolink station is a station on the Oldham and Rochdale Line (ORL) of Greater Manchester's light-rail Metrolink system in the Mumps area of Oldham which opened in 2014.
A temporary station of the same name opened to passengers on 13 June 2012 as part of Phase 3a of the system's expansion. Phase 3b resulted in the station's decommissioning in 2014, and its replacement with the permanent station at the opposite end of Mumps on a realigned track. The temporary station was on the site of the original Oldham Mumps railway station, a heavy rail station which opened (initially for haulage) on 1 November 1847[1] and closed on 3 October 2009 for conversion to Metrolink. It was along the Oldham Loop Line, which operated from Manchester to Rochdale via Oldham and thus was almost identical to the current Metrolink route.
History
Tram services
Connecting bus routesEdit
Route Destination 1 Destination 2 Operator Service
58 Rochdalevia Derker, Shaw and Crompton , Newhey, Milnrow, Firgrove, Newbold Middleton via Oldham Central, Oldham Bus Station, Westwood, Chadderton, Mills Hill FirstGroup Mon-Sat Daytime
59 Rushcroft via Shaw and Crompton Manchester via Oldham Central, Oldham Bus Station, Westwood, Chadderton, Mills Hill, Middleton, Bowker Vale, Cheetham Hill FirstGroup Daytime & Evening
81 Derker Manchester via Oldham Central, Oldham Bus Station, Werneth, South Chadderton Coalshaw Green, Moston, Collyhurst FirstGroup Daytime & Evening
81A Holts via Waterhead, Lees Manchester via Oldham Central , Oldham Bus Station, Werneth, South Chadderton Coalshaw Green, Moston, Collyhurst FirstGroup Daytime & Evening
82 Lees via Waterhead Manchester via Oldham Central, Oldham Bus Station, Werneth, Hollnwood, Failsworth, Newton Heath and Moston, Central Park, Monsall, Miles Platting Stagecoach Manchester Fri/Sat Night
83 Sholver via Moorside Manchester via Oldham Central, Oldham Bus Station, Werneth, Hollnwood, Failsworth, Newton Heath and Moston, Central Park, Monsall , Miles Platting FirstGroup Daytime & Evening
180 Greenfield via Lees, Grotton, Greenfield Manchester via Oldham Central, Oldham Bus Station, Oldham King Street, Hollins, Hollnwood, Failsworth, Newton Heath and Moston, Central Park, Monsall, Miles Platting FirstGroup Daytime & Evening
184 Huddersfield via Lees, Grotton, Grasscroft, Greenfield, Uppermill, Diggle, Standedge, Marsden , Slaithwaite , Linthwaite, Cowlersley, Rashcliffe Manchester via Oldham Central, Oldham Bus Station, Oldham King Street, Hollins, Hollnwood, Failsworth , Newton Heath and Moston, Central Park , Monsall , Miles Platting FirstGroup Daytime & Evening
343 Hyde, via Lees, Grotton, Mossley, Roaches (daytime only), Micklehurst, Carrbrook, Millbrook, Brushes Estate, Copley, Stalybridge, Dukinfield, Flowery Field Oldham Bus Station, via Oldham Central Stotts Tours
JPT
FirstGroup Daytime & Evening
344 Hyde, via Greenacres, Waterhead, Grotton, Mossley, Roaches, Micklehurst, Carrbrook, Millbrook, Brushes Estate, Copley, Stalybridge, Dukinfield, Flowery Field N/A Stotts Tours Mon-Fri Morning
350 Ashton under Lyne via Greenacres, Scouthead, Delph, Dobcross, Uppermill, Greenfield, Dacres, Hey Farm, Micklehurst, Mossley, Hazelhurst, Tameside General Hospital Oldham Bus Station, via Oldham Central FirstGroup
Stotts Tours Daytime & Evening
400 N/A Oldham Town Centre MCT Daytime
407 Denshaw via Watersheddings, Moorside, Pennine Meadows, Sholver, Grains Bar, Slackcote Oldham Bus Station, via Oldham Central Stotts Tours Daytime
418 Waterhead via Lees, Springhead, Austerlands Heyside via Oldham Central, Oldham Bus Station, Royal Oldham Hospital, Royton, Dr Kershaw's Hospice S&S Travel Services Mon-Sat Daytime
425 Holts via Glodwick, Alt, Abbeyhills Fitton Hill via Oldham Central, Oldham Bus Station, Oldham King Street, Hathershaw FirstGroup Daytime & Evening
X84 Carrcote via Lees, Grotton, Grasscroft, Greenfield, Uppermill, Dobcross, Delph Manchester via Hollins, Hollnwood, Failsworth , Newton Heath and Moston, Central Park , Monsall , Miles Platting FirstGroup Mon-Fri Peak Times
[9]
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3Last edited 4 days ago by P.hogg
Oldham Mumps Metrolink station
Watch this page
Oldham Mumps
Metrolink
A tram at Oldham Mumps Metrolink station
Oldham Mumps
Location of Oldham Mumps in Greater Manchester
Location
Place Oldham
Local authority Metropolitan Borough of Oldham
Coordinates 53.5410°N 2.1022°W
Grid reference SD933049
Platforms 2
Fare zone information
Present status In operation
History
Opened 1 November 1847
Closed as rail station 3 October 2009
Conversion to Metrolink operation 13 June 2012 (temporary station)
27 January 2014 (opening date of permanent station)
Oldham and Rochdale Line
Rochdale Town Centre
Rochdale Railway Station
Newbold
Kingsway
Milnrow
Newhey
Shaw and Crompton
Derker
Oldham Mumps
Oldham Central
Oldham King Street
Westwood
Freehold
South Chadderton
Hollinwood
Failsworth
Newton Heath and Moston
Central Park
Monsall
to Queens Road Depot
Manchester Victoria
to East Didsbury
UK Trams portal
Oldham Mumps Metrolink station is a station on the Oldham and Rochdale Line (ORL) of Greater Manchester's light-rail Metrolink system in the Mumps area of Oldham which opened in 2014.
A temporary station of the same name opened to passengers on 13 June 2012 as part of Phase 3a of the system's expansion. Phase 3b resulted in the station's decommissioning in 2014, and its replacement with the permanent station at the opposite end of Mumps on a realigned track. The temporary station was on the site of the original Oldham Mumps railway station, a heavy rail station which opened (initially for haulage) on 1 November 1847[1] and closed on 3 October 2009 for conversion to Metrolink. It was along the Oldham Loop Line, which operated from Manchester to Rochdale via Oldham and thus was almost identical to the current Metrolink route.
History
Tram services
Connecting bus routesEdit
Route Destination 1 Destination 2 Operator Service
58 Rochdalevia Derker, Shaw and Crompton , Newhey, Milnrow, Firgrove, Newbold Middleton via Oldham Central, Oldham Bus Station, Westwood, Chadderton, Mills Hill FirstGroup Mon-Sat Daytime
59 Rushcroft via Shaw and Crompton Manchester via Oldham Central, Oldham Bus Station, Westwood, Chadderton, Mills Hill, Middleton, Bowker Vale, Cheetham Hill FirstGroup Daytime & Evening
81 Derker Manchester via Oldham Central, Oldham Bus Station, Werneth, South Chadderton Coalshaw Green, Moston, Collyhurst FirstGroup Daytime & Evening
81A Holts via Waterhead, Lees Manchester via Oldham Central , Oldham Bus Station, Werneth, South Chadderton Coalshaw Green, Moston, Collyhurst FirstGroup Daytime & Evening
82 Lees via Waterhead Manchester via Oldham Central, Oldham Bus Station, Werneth, Hollnwood, Failsworth, Newton Heath and Moston, Central Park, Monsall, Miles Platting Stagecoach Manchester Fri/Sat Night
83 Sholver via Moorside Manchester via Oldham Central, Oldham Bus Station, Werneth, Hollnwood, Failsworth, Newton Heath and Moston, Central Park, Monsall , Miles Platting FirstGroup Daytime & Evening
180 Greenfield via Lees, Grotton, Greenfield Manchester via Oldham Central, Oldham Bus Station, Oldham King Street, Hollins, Hollnwood, Failsworth, Newton Heath and Moston, Central Park, Monsall, Miles Platting FirstGroup Daytime & Evening
184 Huddersfield via Lees, Grotton, Grasscroft, Greenfield, Uppermill, Diggle, Standedge, Marsden , Slaithwaite , Linthwaite, Cowlersley, Rashcliffe Manchester via Oldham Central, Oldham Bus Station, Oldham King Street, Hollins, Hollnwood, Failsworth , Newton Heath and Moston, Central Park , Monsall , Miles Platting FirstGroup Daytime & Evening
343 Hyde, via Lees, Grotton, Mossley, Roaches (daytime only), Micklehurst, Carrbrook, Millbrook, Brushes Estate, Copley, Stalybridge, Dukinfield, Flowery Field Oldham Bus Station, via Oldham Central Stotts Tours
JPT
FirstGroup Daytime & Evening
344 Hyde, via Greenacres, Waterhead, Grotton, Mossley, Roaches, Micklehurst, Carrbrook, Millbrook, Brushes Estate, Copley, Stalybridge, Dukinfield, Flowery Field N/A Stotts Tours Mon-Fri Morning
350 Ashton under Lyne via Greenacres, Scouthead, Delph, Dobcross, Uppermill, Greenfield, Dacres, Hey Farm, Micklehurst, Mossley, Hazelhurst, Tameside General Hospital Oldham Bus Station, via Oldham Central FirstGroup
Stotts Tours Daytime & Evening
400 N/A Oldham Town Centre MCT Daytime
407 Denshaw via Watersheddings, Moorside, Pennine Meadows, Sholver, Grains Bar, Slackcote Oldham Bus Station, via Oldham Central Stotts Tours Daytime
418 Waterhead via Lees, Springhead, Austerlands Heyside via Oldham Central, Oldham Bus Station, Royal Oldham Hospital, Royton, Dr Kershaw's Hospice S&S Travel Services Mon-Sat Daytime
425 Holts via Glodwick, Alt, Abbeyhills Fitton Hill via Oldham Central, Oldham Bus Station, Oldham King Street, Hathershaw FirstGroup Daytime & Evening
X84 Carrcote via Lees, Grotton, Grasscroft, Greenfield, Uppermill, Dobcross, Delph Manchester via Hollins, Hollnwood, Failsworth , Newton Heath and Moston, Central Park , Monsall , Miles Platting FirstGroup Mon-Fri Peak Times
[9]
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TRAMS iN OSLO
Last edited 2 months ago by Marcus Cyron
Trams in Oslo
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Oslo tramway network
Overview
Native name Trikken i Oslo
Owner Sporveien
Locale Oslo, Norway
Transit type Tram
Number of lines 6
Number of stations 99
Daily ridership 132,000 (2012)
Operation
Began operation 1875
Operator(s) Oslo Sporvognsdrift
Number of vehicles 40 SL79
32 SL95
Technical
System length 131.4 km (81.6 mi)
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
The Oslo tram network (Norwegian: Trikken i Oslo) is the 131.4-kilometre (81.6 mi) tram system in Oslo, Norway. It consists of six lines with 99 stops and has a daily ridership of 132,000. It is operated by Sporveien Trikken AS, a subsidiary of the municipal owned Sporveien who maintain the track and 72 tram vehicles on contracts with the public transport authority Ruter. The system operates on standard gauge and uses 750 overhead V DC. Depot, workshops and headquarters are at Grefsen (at the terminus of lines 13 and 17). There is also a depot at Holtet (along lines 18 and 19) that is home to the technical company InfraPartner, which maintains the track for the tram and metro systems in Oslo, and a small Office building for Oslo Sporveier.
