Infrastructure, Architecture and Environment along streets with trams. A photographic record. NEW IN 2017Paris (France) : 21st October, 2017 Coverage
of Paris' recently opened Express Tram line T11 which makes use of an
under-used mainline rail alignment in the city's northern suburbs to
create essential inter-suburban links, with interchange stations for
connections to the regional express suburban rail network (RER). This
tram-train line, Paris' second after the T4 line, opened on June 30th
2017 and is operated by
SNCF very much like a main-line railway, with segregated alignments and
"heavy" infrastructure and is the first "tram" line to be described as
"Express". It is the first phase of a longer route : extensions in the
west from Epinay to Sartrouville and in the east from le Bourget to
Noisy-le-Sec are planned to be opened in 2023. There is also brief
coverage of the tram line T8
linking two of the T11 stations to St Denis and more extensive coverage
of the older tram line (T1) linking St Denis and La Courneuve. There is
separate coverage of Tramway line T5 which is a tramway on tyres,
running from St Denis Marche to Sarcelles (click here) Above : An express tram-train running eastbound at Epinay-Villetaneuse, with left
hand running, railway-style, illustrating its distinctly non-tram-like
characteristics. .. Amsterdam (Netherlands) : 31st September - 3rd October, 2017 Amsterdam's
tram system remains one of the largest in Europe and route mileage will
not be lost despite the imminent opening of a new north-south metro
line, long in planning, gestation and construction in 2018. This is
expected to take place on July 22nd. A reorganisation of
tram routes themselves is planned to coincide with the introduction of
the new line, reducing tram services to Centraal Station whilst
strengthening orbital routes. On October 13th 2017 route
7 is to be diverted along new tracks in Hoofdweg between Mercatorplein
and Postjesweg, allowing the parallel Witte de Withstraat to become a
traffic-calmed and tram-free areaAbove
: Amsterdam's newest piece of operational tramway is only a couple of
hundred
metres long. The new link along Ferdinand Bolstraat between Albert
Cuypstraat and the crossing with Ceintuurbaan, was
required to re-route trams following the closure of the tracks in
Albert Cuypstraat. The city had employed a number of stewards in
high-visibility jackets to direct traffic from streets crossing
Ferdinand Bollstraat directly across the tram tracks as the road has
been renovated for pedestrian, cycle and tram traffic only. Line 24 was
thus re-routed, but line 16 withdrawn in its entirety with its
future in doubt with
it not featuring on the network plans issued by the GVB for its
proposed reorganisation of routes in 2018. Neverthless, the junction of
Albert Cuypstraat and Ferdinand Bollstraat has been rebuilt with tracks
for line 16 remaining in situ and work apparently proceeding to re-lay
tracks in a completely rebuilt de Lairessestraat and current news items
on the GVB refer to the "temporary" closure of line 16. What does seem
clear is that any future line 16 will not serve the city centre via
Vijzelstraat and an enhanced frequency line 24 will be the only line
which will duplicate this section of the new north-south metro
line. . Mainz (Germany) : 7th August, 2017 After
many years of uncertainty, Mainz's tramway system seems secure with the
opening of a new line. This brief visit looks at the Hauptbahnhof only.
Tracks in Bahnhofstrasse are temporarily closed as the street undergoes
a faceliftAbove : Tram 207 with the Hauptbahnhof buildings in the background . Wurzburg (Germany) : 5th August, 2017 Wurzburg is characterised by its magnificent setting on the River Main and its impressive historical architecture. Above : Tram 269 at Rathaus tram stop in Wurzburg's largely pedestrianised city centre . Bratislava (Slovakia) : 29th July, 2017 Alongside
extensive fleet renewal with articulated trams from Skoda, Bratislava
has now opened a tramway link to the high-rise suburb of Petrzalka on
the southern side of the Danube, which has required the construction of
a new tram-and-pedestrian-only bridge. Only the first phase of this
long-awaited route is currently is service - as far as Jungmannova. Above
: A new Skoda tram leaves the new Danube bridge to enter the Sad
J. Kral'a tram stop located above the bank on the river's southern
side . Budapest (Hungary) : 28th July, 2017 Budapest
has concentrated on renewing its infrastructure and rolling stock in
recent times, with only one short link on the Buda side of the Danube
riverbank new to the extensive network. This brief visit covers the two
circumferential lines primarily on the Pest side, with Combinos
dominating the inner ring, often claimed to be the busiest tram line in
the world, and with newly delivered CAF trams now dominating the outer
ring.CAF tram 2110 northbound at Arpad Hid on express tram line 1 . Madrid (Spain) : 12th-13th July, 2017 Madrid
has one of the world's largest and most comprehensive Metro systems and
its own "Crossrail" for national railway operator RENFE's suburban
services, but it has also built three tram lines, marketed as "light
metros". Light Metro lines 2 and 3 serve developing communities
outside the city itself and link into the urban metro at Colonia Jardin
station on the south-western edge of the city. Light Metro line 1 lies
within the city itself providing a service through a newly developed
area on its northern perimiter with each end terminating at a metro
station. All three lines were opened in 2007.Above
: One of Madrid's standard Alstom-supplied trams at Palas de Rey on
line 1 shortly before reaching the northern terminus at Las Tablas
metro station. The Las Tablas area is a modern development area
of the city, built in an expansive manner with wide
roads, plenty of space and medium-rise accommodation blocks. There are
two sections of underground on the 5.4 km long line (the shortest of
the three light metros), with stations at Maria Tudor, the next after
Palas de Rey, with the tunnel portal seen in the photo above, and two
intermediate underground stations at the
southern end of the line before the underground interchange with the
metro at Pinar de Chamartin. . Parla (Spain) : 12th July, 2017 Located
in the growing urban agglomeration on the southern side of Spain's
capital city Madrid, the population of Parla has rocketed to over
160,000 due to the massive influx of people to what was, until only
recently, a village. Missing out on the wholly underground metro loop
linking other towns in the area such as Getafe and Leganes, Parla opted
for its own circular tramway to bring its citizens from its southern
and eastern areas to the community's centre and in particular to the
commuter railway station from where there are frequent fast links to
Madrid. The 8.3 km loop was opened in two parts - in May and
September 2007 The
tramway serves the Parla East development area. At this point the
southbound and northbound alignements use parallel streets (this view
at Venus Norte shows a tram northbound on Avenida de las Estrellas). On
the right are the residential blocks, high rise even by Parla standards
of Parla East. To the left is open and currently undeveloped territory
between the town and the nearby R-4 motorway. . Vienna (Austria) : 19th - 21st June and 30th July, 2017 More
coverage of the Austrian capital city's enormous network - this time
concentrating on its north-western and southern sectors. Included is
coverage of the southern end of line 67 between Reumannplatz and
Alaudagasse, which was closed on September 2nd with the opening of the
new extension of U-Bahn line U1. The series
from 30th July covers those parts of the network lying on the eastern
side of the River Danube Although
Vienna experimented with underground tramways (a significant stretch
was built in the southern suburbs), the city pursued the construction
of a full underground railway and this now handles the major passenger
flows in the city. However, most of the tramway network was retained
and most of it can be regarded as a traditional street tramway, often
running through narrow streets, many featuring elements of the grand
architecture associated with Vienna. In the view above, tram 4020, a
traditional articulated car and trailer of the German Duwag design,
runs inbound along Wahringer Strasse at Kutschkergasse tram stop . Most & Litvinov (Czech Republic) : 31st May, 2017 This
18 km long tramway links the towns of Most and Litvinov, providing an
urban service in each (with a branch to the railway station in Most)
and the interurban section passes through a giant petrochemicals
complex, to which it once provided an important workers' service.