HistoryEdit
The first tram in Oslo was opened in 1875 with a short line between Homansbyen west of the city centre, Oslo West Railway Station and a sideline to Grønland, east of the city centre. The first "trams" were in fact horse drawn vehicles on flanged steel wheels. The first expansion of the line came in 1878 with a line to the Grünerløkka neighborhood to the north.
Electric tram service was initiated in 1894 with a line over Briskeby to Majorstuen, a route south of the original Homansbyen line. Horsedrawn service was entirely replaced with electric service in 1900. For a long time, there were two tram companies operating in Oslo, "Grønntrikken" ("The Green Trams" with a green and yellow livery) and "Blåtrikken" ("The Blue Trams" with a blue livery). These companies were merged in 1924. The Norwegian word trikk (tram) derives from the English word electric. During the 1910s, 1920s and 1930s, the network continued to expand, with the most notable addition being the construction of Ekebergbanen, a line up along the hill along the east side of the Oslo Fjord, south of the city. It was operated by a separate company. It was originally built to Sæter in 1917, the line was completed to Ljabru in 1941. The tram network reached its greatest extent in 1939 with the opening of the northeastern line to Sinsen.
Historic electrical tram in Oslo
After World War II, the tram network started being gradually being replaced with diesel buses, closures started in 1947, and in 1960, the city council decided to aim for a complete dismantlement of the entire tram system. A number of lines had been replaced with the T-bane subway system, and the versatility of buses was attractive to the local politicians. However in 1977, the city council rescinded its decision to close the tram system. An order was made for a set of new articulated trams to supplement the aging fleet. The first of these trams, the SL79 was delivered in 1982.
The tram network was expanded slightly in the 1990s. A line over Aker Brygge was added in 1995, and in 1999 an extension of the northwestern Ullevål line was extended past the University of Oslo campus, to the new Rikshospitalet national hospital. A further renewal of the tram fleet by the addition of Italian double-articulated SL95 cars was also started. In 2002 the tram appeared to fall on hard times again. Oslo Sporveier was strapped for cash, and the board passed a decision to close down much of the tram system and replace it with buses. However, such a drastic change of operations forced a general assembly to meet, and most of the closures were cancelled. Finally, only the northernmost line to Kjelsås was closed in November 2002. In 2003, the tram system which had been part of Oslo Sporveier, was fissioned out to a separate company, Oslotrikken. However, Oslotrikken was instructed to drop the "Oslo" prefix in their name shortly after, making Trikken their official name. The line to Kjelsås was reopened in 2004, exactly two years after it was first closed.
The tram network has had a considerable expansion in passenger figures since 2003, but the number of tram departures has only increased by 22.7%. Lack of vehicles is a hindrance for further expansion of the tram service, and although orders for more vehicles are being planned, Ruter have said it will take years before the tram service can be expanded.[1]
Line networkEdit
Map of the Oslo Tramway
Tram lines in Oslo go either through downtown, or, more rarely, terminate there. As of 2005 there are six lines, all of which operate daily, usually on a schedule with a 10-minute headway, or 20-minute schedule during late evenings and weekends. The entire network is 131.4 km long. Many stretches are operated by two or more lines. In central areas, served by more than one line, there is a maximum of 5-minute headway between trams, a concept named "Rullende fortau" (rolling sidewalk) by the tram company.
Among the more notable stretches are:
The Ekeberg Line (Ekebergbanen) is the southernmost route, which runs up the hillside along the east coast of the Oslo Fjord, finally ending at Ljabru. It was one of the lines proposed axed in 2002, but spared at the general assembly. The line is more a light rail than a tram, as it runs on a separate track, and not in the street. It is served fully by line 19 and partially by line 18.
The Lilleaker Line, also more like a light rail, is the most western route, and the only tram line which does not stay within the city limits of Oslo. The last station on the line, Bekkestua, lies in Bærum. The tram line actually joins with Kolsås Line of the subway system for the last stretch. The line is served by line 13.
Lines
The lines are color-coded, and the colors appear on the line map as well as destination signs (but not any more on the SL-79 trams since they have digital destination displays). Line 11 and 13 share colors, as do lines 18 and 19. Some tram maps distinguish between them by giving line 11 a lighter green than line 13, and by making the yellow of line 19 more orange.[2] Up until the 2005 restructuring of the tram system there was also a line 10 (Jar-Skøyen-Aker Brygge-Jernbanetorget-Ullevål-Rikshospitalet), color-coded blue and a line 15 (Grefsen-Trondheimsveien-Nationaltheateret-Majorstuen), color-coded red.
No. Service
11 Majorstuen–Homansbyen–Torshov–Storo–Disen–Kjelsås
12 Majorstuen–Frogner–Aker Brygge–Jernbanetorget–Torshov–Storo–Disen–(Kjelsås)
13 Bekkestua-Lilleaker–Skøyen–Nationaltheateret–Jernbanetorget–Torshov–Storo–Grefsen
17 Rikshospitalet–Ullevål–Stortorvet–Carl Berners Plass–Sinsen–Grefsen
18 Rikshospitalet–Ullevål–Stortorvet–Jernbanetorget–Holtet–(Ljabru)
19 Majorstuen–Briskeby–Nationaltheateret–Jernbanetorget–Holtet–Ljabru
Destinations in brackets are only served during off-peak hours except for Bekkestua which is served every 20 minutes as opposed to every 10 minutes. Lines 11 and 12 are run jointly. A line 11 tram arriving at Majorstuen continues as a line 12 and vice versa. The same applies to the lines 13 and 17 at their terminus Grefsen.
Since lines 11, 12 and 19 run over Majorstuen, where several turns are too sharp for the newer SL-95 trams, they are operated with the lighter SL-79 trams. Lines 17 and 18 run to Rikshospitalet, which need to be operated by the bidirectional SL-95 trams. Both tram types are operating on line 13 but SL79 turns at Lilleaker instead of Jar, where there is no loop.
Rolling stockEdit
SL79.
SL95. These have operated on line 12 when the line between Frogner plass and Majorstuen is closed for maintenance. Usually line 12 is operated by SL79 trams.
Current rolling stock
The Oslo tram system has 72 trams.
40 six-axle trams of type SL79, numbered 101-140. These are single-articulated, and operate in one direction only. They were delivered in two batches, the first batch, with 25 trams, started arriving in 1982, the second batch of 15 trams arrived in 1989. The two batches are fairly similar, but with different interiors, and the rear door of the second batch is double. The first ten trams were produced by Duewag of Germany, the rest were produced by ABB at Strømmen, east of Oslo. The trams are 22.18 metres long, 2.50 metres wide, 3,41 metres tall and weigh 32.8 tons. The tram can take 163 passengers, 71 of which are seated.
32 eight-axle trams of type SL95, numbered 141-172 and delivered in 1998-2006. These double-articulated, partly low-floor trams can go backwards as well as forward due to the presence of driver cabs at either end and doors on both sides. They can therefore operate on the Ullevål line to Rikshospitalet which does not have a turning circle at the end of the line. However, the large turning radius and heavy weight of the tram makes it unsuitable for some of the lines to Majorstuen, which have poor tracks and sharp turns. The SL95s were delivered by the Italian company Ansaldo/Firema, now Ansaldobreda. The SL95 is 33.12 metres long, 2.6 metres wide, 3.62 metres tall and weighs 64.98 tons. The tram has a capacity for 212 passengers, 88 of which are seated.
There are also some old trams which are brought out on special occasions. During the summer, tram no. 70 together with trailer no. 647 operates scheduled trips on Sundays. It was built by Falkenried in Hamburg, Germany in 1913 for Grønntrikken. It remained in regular passenger service until 1968 and continued to serve as a maintenance vehicle. For the tram's 100 year jubilee, the no. 70 tram was restored in 1994. Trailer no. 647, complete with the classical open platforms, is a replica of an old trailer, built from parts from tram no. 71.
Former rolling stock
The fifty 4-axle Høka motor cars (designated SM53 and numbered 204-253) entered service in 1952-58. These were not articulated trams, but usually pulled a matching trailer (designated ST55 and numbered 551-580) in order to increase capacity. In the mid-1980s eleven of these motor cars were rebuilt and modernised. These trams were given the designation SM83 and numbered 261-271. All these trams were retired in 2000 when Oslo Sporveier increased the voltage of the network from 600 V to 750 V.
In 1954, with 30 Høka cars in service, one started manufacturing a type of hybrid cars, with a body similar to the Høka, though a bit smaller, built upon the undercarriage of existing, 2-axle, older cars. This type of car was called "kylling" ("chicken") because it was smaller than the new 4-axle cars built at HØNEfoss ("høne" = "hen"). The kylling cars were in service from 1954 until 1982. Matching trailers were also manufactured on the same principle, but these were mainly pulled by the Høka cars, as they proved too heavy to pull for the kylling cars.
In the early 1990s, the line over Storo was cut off from its turning circle terminus due to construction work. To get around this problem, a number of old trams were purchased from Gothenburg at the price of 1 krone each. These trams, which had been built between 1958 and 1962, and designated M25 in Gothenburg, were coupled back-to-back so that a driver's cabin was available at either end of the train. They were designated SM91 in Oslo. The condition of the SM91 was somewhat better than the aging Høka cars, so they replaced them. The SM91 was never popular with passengers, they were as noisy as the Høka, and the rear doors, which would only allow people out of the tram, had to be pushed open manually by passengers from the inside. After a fatal accident involving the doors of this tram type in January 2001, the trams were no longer run coupled together. They were finally retired in November 2002.
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Trams in Naples
Trams in Naples
Last edited 2 months ago by DerBorg
Trams in Naples
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Naples tramway network
A Sirio tram in Naples.
Operation
Locale Naples, Campania, Italy
Open 1875
Routes 3
Operator(s) ANM (Naples)
Infrastructure
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Electrification 600 V DC
Statistics
Route length 11.8 km (7.3 mi)
Overview
Website ANM (Italian)
The Naples tramway network (Italian: Rete tranviaria di Napoli) is located within the city and comune of Naples, in the region of Campania, southern Italy. In operation since 1875, the network has waxed and waned in size and vitality over the years, and is now growing once again. It is now 11.8 km (7.3 mi) long, and comprises three routes, known as lines 1, 2 and 4.
HistoryEdit
The first tramways in Naples were horsecar lines, opened in 1875.
Trams in the 1920s
In 1929, the city of Naples rescued various lines, rolling stock and infrastructure from several concessionaires, before merging them all into the Azienda Tranviaria Comunale Napoli (English: Naples Municipal Tramway) (ACTN), which had been established in 1918.
In December 1930, the management of the network was entrusted to the Ente Autonomo Volturno (EAV), a local public sector producer of electricity. In 1937, the EAV became the concessionaire of the service, but due to various difficulties the city council resumed direct management from 1 January 1941, at the request of the concessionaire.
In 1947, the Azienda Tranvie Autofilovie Napoli (English: Tramway Trolleybus Company of Naples) (ATAN) was established to take over the management of tram services. As in other Italian cities, the tramway network underwent a drastic reduction between 1952 and 1954 in favour of trolleybus lines, and motor vehicles.
Attempts in the late twentieth century to revive what was left of the network, such as the Linea Tranviaria Rapida designed for the 1990 FIFA World Cup, did not lead to any results. Instead, the network suffered further cuts (1998: Piazzale Tecchio–Bagnoli; 2000: Piazza Vittoria–Piazzale Tecchio).
A rebuilding program has been launched. The program includes the reconstruction of some infrastructure, and renewal of the tram fleet.
ServicesEdit
The Naples tramway network is 11.8 km (7 mi) long, and comprises the following routes:
1 Via Stadera - Port (Via Cristoforo Colombo)
2 Emiciclo di Poggioreale - San Giovanni a Teduccio (ANM depot)
4 San Giovanni a Teduccio (ANM depot) - Port (Via Cristoforo Colombo)
Due to further work on the construction of Municipio metro station, the movement of trams into Piazza Vittoria is temporarily suspended.
To work around this problem, the city considered building a temporary terminus, which would have been located in Via Cristoforo Colombo. If that terminus had been built, it would have given access to some abandoned tram lines.
Projects
Rolling stock
Depots
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References
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Last edited 2 months ago by DerBorg
Trams in Naples
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Naples tramway network
A Sirio tram in Naples.
Operation
Locale Naples, Campania, Italy
Open 1875
Routes 3
Operator(s) ANM (Naples)
Infrastructure
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Electrification 600 V DC
Statistics
Route length 11.8 km (7.3 mi)
Overview
Website ANM (Italian)
The Naples tramway network (Italian: Rete tranviaria di Napoli) is located within the city and comune of Naples, in the region of Campania, southern Italy. In operation since 1875, the network has waxed and waned in size and vitality over the years, and is now growing once again. It is now 11.8 km (7.3 mi) long, and comprises three routes, known as lines 1, 2 and 4.
HistoryEdit
The first tramways in Naples were horsecar lines, opened in 1875.
Trams in the 1920s
In 1929, the city of Naples rescued various lines, rolling stock and infrastructure from several concessionaires, before merging them all into the Azienda Tranviaria Comunale Napoli (English: Naples Municipal Tramway) (ACTN), which had been established in 1918.
In December 1930, the management of the network was entrusted to the Ente Autonomo Volturno (EAV), a local public sector producer of electricity. In 1937, the EAV became the concessionaire of the service, but due to various difficulties the city council resumed direct management from 1 January 1941, at the request of the concessionaire.
In 1947, the Azienda Tranvie Autofilovie Napoli (English: Tramway Trolleybus Company of Naples) (ATAN) was established to take over the management of tram services. As in other Italian cities, the tramway network underwent a drastic reduction between 1952 and 1954 in favour of trolleybus lines, and motor vehicles.
Attempts in the late twentieth century to revive what was left of the network, such as the Linea Tranviaria Rapida designed for the 1990 FIFA World Cup, did not lead to any results. Instead, the network suffered further cuts (1998: Piazzale Tecchio–Bagnoli; 2000: Piazza Vittoria–Piazzale Tecchio).
A rebuilding program has been launched. The program includes the reconstruction of some infrastructure, and renewal of the tram fleet.
ServicesEdit
The Naples tramway network is 11.8 km (7 mi) long, and comprises the following routes:
1 Via Stadera - Port (Via Cristoforo Colombo)
2 Emiciclo di Poggioreale - San Giovanni a Teduccio (ANM depot)
4 San Giovanni a Teduccio (ANM depot) - Port (Via Cristoforo Colombo)
Due to further work on the construction of Municipio metro station, the movement of trams into Piazza Vittoria is temporarily suspended.
To work around this problem, the city considered building a temporary terminus, which would have been located in Via Cristoforo Colombo. If that terminus had been built, it would have given access to some abandoned tram lines.
Projects
Rolling stock
Depots
See also
References
External links
Read in another language
MobileDesktop
Content is available under CC BY-SA 3.0 unless otherwise noted.
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Tram transport in India
Last edited 5 months ago by an anonymous user
Tram transport in India
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Trams rolling out of a Calcutta Tramways Company depot in Kolkata
Tram transport in India was established by the British in the 19th century. Discontinued in most Indian cities between 1930 and 1960, as of 2014, the Kolkata tram in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) is the only public tram system in the country.
Horse-drawn trams were introduced in India in the early 19th century. The first electric tram service was started in Madras (now Chennai) in 1895. Electric trams were subsequently introduced in Kolkata (1900), Mumbai (1907), Kanpur (1907) and Delhi (1908).
KolkataEdit
Main article: Kolkata tram
Horse-drawn tram (life-size model at City Centre arcade, Kolkata)
The Calcutta Tramways Company, Limited is the company which manages tramways in Kolkata. Horse-drawn tram service was begun on 24 February 1873 between Sealdah and Armenian Ghat Street; due to inadequate ridership, the service ended on November 20 of that year. The British registered the Calcutta Tramways Company, Limited as a joint stock company in London in 1880. Before 1900, the trams were horse-drawn; that year, the process of electrification began.
In 1951 the government of West Bengal entered into an agreement with the CTC, and the Calcutta Tramways Act was enacted. The government took over all rights regarding the tramways; it reserved the right to purchase the system on 1 January 1972 or any time thereafter, with two years' notice. In 1967 the government of West Bengal passed the Calcutta Tramways Company (Taking Over of Management) Act, and assumed its management on 19 July 1967. On 8 November 1976 the Calcutta Tramways (Acquisition of Undertaking) Ordinance was enacted, under which the company vested all its assets with the government; it is now a public-sector undertaking.[1]
MumbaiEdit
See also: Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport
The British proposed the introduction of trams in Mumbai (then known as Bombay) in 1864, and the contract was awarded to Stearns and Kitteredge in 1873. The first tram, begun between Parel and Colaba on 9 May 1874, were drawn by six to eight horses. (Stearns and Kitteredge reportedly had a stable of 900 horses when tram service began). Electrified tram service began on 7 May 1907. Double-deck tram service began in September 1920; at the peak of service in 1935, 433 trams ran on 47 kilometres (29 mi) of track. The trams met travelers' needs until the betterment of the train network in the city; the service closed on 31 March 1964.[2]
DelhiEdit
Delhi's tram system opened on 6 March 1908. At its zenith in 1921 there were 24 open cars utilising 15 km of track. The system was in operation until about 1963.[2]
PatnaEdit
Patna was among the few cities in India having horse-drawn trams as urban transport[3] The horse-drawn tram in Patna ran in the populated stretch of Ashok Rajpath, from Patna City to Bankipore, with its western terminus at Sabzibagh (opposite Pirbahore Police Station) under the direction of the Patna City Municipality. The tram was discontinued in 1903 due to lack of ridership; plans to extend it further west never materialised.