Originally metre-gauge, the system is now standard gauge. Most is
an interesting town - it was demolished and rebuilt in an expansive
modernistic style in the 1970s to allow open-cast coal mining to be
extended to the original site of the town. Above
: The broad tree-lined boulevards of the "new" Most give
plenty of space for a reserved modern alignment. Traditional Tatra T3
trams dominate the rolling stock scene, with some sets running singly,
others with trailer. Certain runs are advertised as "accessible"
due to the operators having two Skoda 03T "Astra" cars (delivered in
2001-2).The most recent additions are two Vario LF Plus cars (2014) and
one EVO1 car in 2016. In the above view taken looking northwards on Tr.
Budovatelu at the Most Sports Hall, the background is dominated by the
Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary (originally built between
1517 and 1594) which was the only building preserved when the old town
of Most was demolished. It was moved a total of 841 metres by train to
its new site in open ground alongside the new town in an operation
which took 28 days. The church got a mention in the Guinness Book of
Records as the heaviest building ever moved on wheels. . Prague (Czech Republic) : 29th May - 1st June, 2017 Prague
remains one of the largest tramway networks in the world. Most
recent investment has gone into extensions to the three metro lines in
the city, but the tram fleet has been substantially modernised. Tatra
T3s still dominate, but modern Skoda articulated trams have
arrived in large numbers - first the less than successful 14T design
followed by the 15T (ForCity) design which was based on Skoda's
successful design for use in RigaAbove
: Skoda 15T car 9205 crosses the River Vltava into the Old Town on the
Manesuv Bridge, with Prague Castle forming the imposing backdrop . Sheffield (UK) : 19th May, 2017 Very
little has changed since the Sheffield system opened as the first
genuine second generation street tramway in the UK. In recent years,
efforts have been put into protracted preparatory work for the
country's first tram-train line, with a new chord under construction
linking tram metals with a main-line route to the nearby town of
Rotherham. Trials are now taking place to understand the issues
specific to UK conditions with a view to developing a template for
wider use in the UK. The Duwag trams (the last built at
the famous Dusseldorf factory), changed their livery from predominantly
white to predominantly blue when rebranded by the Stagecoach company, the
operators of the system. This series briefly covers the city centre and
the Hillsborough area. Above
: Fitzalan Square / Ponds Forge tram stop, one of four
closely-spaced stops in the city centre. The bridge over Park
Square in the background was necessary to help the trams overcome
not only the busy roundabout below but the hilly topography of Sheffield . Aubagne (France) : 28th April, 2017 The
small town of Aubagne, close to the eastern edge of Marseille appears a
strange place for a new tramway to have been built. With French cities
jumping on the bandwagon in their droves, Aubagne, with a population of
just 46,000 in 2008, joined in. The tramway, opened in September 2014, is
only 2.8 km long and links the town's railway station with the high-density
residential development at Le Charret with five intermediate stops, but does not penetrate the town's central area.
Trams are not entirely new to Aubagne : an inter-urban line linked the
town to the centre of Marseille from 1905 until 1958 and there were
hopes (currently dashed) that the new system would be later extended to
link with Marseilles' network once more. The one highly notable
thing about this system is that its use, and that of buses, is completely free to
passengers as part of the local authority's fares policy Above : The white housing blocks at Le Charret are the main source of business for Aubagne's tramway . Marseille (France) : 26th - 28th April, 2017 Marseille
is one of three French cities which retained a single tram line from
their "first generation" networks and of the three, it is the one which
has done most to restore an extended tramway presence. The port city on
the Mediterranean, regarded as France's second city has refurbished and
extended the line which survived and built a three-spoke modern network
which acts very much as an inner-city distributor. Marseilles has two
rubber-tyred underground Metro lines and on first glance, the new tram
routes appear to offer little not already provided by the metro.