Kanpur (Cawnpore)Edit
Trams were introduced in Kanpur (Cawnpore) in June 1907. The tram system opened in June 1907 and closed on May 16, 1933. There were 4 miles of track and 20 single-deck open trams. The single line connected the railway station with Sirsaya Ghat on the banks of the Ganges. Photographs of Cawnpore trams are very rare.The introductory stock was electric traction-type single-coach; single-coach trams were also used in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai. There was one line – a four-mile stretch between the train station and Sirsaya Ghat, on the Ganges – and 20 open cars. Service was discontinued on 16 May 1933.[2]
Nasik TramwayEdit
This tramway was constructed in 1889 to a 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gauge. The consulting engineer was Everard Calthrop, who later achieved renown with the Barsi Light Railway. Originally, the tramway used two carriages pulled by four horses; It originated from what is now the Old Municipal Corporation building located on Main Road, and terminated at the Nasik Road railway station (a distance of around 8–10 km). The stretch between Nasik and Nasik Road was covered with dense jungle; the only mode of transport from the station to the city was by horse-drawn carriage or one of two taxis. The tramway closed down between 1931 and 1933.
ChennaiEdit
Trams in Chennai were operated between the docks and the inland areas, carrying goods and passengers. When the system began on 7 May 1895, it was the first electric tram system in India. The trams could carry heavy loads and were popular, with thousands of riders daily. The route encompassed Mount Road, Parrys Corner, Poonamallee Road and the Ripon Building. At its height in 1921, there were 97 cars running on 24 km of track. However, the tram company went bankrupt about 1950 and the system closed on 12 April 1953.[2] The contract to remove the tracks and overhead cables was given to Narainsingh Ghanshamsingh.
Power supplyEdit
The trams were run on a direct current power supply from overhead power lines, which replaced the original conduit after a series of monsoons. The power supply was obtained by a current collector called a trolley pole, mounted on top of the tram. The track rails served as the return path for the DC current.
The DC power was supplied by mercury arc rectifier (converter) stations located in various sections of Chennai. Power for them was supplied by the Madras Electricity System, from a thermal power station at Basins Bridge which generated AC power.
Tramways in India
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TRAMS IN PORTO
TRAMS IN PORTO
Last edited 24 days ago by IJBall
Trams in Porto
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Porto tramway network
A tram on route 22 in Porto
Operation
Locale Porto, Portugal
Horsecar era: 1872–1904
Propulsion system(s) Horses
Experimental steam
Electric tram era: since 1895
Status Open
Routes 30 (maximum)
3 (present)
Operator(s) Until 1946: CCFP
From 1946–present: STCP
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Electrification 600 V DC
Depot(s) Boavista (1873–1999)
Massarelos (1900–present)
Website STCP (Portuguese) (English)
The tram system of Porto, Portugal is operated by the Sociedade de Transportes Colectivos do Porto (STCP) and currently has three regular tram routes with 30 minute headways. All are heritage tram routes, as they use vintage tramcars exclusively.
HistoryEdit
In 1872 the Companhia Carril Americano do Porto à Foz e Mattosinhos opened the first mule tram line in Porto, connecting Rua dos Inglezes (nowadays Infante) with Foz (Castelo) and Matosinhos.[1][2][3] In the next year, a branch line from Massarelos to Cordoaria was opened. A second company, the Companhia Carris de Ferro do Porto (CCFP) (the Porto Tramways Company), was established in 1873, and it opened a line from Praça Carlos Alberto via Boavista to Foz (Cadouços) in 1874. More lines were added through the 1870s until the 1890s. In 1878 the CCFP line from Foz to Boavista was converted to steam traction.[1][2] At Boavista was the change of traction between mules and steam engines. Four years later, the interurban line of the CCFP was extended from Foz (Cadouços) to Matosinhos.[1][2] CCAPFM and CCFP merged on 13 January 1893, using the latter's name for the resulting company.[1][2][3] Electric traction was introduced in 1895. The last mule-drawn car was retired in 1904, and electrification was complete with the elimination of urban steam engines in 1914.
In 1946, the city purchased the tram system from CCFP and took over its operation, with a new municipal company, Serviço de Transportes Colectivos do Porto (STCP). By 1949, it reached its maximum length of 81 kilometers with 150 kilometers track length. The 1960s and the 1970s were marked by a continuous dismantling of tram tracks and a preference for cheaper bus transport.[1] The system shrank from 81 kilometers with 192 cars in 1958, to 38 kilometers with 127 cars in 1968, to 21 kilometers with 84 cars in 1978, to just 14 kilometers with 16 cars in 1996. The last remaining line (18) was the start of the current heritage tram system.
For many years, the system had more than 20 lines, but most were closed during the 1960s and 1970s.[3]:45–47 By July 1978, only four routes remained: 1, 3, 18 and 19. Route 3 (Boavista – Pereiró) closed on 30 April 1984. For almost 10 more years, the three remaining routes continued in operation without any closures, as routes 1 (Infante – Matosinhos), 18 (Carmo – Castelo do Queijo – Boavista) and 19 (Boavista – Matosinhos).[3]:46 The section from Castelo to Matosinhos was closed on 12 January 1994 with the withdrawal of route 19 and of that section of route 1. The remainder of route 1, between Castelo and Infante, was withdrawn on 10 September 1994.[3]:46 On 11 June 1996, the final route, 18, was downgraded from a full-service tram line to a heritage service with reduced frequency, but operating seven days a week. Buses took over most of the service on the route at that time, but with trams continuing to operate some trips, as a heritage service. The service used only three trams, operating on a 35-minute headway.[4] Route 18's 4-km section along Avenida Boavista was later closed, but tram service was gradually re-introduced in the 2000s on other sections, in the form of additional heritage-tram services, lines 1 and 22, as well as the former Line T (the Porto Tram City Tour, which has since been discontinued).
Heritage systemEdit
Lines
Tram fares are paid with a customized ticket that can be bought on board of the vehicle, on the Museum and in some hotels. The fare for a single trip is 2.5 Euro.
Line 1: Passeio Alegre-Infante follows the northern bank of the Douro River from Infante, via Alfândega and Massarelos, to Passeio Alegre in Foz do Douro. This line is heavily used by tourists.
Line 18: Massarelos-Carmo: connects Massarelos (site of the Tram Museum) via Rua da Restauração with Carmo (Praça Parada Leitão) next to the Rectory of the University of Porto.
Line 22: Circular Carmo-Batalha: connects Carmo and Praça da Batalha with the Funicular dos Guindais operated by Porto Metro. Has a convenient connection to three stations the Porto Metro.
Legend
Line 1 - Passeio Alegre–Infante
A tram on line 1
Infante Cruzeiros no Douro
Alfândega
LINHA 18
Massarelos Douro Azul
Bicalho
Ponte da Arrábida
Sécil
Gás Ligação Marítima à Afurada
Fluvial
D.Leonor
Cantareira
Passeio Alegre
Legend
Line 18 - Massarelos–Carmo
Carmo
LINHA 22
Hospital de Santo António
Viriato
Restauração
Entre Quintas
LINHA 1
Massarelos Douro Azul
Legend
Line 22 - Carmo–Batalha
Batalha (Guindais)
Praça da Batalha
Rua de Santa Catarina Bolhão (Metro do Porto)
Praça D.João I
Avenida dos Aliados Aliados (Metro do Porto)
Rua Fernandes Tomás
Praça de Gomes Teixeira
Carmo
LINHA 18
Clérigos
Praça da Liberdade São Bento (Metro do Porto)
Praça da Batalha
Batalha (Guindais)
Legend
Metro do Porto
Bus
Train
Connect with boats
Connect with helicopter
Proposed expansions
Line 1 - line could in the future be extended from Foz to Castelo do Queijo or even Matosinhos and from Infante to the São Bento railway station via Rua Mouzinho da Silveira.
Tram museum
See also
References
External links
Read in another language
MobileDesktop
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Last edited 24 days ago by IJBall
Trams in Porto
Watch this page
Porto tramway network
A tram on route 22 in Porto
Operation
Locale Porto, Portugal
Horsecar era: 1872–1904
Propulsion system(s) Horses
Experimental steam
Electric tram era: since 1895
Status Open
Routes 30 (maximum)
3 (present)
Operator(s) Until 1946: CCFP
From 1946–present: STCP
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Electrification 600 V DC
Depot(s) Boavista (1873–1999)
Massarelos (1900–present)
Website STCP (Portuguese) (English)
The tram system of Porto, Portugal is operated by the Sociedade de Transportes Colectivos do Porto (STCP) and currently has three regular tram routes with 30 minute headways. All are heritage tram routes, as they use vintage tramcars exclusively.
HistoryEdit
In 1872 the Companhia Carril Americano do Porto à Foz e Mattosinhos opened the first mule tram line in Porto, connecting Rua dos Inglezes (nowadays Infante) with Foz (Castelo) and Matosinhos.[1][2][3] In the next year, a branch line from Massarelos to Cordoaria was opened. A second company, the Companhia Carris de Ferro do Porto (CCFP) (the Porto Tramways Company), was established in 1873, and it opened a line from Praça Carlos Alberto via Boavista to Foz (Cadouços) in 1874. More lines were added through the 1870s until the 1890s. In 1878 the CCFP line from Foz to Boavista was converted to steam traction.[1][2] At Boavista was the change of traction between mules and steam engines. Four years later, the interurban line of the CCFP was extended from Foz (Cadouços) to Matosinhos.[1][2] CCAPFM and CCFP merged on 13 January 1893, using the latter's name for the resulting company.[1][2][3] Electric traction was introduced in 1895. The last mule-drawn car was retired in 1904, and electrification was complete with the elimination of urban steam engines in 1914.
In 1946, the city purchased the tram system from CCFP and took over its operation, with a new municipal company, Serviço de Transportes Colectivos do Porto (STCP). By 1949, it reached its maximum length of 81 kilometers with 150 kilometers track length. The 1960s and the 1970s were marked by a continuous dismantling of tram tracks and a preference for cheaper bus transport.[1] The system shrank from 81 kilometers with 192 cars in 1958, to 38 kilometers with 127 cars in 1968, to 21 kilometers with 84 cars in 1978, to just 14 kilometers with 16 cars in 1996. The last remaining line (18) was the start of the current heritage tram system.
For many years, the system had more than 20 lines, but most were closed during the 1960s and 1970s.[3]:45–47 By July 1978, only four routes remained: 1, 3, 18 and 19. Route 3 (Boavista – Pereiró) closed on 30 April 1984. For almost 10 more years, the three remaining routes continued in operation without any closures, as routes 1 (Infante – Matosinhos), 18 (Carmo – Castelo do Queijo – Boavista) and 19 (Boavista – Matosinhos).[3]:46 The section from Castelo to Matosinhos was closed on 12 January 1994 with the withdrawal of route 19 and of that section of route 1. The remainder of route 1, between Castelo and Infante, was withdrawn on 10 September 1994.[3]:46 On 11 June 1996, the final route, 18, was downgraded from a full-service tram line to a heritage service with reduced frequency, but operating seven days a week. Buses took over most of the service on the route at that time, but with trams continuing to operate some trips, as a heritage service. The service used only three trams, operating on a 35-minute headway.[4] Route 18's 4-km section along Avenida Boavista was later closed, but tram service was gradually re-introduced in the 2000s on other sections, in the form of additional heritage-tram services, lines 1 and 22, as well as the former Line T (the Porto Tram City Tour, which has since been discontinued).
Heritage systemEdit
Lines
Tram fares are paid with a customized ticket that can be bought on board of the vehicle, on the Museum and in some hotels. The fare for a single trip is 2.5 Euro.
Line 1: Passeio Alegre-Infante follows the northern bank of the Douro River from Infante, via Alfândega and Massarelos, to Passeio Alegre in Foz do Douro. This line is heavily used by tourists.
Line 18: Massarelos-Carmo: connects Massarelos (site of the Tram Museum) via Rua da Restauração with Carmo (Praça Parada Leitão) next to the Rectory of the University of Porto.
Line 22: Circular Carmo-Batalha: connects Carmo and Praça da Batalha with the Funicular dos Guindais operated by Porto Metro. Has a convenient connection to three stations the Porto Metro.
Legend
Line 1 - Passeio Alegre–Infante
A tram on line 1
Infante Cruzeiros no Douro
Alfândega
LINHA 18
Massarelos Douro Azul
Bicalho
Ponte da Arrábida
Sécil
Gás Ligação Marítima à Afurada
Fluvial
D.Leonor
Cantareira
Passeio Alegre
Legend
Line 18 - Massarelos–Carmo
Carmo
LINHA 22
Hospital de Santo António
Viriato
Restauração
Entre Quintas
LINHA 1
Massarelos Douro Azul
Legend
Line 22 - Carmo–Batalha
Batalha (Guindais)
Praça da Batalha
Rua de Santa Catarina Bolhão (Metro do Porto)
Praça D.João I
Avenida dos Aliados Aliados (Metro do Porto)
Rua Fernandes Tomás
Praça de Gomes Teixeira
Carmo
LINHA 18
Clérigos
Praça da Liberdade São Bento (Metro do Porto)
Praça da Batalha
Batalha (Guindais)
Legend
Metro do Porto
Bus
Train
Connect with boats
Connect with helicopter
Proposed expansions
Line 1 - line could in the future be extended from Foz to Castelo do Queijo or even Matosinhos and from Infante to the São Bento railway station via Rua Mouzinho da Silveira.
Tram museum
See also
References
External links
Read in another language
MobileDesktop
Content is available under CC BY-SA 3.0 unless otherwise noted.
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18 Ocak 2015 Pazar
DC Streetcar
DC Streetcar
The DC Streetcar is a surface light rail and streetcar network under construction in Washington, D.C. The streetcars will be the first to run in the District of Columbia since the dismantling of the previous streetcar system in 1962. The District of Columbia began laying track in 2009 for two lines[4][5] whose locations in Anacostia andBenning were chosen to revitalize blighted commercial corridors.[6] Initially, the system will be funded and owned by the District of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT), and a third party will be chosen to operate it.[3][7]As of October 31, 2014, the system had yet to obtain all the necessary regulatory approvals to begin public operation but maintains a regular schedule as part of testing operations.
Development[edit]
First iteration of streetcars[edit]
Main article: Streetcars in Washington, D.C.
Between 1862 and 1962, streetcars in Washington, D.C., were a common mode of transportation, but the system was dismantled in the early 1960s as part of a switch to bus service.[8]
Second iteration of streetcars[edit]
In the late 1990s, Metro began considering a series of rapid bus, light rail, and streetcar projects throughout the Washington, D.C., metropolitan region as a means of providing intra-city and intra-regional mass transit and to meet the transit needs of the quickly growing population of the area.[9] The first project was proposed for Alexandria, Virginia, in 1999.[10] In January 2002, District of Columbia officials began studying the economic feasibility and costs of constructing a 33-mile (53.1 km) long system of streetcars throughout the city.[11][12] The project received Metro's backing.[13]DDOT studied the feasibility of both a city-wide system and one or more "starter" lines. D.C. City Council Member David Catania specifically requested that DDOT study adding streetcars in the Anacostia neighborhood.[12]
First line proposal[edit]
DDOT issued a favorable report, and the D.C. City Council approved an expenditure of $310 million for the streetcar project in September 2002.[14] The first line to be built would be a 7.2-mile (11.6 km) "starter" streetcar line in Anacostia.[14] The goal of the project was to bring light rail to Anacostia first (rather than last, as had happened with Metrorail), and to provide a speedier, more cost-effective way to link the neighborhood with the rest of the city.[14]
Initially, the line was planned to run along the abandoned CSX railway tracks (known as the Shepherd Industrial Spur) from the Minnesota Avenue Metro station to the Anacostia Metro station, then cross the 11th Street Bridges before connecting with the Navy Yard – Ballpark and Waterfront Metro stations.[14] DDOT originally planned to purchase diesel multiple unit cars (self-propelled rail cars powered by diesel engines) from Colorado Railcar.[15] The cars would be the first of their kind to be built in the United States and approved by the Federal Railroad Administration.[15]
Financial problems[edit]
Financing for the plan proved problematic. The same month that the D.C. government agreed to co-fund the streetcar project, Metro formally changed its strategic plan and proposed spending $12 billion over 10 years on rapid bus, light rail, and streetcar projects throughout the D.C. area.[16] Metro proposed allocating half the total amount to build the D.C. streetcar line, complete the Silver Line, build a streetcar line on Columbia Pike in Arlington County in Virginia, and build a Purple Linelight rail link between Bethesda and New Carrollton in Maryland.[9] However, state and local governments said they were unable to fund Metro's proposal, and the planned projects died.[9]
The District of Columbia subsequently decided to build the initial components of the DC Streetcar system on its own. The Anacostia line was scaled back to a demonstration project just 2.7 miles (4.3 km) in length with only four stations: Bolling Air Force Base, the Anacostia Metro station, the intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE and Good Hope Road SE, and the Minnesota Avenue Metro station.[17] DDOT began an environmental assessment of the CSX tracks in July 2003.[17] In September 2004, Metro agreed to move ahead with the project (whose $45 million cost was now being funded completely by the District of Columbia), with construction to start in November 2004 and end in 2006.[18]
Circulator oversight[edit]
In December 2009, D.C. City Council member Jim Graham proposed establishing a D.C. Transit Board to oversee the DC Circulator bus system as well as the DC Streetcar system.[19] The board would oversee the establishment of routes and transit fares.[19] In order to determine whether the local business community would support the streetcar project, several local real estate and commercial developers visited the Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) light rail system which operates in the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area.[20] The goal of the trip was to investigate whether MAX had the intended positive economic consequences and whether the return on investment seemed worthwhile. Local media reports indicated that the D.C. developers were impressed by the effect MAX had on Portland's economic development.[20]
Electrification dispute[edit]
Local preservationist groups such as the Committee of 100 on the Federal City as well as regional planning bodies like the National Capital Planning Commission(NCPC) have opposed the current design of the streetcar system, which relies on overhead electrical wires and a pantograph to conduct power to the streetcar motor.[21] Opponents of the design cite an 1889 federal law banning such systems in Georgetown and the historic center city (defined by the Florida Avenue NE and NW south to the Potomac and Anacostia rivers.[21] The NCPC has also opposed use of the wires along H Street NE, the 11th Street bridges, and in Anacostia.[21]These groups have proposed a design change that would rely on wireless technologies, such as battery-powered vehicles which rely on conduit current collection(in which a metal arm or "plow" is inserted into a channel in the street and draws power from cables under the roadway).[21] But District of Columbia officials say the current overhead lines are not visually obtrusive, and that conduit collection systems are costly and break down easily in cities with wet climates.[21]
City transportation planning officials have also proposed building a system that would run on wires outside the historic core but switch to a hybrid battery/conduit system inside the area.[21] On May 31, 2010, 12 of the council's 13 members co-sponsored a bill to exempt the H Street Line from the 1888 and 1889 laws that banned overhead electrication in the city's historic core.[22] The legislation required that the mayor's office develop a citywide plan by 2014 to determine where additional overhead electrification could be permitted.[22] The Committee of 100 supported the planning requirement,[23] and the legislation passed the council on June 29, 2010.[24]
But in late June 2010, the chair of the National Capital Planning Commission, L. Preston Bryant Jr., sent a letter to the Federal Transit Administration demanding that $25 million in federal money intended for the streetcar project be withheld until the NCPC and city reached agreement regarding the overhead electrication issue.[25] The NCPC said they had legal advice which indicated that only Congress had the power to rescind the 1888 and 1889 laws.[25] City council members, who had been negotiating with the NCPC, said the NCPC's action was a sign of bad faith in the talks.[25] DDOT Director Gabe Klein said the NCPC was "blackmailing" city leaders, and that the NCPC was overstepping its boundary as a purely advisory body.[24] Klein asked Bryant to rescind his letter, arguing that Bryant had purposefully misstated the city's plans for overhead electrification (claiming it would install overhead wires on the National Mall and near Congress) and asserting that the H Street Line was not covered by the 1888 and 1889 laws.[24] Klein also cited two previous legal opinions which concluded the city had the power to rescind the 1800s legislation.[24] On July 13, 2010, the D.C. Council passed legislation to allow the overhead wires along Benning Road and H Street NE.[26] The legislation specifically banned the wires around the National Mall and along Pennsylvania Avenue between Capitol Hill and the White House, and established a process for seeking public and other input on whether wires should be used elsewhere in the city.[26]
2010[edit]
Funding issue[edit]