Nevertheless, the long trams run at an extremely high frequency and are
well patronised. There are plans to extend the lines further. Above
: Marseille's Bombardier trams are distintively styled to
represent boats evoking the port city's maritime heritage. The city
also boasts some magnificent architecture, not least the Palais de
Longchamp, seen above, which houses two museums and forms a grand
entrance to a small area of parkland from where there are fine views
over the city. Manchester (UK) : 21st April, 2017 Manchester's
Second City Crossing, running between St Peter's Square and Victoria
Station and designed to relieve the existing link through the city
centre which has become increasingly congested as the network expands,
is now opened fully with the completion of trackwork and testing on
Princess Street, Cross Street and Corporation Street. Part of the
crossing, from Victoria Station to the only intermediate stop, Exchange
Square had been opened earlier and was covered in a series of photos
from June 2016. Above
: Tram 3082 has left Exchange Square station and is about to
enter Cross Street en route to a remodelled St Peter's Square on track
brought into revenue service in February 2017. The new link is not on
reservation but has been fitted into the existing city streets. Rome (Italy) : 20th - 21st March, 2017 This
series covers most of the tramway system which was not covered in 2005
and should be viewed in conjuction with the earlier series. In the
intervening period there has been substantial track renewal and
alignment improvement, and one short extension now giving hope for the future. Above
: Tram 9230, a 100% low-floor tram of the "Cityway2" type, of
which 52 examples were ordered from Fiat-Alstom in 1999, is from the
most modern batch of trams in service in Rome. The oldest still
in use date originally from 1948. This picture is taken at the
city-centre terminus of line 8, originally opened in 1998,which was
extended one stop from Largo
di Torre Argentina (with the former terminus stub in Via di Torre
Argentina given up) along via Florida, Via delle Botteghe Oscure,
Via di S, Marco and Largo Enrico Berlinguer to a stub at Piazza di S.
Marco but named "Venezia" after the adjoining major piazza on 6th June
2013. Line 8 represented a welcome
reversal of earlier policy of tramway contraction and although it has
been slow work, many of the remaining alignments have been renovated
(including long-term bus replacement services) and the tramway now
appears to have a secure future despite work progressing on bringing
Metro Line C into the city centre at Colosseum and Venezia and hopes
remaining for a fourth cross-city line. . NEW IN 2016 Besancon (France) : 29th September 2016 Hailed
as a "low-cost" tramway for a reasonably small city, the Besancon
system (one long line with a short branch to the railway station)
exhibits all the good things one expects from the second generation of
French tramways. The 14.5 km long system was opened in August 2014 and
is operated by Urbos 3 trams from CAFAbove
: The nearest that Besancon's sleek CAF trams get to the historic core
of Besancon is at Place de la Revolution, but careful design has
allowed this modern form of transport to blend in well in a city proud
of its architectural history and pleasant environment . Dijon (France) : 27th - 28th September 2016 Dijon
joined the modern French tramway revolution in 2012, with two lines
operating over three branches with a short terminus spur in front of
the main railway station. 20 km in length, the line skirts the northern
side of the historic city core, the seats of the former Dukes of
Burgundy. Citadis trams from Alstom provide the services which have
become very popular as the citizens of Dijon have really taken to their
tramway. Above
: Place Darcy, at the end of the city's main shopping street Rue
de la Liberte and featuring a magnificent triumphal arch is the main
tramstop serving the city centre although good walking access to the
traffic calmed historic central area is available from a number of
other stops. . Edinburgh (United Kingdom) : 20th September 2016 A brief visit to central Edinburgh's Princes StreetEdinburgh's
controversial tramway now appears to be catching on with the public
although the inquest as to what went wrong in the delivery of the
system continues in the hands of a public scrutineer. Thoughts are now
being turned to extensions, including the original plan to reach Leith
and Newhaven. Princes Street, despite the banning of cars over most of
its length, remains a busy and for much of the day a chaotic
thoroughfare with innumerable buses jostling for position at the many
bus stops along the prestigious boulevard. In this view, looking
westwards from the main Princes Street tram stop,there is a welcome
break from the worst of the non-tram traffic, although one bus lies
closely alongside the nearside flank of the tram. . Vienna (Austria) : 9th - 12th September 2016 Austria's
capital city has one of the world's largest tramway networks. Despite some new extensions, it has lost
some of its length to due to growth of the city's metro system.
Nevertheless trams continue to run along parallel streets westwards out
of the city centre, maintaining an excellent service for these densely
populated areas. As a result, the system largely retains a
traditional street-tramway atmosphere. Despite the delivery of large
numbers of ultra-low-floor trams from Siemens (an early pioneer of 100%
low floor design and still unique to Vienna), it is also a showcase for
many of the enormous number of Duwag style high-floor trams built under
licence in Austria which continue to dominate the street scene - and
will continue to do so for many years. Vienna
is a city of grand architecture and it is possible to photograph trams
in front of many of the city's masterpieces, including the National
Parliament. Seen from the Dr Karl Renner Ring tram stop, a traditional
Duwag-design six-axle articulated tram and bogie trailer traverses
the "Ring" a wide boulevard running around much of the historic city
centre, laid out in the late 19th century on the site of the former
city walls. Under the reign of Emperor Franz Josef I, the
Austro-Hungarian empire reached its zenith before its untimely fall as
a consequence of World War I and a large number of showpiece buildings
were constructed around the ring to show off Habsburg grandeur , Graz (Austria) : 7th - 8th September 2016 Austria's
second city has a well-equipped tramway which runs through the
beautiful historic core of the city - a UNESCO world heritage site on
account of its architecture. At the time of the visit, route 1 between
the city centre and Mariatrost was closed for reconstruction along with
the western end of the same line between Asperngasse and Eggenberg/UKH.
Bus replacement was also in operation for the short central stretch
between Jakominiplatz and Steyrergasse.Graz
has replaced its fleet with modern low-floor articulated trams - the
latest being Variobahn from Stadler, complementing the earlier batch of
Cityrunners from Bombardier (for which Graz was the first customer,
taking delivery in 2001). In this view, Variobahn 204 is seen at
Hauptplatz in the heart of the city, having just come along the busy
tram and pedestrian only Herrengasse from Jakominiplatz, the city's
main transport interchange. The imposing edifice is the city's
municipal administration building. In the background is the tower of
the Holy Blood church. . West Midlands (Birmingham-Wolverhampton), UK : 16th August, 2016 There
had been virtually no progress with the metro line linking the UK's
second city with neighbouring Wolverhampton along a disused former
railway alignment for 20 years until December 2015 when the line,
now rebranded as a tramway, was extended into the centre of Birmingham
as the first phase of what is hoped to be a considerable expansion in
the next few years Birmingham
city centre is an intriguing mix of late Victorian grandeur and
post-war modernism as illustrated by the view above of a tram on
Corporation Street approaching the eponymous tram stop from Grand
Central, the new name for the redeveloped Birmingham New Street Station
complex, where the new extension to the tram line currently terminates
in Stephenson Street having been extended from Bull Street at the end
of May 2016. Birmingham is undergoing considerable redevelopment as
witnessed by the large number of cranes and shiny new office blocks. Surface trams
will be part of this urban regeneration, with the line planned to be
extended to Victoria Square and Broad Street passing a
number of major traffic generators such as the International Convention
Centre and the Symphony Hall and will eventually be extended to the
inner suburb of Edgbaston. A decision has been made to dispense with
overhead catenary in the Victoria Square area where the line will pass
close to the Victorian architectural set-pieces of the Town Hall,
Council House and Museum and Art Gallery and it is expected that the
CAF Urbos 2 trams will be retrofitted with accumulators to bridge the
gap in the wires. Further inner-city links are planned to connect with
the proposed High Speed Train station at Curzon Street.