Funding for the DC Streetcar system became an issue in 2010. D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty proposed spending $60 million to $70 million in his fiscal 2011 budget to complete the H Street Line and purchase six trams, with a goal of activating the line in the spring of 2012.[27] Funding for other lines would be withheld until the city was assured that the H Street Line was a success.[27] Fenty also released the results of a study commissioned by the Downtown DC Business Improvement District(BID) and researched by the Brookings Institution, Robert Charles Lesser & Co. research firm, and Reconnecting America (a non-profit public transit advocacy group) which found that the DC Streetcar system could increase the value of businesses along the H Street Line by $1.1 billion over 20 years.[27]
Fenty proposed levying a $375 million tax on businesses on the H Street Line to help pay for the streetcar system.[27] But on May 25, 2010, the D.C. City Council voted to delete $49 million in proposed streetcar funding in order to help close a $550 million budget deficit.[28] DC Streetcar advocates accused Sarah Campbell, capital budget director for the City Council, for deleting the funds, pointing out that Campbell is also a member of the Committee of 100 on the Federal City (which opposed the streetcar system as currently planned).[28] DDOT Director Gabe Klein accused the Council of killing the program.[28] Campbell denied both allegations.[28] The Washington Post reported that the budget battle may have been sparked by Council Chair Vincent C. Gray, who was likely to challenge Fenty for the Democratic nomination for mayor in September 2010.[29] The following day, after hundreds of angry phone calls from residents, the Council restored the funds by agreeing to borrow the money.[29]
Plan revised[edit]
On October 23, 2010, D.C. transportation officials published a revised plan for the DC Streetcar system. The new plan envisioned opening the H Street/Benning Road and Anacostia lines in March or April 2012.[3] It also significantly scaled back the Anacostia Line, truncating the northern end of the line at the Anacostia Metro station.[3] The plan estimated the cost of constructing the two lines at $194 million, with operating costs at about $8 million per year.[3] DDOT officials said they believed 6,350 riders per day would pay the $1 fare in the system's first year, with ridership tripling to 23,450 riders a day in 2015.[3] The cars would be equipped to accept SmarTrip cards but not cash, and officials said anyone transferring from Metro to the DC Streetcar system using a SmarTrip card would ride for free.[3] The streetcars were expected to operate every 10 to 15 minutes, seven days a week, during the same hours Metro's rail system was in operation.[3]
Funding for completion of the two lines was still unclear, however. DDOT had applied for a $110 million federal grant, but had already lost a competition for an $18 million grant.[3] City planners said they continued to look at tapping into a $180 million fund designed to service Metro's debt, enacting BID or zoning taxes in areas affected by the streetcar system, or creating public-private partnerships that would tap into private money for construction in exchange for tax breaks or concessions by the city.[3] The overhead electrical wire issue also remained unresolved in the plan (although battery-operated cars were mentioned).[3] Finally, the plan laid out a process for selecting a third party to operate the system (which may or may not be Metro).[3] Funding issues continued to raise concern in other ways, too. The rising cost of the project became an issue in the reelection bid of D.C. City Council member Tommy Wells, whose ward encompasses H Street.[30] The City Council held a hearing on the newly unveiled plan on November 16.[31] Five days later, angry business owners along H Street demanded a tax refund and a moratorium ontax sales during a second council hearing.[32] Business owners said construction of the streetcar line had caused sales to drop by as much as 70 percent, and City Council member Jim Graham introduced legislation establishing a $7 million fund to help businesses impacted by the construction.[32]
2011 announcement and more delays[edit]
On August 22, 2011, DDOT announced the first streetcars would roll on the H Street line in the summer of 2013.[7]
In January 2012, the D.C. Office of Planning released a report which asserted that the streetcar system had the potential to create 7,700 new jobs and added as much as $8 billion in new development over a 10-year period.[33] The system could also increase office building property values by $5.8 billion, and residential property values by $1.6 billion,[33] exceeding by 600 to 1,000 percent the cost of building the system.[34] The study also said that 4,000 to 12,000 households would move back into the District of Columbia from the suburbs,[34] and the number of people living on or near a streetcar line would triple.[33] The report "conservatively" projected that up to $291 million in annual tax revenues would be generated by the fully completed streetcar system.[34] Chris Leinberger of the Brookings Institutiontold the Washington Post that the streetcar system had the potential to finally move development out of the northwest quadrant of the city into the underdeveloped northeast and southeast.[33] But not everything about streetcars was positive. The report also said streetcars would also be likely to worsen traffic congestion on Benning Road SE, Columbia Road NW, Florida Avenue NW and Florida Avenue NE, Georgia Avenue NW, and K Street NW,[33] and might make it "prohibitively expensive" for small businesses to exist along the lines.[34]
New task force[edit]
Concerned that the streetcar project was not well-managed and losing public support, D.C. Council member Mary Cheh introduced legislation to create a task force that would study whether the streetcar project should be removed from DDOT's jurisdiction and placed under a separate streetcar authority.[35]
2012 update[edit]
Budget proposal[edit]
In March 2012, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray proposed a six-year, $237 million capital expenditure budget that would continue to expand the DC Streetcar system.[36]But just a few days later, District officials admitted that it would cost $64.5 million to operate the first two lines during their first five years of operation — but the city only had revenues to pay for about 58 percent of those costs.[37] Nonetheless, the city reaffirmed its commitment to opening the H Street line in 2013, and announced it had signed a contract with Oregon Iron Works subsidiary United Streetcar to buy two more streetcars for $8.7 million.[38] Additional controversy over the future of the streetcar system occurred in June 2012 when the Cato Institute (an American libertarian think tank) issued a study denouncing government-built streetcar systems for being too costly, inefficient, and unable to generate economic revitalization.[39]
Contract awarded[edit]
In mid-June 2012, the city signed a $50 million contract with Dean Facchina LLC (a joint venture between M.C. Dean, Inc. and Facchina Construction Company) to design and construct the car barn, power system, and turnarounds for the H Street line. Mayor Vincent Gray said the contract was a sign that the city was going to adhere to a summer 2013 opening. But a few days later, D.C. Council member Marion Barry filed paperwork that placed a 45-day "hold" on the automatic council approval of the contract. Barry argued that too much money was being spent on a system that served too few people.[40] Barry withdrew his objection just a few days later after Gray assured him that D.C. residents would be hired for construction jobs on the project.[41]
More controversy[edit]
Financing the system continued to generate controversy in June 2012. Mayor Gray opened a city office in Shanghai to promote Chinese trade with and investment in the District of Columbia. In his talks with Chinese trade officials, he discussed having the Exim Bank of China fund the system's construction.[42] Gray said that Chinese officials expressed surprised that it would take the city 20 years to build out the entire system, and Chinese officials suggested they could fund all or part of the $1.5 billion streetcar project in exchange for all or a portion of the fares generated by it.[43] After the meeting, Gray told the media that an independent financing authority might be needed to finance the streetcar system.[42] Even as Gray was suggesting that the city government continue to build and run the DC Streetcar system, DDOT officials released a "request for information" (RFI) to construction and operations contractors regarding the proposed construction schedule, financing, and governance of the project. The RFI noted that, if the city privatized the entire streetcar project, it would seek a 30-year contract and given the private entity a free hand in designing, financing, and constructing the streetcar system (although the city would retain final say over fares).[44] D.C. Council member Tommy Wells said he opposed any privatization effort. He argued a private company would seek to raise fares, reduce the number of routes built, and provide low-quality service to gain the highest profit.[45] Wells also expressed his belief no private company would want to serve Ward 8, where the city's poorest but most mass transit-dependent population lives.[43] DDOT countered by saying that although building the system would cost $1.2 billion (which included purchasing 50 streetcars), it would only cost $65 million a year to operate (compared to DC Circulator buses, which need $70 million a year to operate). DDOT also said its RFI was intended to see if there was a market for building and operating its streetcar system, and not a request for proposals.[46]
As the city's RFI was being considered, DDOT announced it had signed a five-year, $4 million contract with RATP Dev McDonald Transit Associates (RDMT), a subsidiary of RATP Group, to operate the H Street/Benning Roadline. The contract also assigned training and the operation of maintenance facilities to RDMT.[2]
Future in jeopardy[edit]
In September 2012, the future of the H Street line was thrown into question. DDOT had long planned to build its streetcar barn on the grounds of Spingarn High School. But the Kingman Park Civic Association filed an application with the D.C. Historic Preservation Review Board to have Spingarn High School declared a city landmark. That would force DDOT to find a new location for the car barn. On October 8, 2012, DDOT director Terry Bellamy told the D.C. Council that the civic association's actions would push the opening of the H Street line into early 2014, even if landmark status was not awarded to the high school. Bellamy expressed optimism, however, that the H Street line would still open, and said that DDOT was already planning to extend it to Minnesota Avenue. He also said the city was still working on plans to open an Anacostia line in Ward 8. D.C. Council members, however, expressed dismay at DDOT's apparent lack of a strategic plan for the streetcar system. They also voiced scepticism that DDOT was planning ahead and concern that more problems (similar to the Spingarn High School issue) would continue to plague the system because of poor planning.[1]
Testing and fares[edit]
In April 2014, DDOT estimated that the H Street Line would open in the fall of 2014. A temporary car barn at the former Spingarn High School was scheduled for completion in July. Testing of the system would take several weeks, and then the system would need to be certified for operation by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), which would take another 60 to 80 days. DDOT also said it needed to take delivery of a sixth streetcar, likely in June, before any testing could begin.[47]
DDOT also began the process of setting the system's fare in the spring of 2014. Mayor Gray proposed a $1 fare, which would require a $4.65 million subsidy to meet the H Street Line's anticipated yearly operating cost of $5.1 million. On April 29, however, DDOT Director Terry Bellamy suggested the fare might be as high as $1.50 for SmarTrip farecard users and $2 for cash users (the same fare structure proposed for the DC Circulator bus system).[47]
With a decision on the fare structure still months off, Council Member Marion Barry threatened to cancel all funding for all planned DC Streetcar lines. Barry argued that the rider subsidy was too high and that the $800 million planned for construction of the remaining lines could be better used for road maintenance and school construction.[47]
Rolling stock[edit]
Current railcar fleet[edit]
The D.C. government owns six streetcars that will serve the system, built by two manufacturers to very similar designs.