. Manchester, UK : 27th June, 2016 Photos
of the recently opened Exchange Square Metrolink stop in the centre of
Manchester on the first stage of the Second City Crossing - a new link
between Victoria Staion and St Peter's Square designed to relieve the
overcrowded original route through the city whilst also providing
access to this busy shopping area. Photos also show the new
arrangements at Victoria Station following the establishment of the new
line. The
new tram stop, pictured above, is located outside the northern entrance
to the Arndale Shopping Centre Centre and alongside a number of large
department stores.. Bergen, Norway : 19th June, 2016 Bergen's "second-generation" started operation in June 2010 as far as Nesttun
and was extended to the current terminus at Lagunen in June 2013. Currently 13.4 km long, it is
being
further extended at its southern end to reach Bergen airport with a
planned
opening date later in 2016. Bergen's
modern light rail system features a number of short tunnels to cope
with the steep and rocky terrain. This view is taken at Wergeland tram
stop . Oslo, Norway : 13th - 15th June, 2016 An update to our last visit to Oslo, including those areas not covered in 2006Whilst
Oslo has been investing heavily in its extensive Metro and the state
railways have been developing local transport networks, the tramway has
not been forgotten. Much work has been put in to improve the
infrastructure now that the future of the system seems secure following
many years of uncertainty. No expansion of the network can take place
until more trams are delivered and a large order is expected to be
placed soon. At the time of the visit, the network had been
rearranged
significantly in the city centre due to a long-running road closure,
resulting in a "one-way" system with services from the west running via
Aker Brygge towards Jernbanetorget and westbound services running via
the route of unaffected lines along Kirkeristen and Grensen and a
new link in Rosenkrantz gate (see photo above) to regain their standard
alignment along
Stortingsgata . Berlin, Germany : 30th May - 1st June, 2016 A
brief update on Berlin, the city's enormous tram system having been
covered in some detail in 2005 and 2006. The recent extension to
Hauptbahnhof and the finished "Alex II" link are shown along with some
missing locations from previous visits After
years of planning and attendant controversy, the latest extension to
the system brought trams to the new Hauptbahnhof (Main Station) which
has been constructed on the site of the old Lehrter Bahnhof to serve
the reunited city in an appropriate manner. The photo above, taken at
Hauptbahnhof, shows virtually the entire length of the extension, on
reservation at this point over what was once a "no-man's land" on the
western side of the former Berlin Wall, but running on-street amongst
heavy traffic in the distance on what was once East Berlin territory..Utrecht, Netherlands : 13th May, 2016 One
of the earliest of the new generation of tramways was the Sneltram
Utrecht-Nieuwegein which opened in December 1983. In December 1985, a
branch was opened from Nieuwegein to Ijsselstein. The
system is
high-platform throughout and links the busy central station at
Utrecht to south-western lying suburban towns but does not penetrate
the city centre of Utrecht. In 2013 the 20.7 km long line was cut back
to the south
side of the station to allow reconstruction in association with an
extension to Uithof, replacing a busy bus service to the city's
university grounds. The planned new route, which also will not
penetrate the
city centre is expected to feature an accumulator system so as to
eliminate overhead line in parts of the university area. It is also
planned
to be a low-floor system and this has left the thorny issue of whether
to convert the existing line with its substantial "light rail"
infrastructure to match the new line.. Den Haag, Netherlands : 12th - 16th May, 2016 Coverage
of those parts of the network which were not covered in 2013, primarily
the routes in the southern part of the city, plus the line through the
old city centre which had been temporarily out of service.An
attractive view at Gravenstraat in the old centre of Den Haag, closed
during the 2013 visit, but now reopened after the completion of the
construction an underground car park. . Valencia, Spain : 14th and 15th April, 2016 Spain's
third city has an extensive metro system but also a street tramway line
dubbed metro line 4 (opened in 1994 and subsequently extended) which
runs from the north-west to the beach in the east of the city, running
on an alignment to the north of the historic city centre but with an
unusual "dip" towards the city centre at Pont de Fusta with double
tracks along each side of the wide Carrer d'Almassora, midway
along the line. Line 6 (opened in 2007) links the metro station closest
to the beach area (Maritim-Serreria) with the seaside and then shares
the alignment of line 4 towards the city centre before
branching to
the north to Tossal del Rei. An extremely short line line 8 (opened
in 2015) links Maritim-Serreria with Marina Reial Joan Carles
I. Lines
6 and 8
share a cross-platform interchange with metro lines 5 and 7 at
Maritim-Serreria immediately before the ramp to allow the metro to be
extended towards the beach and marina as a conventional street tramway.