The first three streetcars, numbered 101 through 103, were built in the Czech Republic in 2007[48] by Inekon Trams, for the Anacostia line, but because of delays in the start of construction of the line in Washington, they were stored in the Czech Republic until December 2009.[49] They are model 12 Trio.[50][51] The second set of streetcars, 13-001 through 13-003, were built in the U.S. in 2013 by United Streetcar,[49] of Oregon, based on a Skoda design (model Skoda 10T) that was originally developed jointly by Inekon and Skoda, and the shared design history explains the similarity between the two designs.[52] They are United Streetcar model 100. The first United car was delivered to DC Streetcar in January 2014[53] and the third and last in June 2014.[54] Visually, the United units differ from the Inekon cars in appearance with different fiberglass driver compartments, and cowling, but the overall dimensions are identical.
Since December 2009, the three Inekon streetcars were in storage at Metro's Greenbelt Rail Yard.[55] Each car is eight ft (2.438 metres) wide and 66 feet (20.12 m) long, and each car consists of three connected sections,[56] a design known as an articulated streetcar.
Rolling stock problems[edit]
Although DDOT awarded contracts to United Streetcar to build streetcars for the H Street/Benning Road line in mid-2011, these contracts were withdrawn and new bids solicited after the contract process was found to be flawed.[57][58] D.C. City Council member Mary Cheh, chair of the council's transportation committee, said the DDOT's management of the streetcar project had lost the confidence of the public and that she would seek legislation establishing an independent authority to run the system.[58] A new contract was awarded to United Streetcar in April 2012, for two streetcars,[59] and the order was expanded to three cars in August 2012.[60]
Lines[edit]
Anacostia Line[edit]
Ground was broken for the Anacostia Line on November 13, 2004, and two more stations were added to the line (for a total of six).[61] District officials also decided that rather than diesel-propelled cars, the demonstration cars would be electric multiple unit cars drawing power from overhead lines.[62] The Anacostia Line was permitted to use overhead lines, which are less expensive to install and maintain but which are prohibited within the historic city limits, because it is outside the old City of Washington.[63][64] Three such cars were ordered in 2005 from DPO-Inekon (now known as Inekon Trams).[62][65]
Work stopped[edit]
However, 10 months into the project, DDOT and Metro temporarily mothballed the streetcar line. Two days after the groundbreaking, CSX announced it would abandon the railway track but refuse to allow the city to use it for the streetcar project.[66] DDOT officials say they believed that only the city and CSX owned the land under the tracks, but a legal review found that CSX was not the only private owner.[66][67] The city was unwilling to build the project on the CSX tracks, only to have the other owners demand payment in the future.[66][67] CSX disputed these claims, saying that it had the legal right to lease the tracks and land in perpetuity to the city for $16 million.[66][67] Subsequently, DDOT announced that the streetcars would run on city streets instead of heavy railroad track, angering local residents who said the streetcars would worsen traffic congestion, eliminate parking, and reduce bus service.[66][67]
DDOT and Metro announced in April 2006 that work on the revised streetcar line in Anacostia would start again in a few months.[68] The new deadline for completion of the now-$10 million, 1.1-mile (1.7 km) line was set for the spring of 2008.[69] Construction on the $3 million rail cars was complete in spring 2007, and the cars were tested on the streets of Ostrava in the Czech Republic at that time[70] and then placed into indefinite storage there.[71] In November 2007, work on the high-voltage electrical infrastructure needed for the light rail system was under way, the line was now planned to be 1.3 miles (2.1 km) long, and the projected cost was $30 million.[6] Track construction was due to begin in the spring of 2008, with completion of the line anticipated for 2009.[6][72] By 2008, completion of the line had slipped to late 2009.[73]
New bids[edit]
DDOT opened bids for the now-$45 million contract to construct the Anacostia Line's tracks and infrastructure in August 2008.[56] The city had intended to transfer $10 million from demolition of the 11th Street Bridges to fund the line, but put that plan on hold due to delays in the streetcar project.[56] DDOT also canceled plans to run the streetcars up Good Hope Road SE to the Minnesota Avenue Metro station, creating the line's terminus at the Anacostia Gateway building (at the intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE and Good Hope Road SE).[56] In March 2009, these changes reduced the cost to just $25 million, but design changes in the new 11th Street Bridges (to be completed in 2011) meant that the streetcar could be extended over the bridges to link up with proposed streetcar lines on 8th Street SE and Pennsylvania Avenue SE.[74] However, DDOT had yet to award any track construction contract by this time.[74] The contract was finally awarded to Fort Myer Construction Corp. in December 2008.[75]
Delays and ridership projections[edit]
In April 2009, DDOT announced that the Anacostia streetcar line would not be complete until at least 2012.[75] The delays had caused the warranty on the mothballed Czech-produced streetcars to expire, and storage costs were running $860,000 a year.[75] Construction of the first segment of the line (from Bolling Air Force Base to the Anacostia Station) was to have begun in February 2009, but DDOT and the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority could not agree on the necessary permits or construction timing.[75] Track to the Anacostia Station finally began to be laid in September 2009, with a completion date in the fall of 2012.[4][76] DDOT ordered the transfer of the streetcars from the Czech Republic in late 2009, and the three rail cars arrived on December 12, 2009.[55]
In July 2008, DDOT said a streetcar on the Anacostia Line train would take 10 minutes to travel from one station to the next on its route, and the line was predicted to serve 1,400 riders daily.[56]
Shutdown[edit]
On August 26, 2010, DDOT officials ordered construction of the Anacostia Line shut down after city officials refused to extend the construction contract or give a new contract to another firm.[77] Although $25 million had been spent over the past two years, rails at the intersection of Firth Stirling Avenue SE and Suitland Parkway were buried under asphalt and weeds grew among the rails at South Capitol Street and Bolling Air Force Base.[77] DDOT officials pledged to finish the Anacostia Line project by December 2012, but said they would either fold the project into the Phase II construction plan (which is intended to expand the streetcar system along Rhode Island Avenue NE, Florida Avenue NW, along U Street and Calvert Streets NW, and into Georgetown) or issue a new contract that extends the build-out and thus makes the yearly costs of the contract less expensive.[77] DDOT officials denied the project was mothballed, but admitted that they had not cost out a new contract and had not requested bids on a new contract.[77]
Revised service plan[edit]
Despite DDOT's assertions in August, on October 24, 2010, D.C. officials unveiled a revised master plan for the DC Streetcar system which showed the Anacostia Line's northern end truncating at the Anacostia Metro Station (rather than connecting with the 11th Street Bridges).[3] DDOT officials said they expected ridership on the Anacostia Line to be very low, because the new line was so short (now just 0.75 miles or 1.21 kilometers) and connected only the Navy Annex with the Metro station.[3]
In January 2012, the Washington Post reported that the line was still planned to run along Firth Sterling Avenue.[33] But planning for the line remained in flux, as both the Federal Transit Administration and DDOT held yet another series of public meetings in 2012.[78]
On October 8, 2012, DDOT director Terry Bellamy said the city was still working on plans to open an Anacostia line in Ward 8.[1]
In 2014, DDOT said it was planning to spend $64 million to begin construction on the Anacostia Line Extension from the Anacosita Metro station to the 11th Street Bridges. The agency said it would also spend another $16 million to acquire the right-of-way currently owned by railroad company CSX Transportation and $15 million to build a car barn for the line extension. DDOT applied for a $20 million National Infrastructure Investments — Consolidated Appropriations Act grant to assist it in building the extension.[79]
Competition[edit]
Potential competition to the Anacostia line arose in January 2013. The Capitol Riverfront Business Improvement District, a tax-financed group promoting business and residential development along the north bank of the Anacostia River between 2d Street SW and 15th Street SE,[80] proposed constructing a light rail line between Union Station and St. Elizabeths Hospital. The line — whose route was not proposed — would more directly link the growing Union Station area with the large Department of Homeland Security workforce headquarters being built on the St. Elizabeths campus, while encouraging use of the Capitol Riverfront area (which itself began undergoing a major redevelopment). Capitol Riverfront officials said there had been no discussions about whether the proposed light rail link would be part of the DC Streetcar system or a separate transportation component.[81]
Georgia Avenue Line[edit]
In October 2010, D.C. officials unveiled tentative plans to build a streetcar line up Georgia Avenue. The city began holding public hearings on construction of the line ahead of schedule, due to the imminent 2011 closing of Walter Reed Army Medical Center.[82] The streetcar line was part of a proposed $500 million, 62-acre (25 ha) mixed-use housing, office, and retail development that would begin construction in 2013.[82] D.C. officials moved up hearings on (and potential construction of) the Georgia Avenue Line because the redevelopment of the Walter Reed site would be heavily dependent on the streetcar reaching the area by the time the new homes and businesses opened.[82]
In March 2011, the Washington Business Journal said that the city's reuse plan for its portion of the Walter Reed Campus included a retail hub serviced by a streetcar line.[83]
H Street NE/Benning Road Line[edit]
Announcement[edit]
In 2003, then-Mayor Anthony A. Williams unveiled a draft Strategic Development Plan which proposed redeveloping and revitalizing six blighted areas of the city, including H Street NE and Benning Road.[84] Among the proposals to revitalize H Street was the construction of a streetcar line to downtown D.C. in five to 10 years.[84] The plan was formalized during the next year.[85] Residents and business owners in the area were cautious about the plan, fearing traffic congestion and threats to pedestrian safety in an area which needed greater auto and foot traffic.[85]
On January 20, 2006, the District of Columbia Department of Transportation announced that it would build a $13 million streetcar line on H Street NE, from Union Station to Benning Road and the Minnesota Avenue Metro station as part of its Great Streets initiative,[86][87] on much of the same route established by the Columbia Railway Company in 1870.[88]Construction was originally planned to begin in the spring of 2007 (to coincide with extensive improvements to parking and lighting and the beautification of H Street NE) and end in 2009.[89]
Extension dropped; track construction[edit]
By 2008, the extension to the Minnesota Avenue Metro station had been dropped, and the H Street streetcar line was being designed to link up with a planned downtown streetcar line running along the same route as the downtown routes of the DC Circulator bus.[56]
As of July 2009, streetcar tracks were being installed on H Street as part of the scheduled street re-construction, with streetcar service scheduled to begin in 2011.[4][90][91] City engineers, however, had yet to determine how to get power to the cars, identify locations for the cars to turn around, or find land for a car storage facility for use at night when the line was not running.[4]
Another extension[edit]
In April 2010, DDOT officials announced that they intended to build a $74 million, two-mile (3.2 km) extension of the H Street line that would link with the Benning Road Metro station.[92] The district had applied for a $25 million federal grant to help pay for the extension.[92] DDOT also announced a plan to link the line to Union Station to link the H Street line's eastern terminus with the Union Station Metro and Amtrak.[92] The city said it owned a right-of-way underneath the existing Amtrakrailroad tracks on which it would build the extension.[92]
The city also began encouraging riders to travel along the H Street corridor to Benning Road in 2009. The "H Street Shuttle" was founded in early 2009 by the H Street Business Cooperative (a nonprofit group of retailers whose businesses line H Street) to promote travel into the business district.[93] The shuttle ran from theGallery Place station to the Minnesota Avenue station, making just four stops along the way.[93] The city provided $130,000 in operating funds in 2009 (although the shuttle did not run for a short period in November 2009 due to funding cut-offs).[93] The shuttle also encountered public safety problems, as fistfights sometimes broke out between rowdy youths riding the shuttle.[94] The shuttle has also had eggs thrown at it, been shot at with BB guns, and youth have attempted to slash its tires while it made stops.[94] Although it was intended to be a temporary measure to bring customers into the retail corridor while streetcar construction occurred, D.C. officials said they would fund the shuttle only through the end of 2010.[94]
Delays in 2011[edit]
In late August 2011, DDOT announced the H Street Line would begin operation in the summer of 2013.[7] City officials said all platform stops had been constructed along the route, but overhead electricity lines, turnarounds at each end of the line, a streetcar overnight holding facility ("car barn"), maintenance facility, and three power substations remained to be built.[7] The holding and maintenance facility would likely be constructed at the eastern end of the line, officials said, and might also contain training facilities in streetcar operation for local high school students.[7] DDOT said that one of the major remaining issues confronting the line was the completion of the western terminus at Union Station. Originally, DDOT had wanted to cut through the footing of the bridge carrying H Street over the Amtrak rail lines, allowing streetcars to pass under the railroad tracks and access a streetcar platform on Union Station's west side.[7] But Amtrak declined to allow DDOT permission to use this space, as the railroad intended to access it for high-speed rail in the future.[7] DDOT said it was considering three new options: 1) Running streetcars over the bridge; 2) Adding about five blocks of additional streetcar track to allow streetcar riders to get off at the New York Ave–Florida Ave–Gallaudet University Metro station (to be renamed NoMa – Gallaudet University with the June 2012 edition of the official Metro map); and 3) Asking Amtrak for turnaround space under the existing Amtrak railroad track.[7] DDOT said four companies had bid to design and construct these remaining pieces of the H Line, and another was being sought to operate the line.[7] DDOT officials also said they were considering extending the H Street Line to the Benning Road Metro station as well as down K Street NW to Washington Circle.[7]
Service changes[edit]
In December 2011, the city announced that the H Street/Benning Road line would be routed over the H Street Bridge (colloquially known as the "Hopscotch Bridge" because of modern art on the bridge which depicts children playing hopscotch).[95] Planners said that the trolley would still connect with Union Station, but did not say how.
Controversy[edit]
Several controversies arose over the H Street/Benning Road line in early 2012. According to United Streetcar, a streetcar manufacturing company based in Oregon, the city awarded United Streetcar $8.7 million in contracts to build trolley cars for the H Street/Benning Road line. Contracts were awarded in June 2011 and again in September 2011.[57] On December 16, 2011, D.C. City Councilwoman Mary Cheh filed a "disapproval resolution" with the mayor's office, placing a 40-day hold on the contract after questions arose as to whether the contract called for the construction of two trolley cars (as the city claimed) or three (as Cheh believed).[96] On December 21, 2011, Inekon Group filed a protest of the award with the D.C. Contract Appeals Board, claiming that cost/price trade-off analysis used by the city was inapporpriate.[57] Streetcar proponents worried that the protest could delay the contract by up to 2.5 years,[96] but DDOT moved much more quickly and canceled the contracts in early January 2012 after a formal internal review.[57] In February, DDOT began the contract solicitation process anew.[58] Due to the contract controversy, DDOT said it might begin running the H Street/Benning Road line with just three streetcars instead of five. D.C. City Council member Tommy Wells pressed DDOT to wait until it could run five trolley cars, arguing that with just three cars the streetcar system would not be convenient enough for passengers.[58]Council member Mary Cheh, chair of the council's transportation committee, said the DDOT's management of the streetcar project had lost the confidence of the public and that she would seek legislation establishing an independent authority to run the system.[58] A new contract for vehicles was awarded in April, again to United Streetcar.[60]
At about the same time, DDOT announced a plan to build a $13 million, 14,000-square-foot (1,300 m2) trolley car barn, operations base, and maintenance facility on the grounds of Spingarn High School (which is near the eastern terminus of the line). The facility would house only a few cars at first, but would be able to accommodate 12 cars.[97] Residents of the Kingman Park neighborhood opposed the facility on the grounds that it would be noisy, near a public school, cause traffic congestion, and cause a reduction in property values. They demanded that DDOT seek approval from the local Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC), but DDOT officials said that the site did not require ANC or other legislative approval.[97]
Completion[edit]
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On December 17, 2012, DC Streetcar officials said only 20 percent of the H Street line remained to be completed, and that they anticipated streetcars to be rolling in October 2013.[98]
On December 13, 2013, the first streetcar was placed on the tracks on the H Street line.[99]
As of April 2014, the H Street Line's western terminus was still planned for the Hopscotch Bridge (a bridge which connects H Street NE to North Capitol Street).[47]
Testing on the H Street-Benning Road Line began in August 2014, with a planned opening date for the line in late 2014 (or possibly early 2015 if there are delays in the testing process).[100]
The line is tentatively projected to open the week of January 19, 2015.[101]
K Street Line[edit]
In January 2010, the Washington Post reported that the K Street Line would probably be the third line to be constructed.[102]The K Street Line would extend from Union Station to K Street NE, then run west to 26th Street NW. It would link with the H Street/Benning Road Line at Union Station, via a pedestrian bridge which would require pasengers to alight at Union Station and board an unconnected line. Thus creating a cross-city streetcar line, however not directly.[102] DDOT officials confirmed in August 2011 that linking to the H Street Line was still the option.[7]
To help move the K Street line forward, the Downtown D.C. Business Improvement District (Downtown BID) proposed in March 2012 to fund a plan that would lay out how K Street should be reconfigured for streetcars, and how a K Street streetcar line would be planned, constructed, maintained, and serviced. The board of directors of the Downtown BID proposed a self-imposed $258 million tax on hotels and commercial property within the district to fund BID projects, which included the streetcar design proposal.[103]
Maine Avenue Line[edit]
Another streetcar line was proposed for Maine Avenue SW. In October 2010, the D.C. government unveiled its long-awaited, $1.5 billion development proposal for the city's southwest waterfront district.[104] This proposal included a DC Streetcar line down the middle of the entire length of Maine Avenue.
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