From the beach area, line 6 follows the course of the original line 4
as far as Primat Reig before heading north to Tossal del Rei. The metro
is unusual as it is built to 1000mm gauge. . Florence, Italy : 29th and 31st March, 2016 The
magnificent renaissance Tuscan city of Florence closed its original
tramway by January 1958, but in common with many cities, decided to
reintroduce the mode of transport, with line 1 opening on February
14th, 2010 after a protracted construction period. The line is 7.4 km
long and almost all on reserved track, linking the main railway station and
the western suburb of Scandicci and is served by 17 Sirio trams from
Ansaldo-Breda. There are plans for three more lines and some
construction work is under way, with a link to the city's airport the
first to be constructed.The
current city terminus is alongside the main railway station, Santa Maria Novella in via Alamanni (see photo above). The tracks continue to
the front of the station in Piazze della Stazione but are unused, with
the current terminus normally using only one track, reached by a
crossover in Alamanni. With a high frequency service of usually around
four minutes, lay-over time at the busy station stop is necessarily
limited. The city's plans originally involved extending the tracks
further towards the city centre along via de Panzani and via de
Cerretani, but public concern regarding the routing of the tramway
directly alongside the magnificent historical cathedral has led to
delays in further developments as other alternatives are evaluated.
This has included building a tunnel under the compact city centre, but
with numerous architectural gems to consider, this is also
controversial, not least in terms of cost. The narrow maze of streets
in the historic centre also make a street alignment not only
controverial but not optimal. The second line, for which work is now
under way will link the city's airport with the station (and pass a
planned new high-speed line station) whilst running at least slightly
closer to the city centre at the spacious Piazza del' Unita Italiana
which adjoins the severely congested Piazza della Stazione. .NEW IN 2015Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain : 12th November, 2015 Vitoria-Gasteiz'
two-line tram system, serving modern northern suburbs and joining at
the new bus station to run on a joint line round the west and south of
the old city centre to an inner-city terminus at Angulema was
opened in 2008Urbos
2 type trams from Spanish builder CAF provide a unitary fleet and are
visually similar to the Urbos I trams operating in nearby Bilbao. The
Basque regional capital city and capital of the Alava province has
plans to extend the line to the south of the city centre, which it
skirts partially on a wide grassy reservation as seen above and
partially in narrow traffic calmed streets.. Bilbao, Spain : 10th - 11th November, 2015 Bilbao
is busy reinventing itself for the post-industrial age and as part of a
wide ranging programme of urban modernisation, a single-line tramway
was opened in 2002. With an extensive bus system and a metro bringing
in the major passenger numbers from the riverside industrial communities closer to
the coast, the tram line acts as an inner-city circulator linking most
of the main transport hubs, tourist and cultural establishments, the
football ground, a hospital and the historic old town. Central to
Bilbao's rejuvenation and new international profile is the iconic Frank
Gehry-designed Guggenheim art museum, which the tram naturally passes
alongside (see below)Bilbao's
tram line has shown how an inner city line can be successful, linking
places where passengers want to go. Much of the line is on a wide green
reservation alongside the river where redevelopment has made this a
magnet for tourists and promenaders, but in the newer parts of the city
there is much street-running alignment. The eastern part of the line,
through parts of the "new" city adjoining the river and across the
River Nervion and skirting the old city is laid out as single track,
largely gutter-running, with one passing point at Arriaga Plaza. Nottingham, UK : 26th October, 2015 On
August 25th 2015 after much delay and months of testing, Nottingham
more than doubled its tram network with its "Big Bang" opening of two
routes to the south of the city (to Toton Lane and to Clifton South).
The new lines join the original tram line above Nottingham Station
where the elevated route was extended to take tracks directly over the
inter-city rail station and now run through to Hucknall and Phoenix
Park respectively. This series looks at the Toton Lane line only. Not
an enormous amount of the Nottingham system shares road space with car
traffic as roads in UK cities tend to be too narrow to allow central
reservations to be created. Therefore they have to be carefully
integrated into existing street plans, often with associated traffic
calming measures. In the photo above, a tram heading to Toton Lane
approaches Chilwell Road in the suburban town of Beeston. It is one of
the 22 Alstom Citadis trams purchased in advance of the extensions
opening to augment the original fleet of Bombardier Incentros.. Le Havre, France : 1st October, 2015 Le
Havre joined the list of French cities with second-generation tramways
when its 13 km long system, also "Y" shaped, opened on December 12th, 2012In
2012 a period of 55 tram free years ended when Le Havre opened its new
tramway with two branches joining to descend through a tunnel to the
lower-lying city centre area in this major port on the Normandy coast.
The four-minute frequency of the joint line throughout much of the day
means a regular and frequent service past the railway station and the
town hall (above) to the terminus at the beach. In common with most
French tram systems, the cars were obtained from Alstom with its
highly-successful Citadis design. . Rouen, France : 30th September, 2015 Rouen
has re-equipped its tramway with Alstom Citadis trams and despite being
an early member of the French tramway revival, presents a thoroughly
modern image. However, despite one branch of its "Y"-shaped system having been
extended, there is disappointment that a larger network has not been
developed.Rouen
had originally intended that its one line (with two branches in the
southern part of Rouen's city region) would not be its last, but cost
constraints have led to the main east-west axis through the city being
built as a high-quality bus route with tram-like platforms and optical
guidance to bring buses close to the platform edge to allow for
step-free access. Whether these bus routes will ever be converted to
tram is not clear, but passenger numbers are heavy and services
frequent - suggesting that if the money can be found, upgrading would
be justified. The city centre
section is underground although it rises to an expansive surface-level
terminus with bus connections to the northern suburbs and the tram
dives into a tunnel immediately after crossing the river Seine as seen
in the photo above at Theatre des Arts. The east-west bus axis crosses
immediately above the tunnel portal. Paris, France : 29th September, 2015 Further
tramway developments in the Paris suburbs, with new line T8 linking St
Denis and Epinay-Orgement including a branch to VilletaneuseCoverage
of the Paris city region's newest tramway, Line T8 from St Denis (Porte
de Paris) to Epinay with a short branch to Villetaneuse. In line with
its policy of
improving public transport links in its sprawling "banlieue", the
Paris transport authorities and the Ile de France region have made
quick work of its new tramways (and tramways on tyres). Line
T8, opened on December 16th 2014, runs from near the city
proper
boundary at St Denis' Porte de Paris northwards and has a flat
junction with the existing tram line through St Denis outside the
station.' Innsbruck, Austria : 22nd July, 2015 The
small alpine city has re-equipped its tramway with new articulated
trams, giving a much more modern image than before with its mixture of
old and various second hand rolling stock. Expansion is now firmly on
the cards with the new branch to Hottinger Au the first part of a
westwards extension into growing suburbs and plans exist to serve
eastern parts of the city developing along the valley of the river Inn.New
Flexity trams from Bombardier have given the Innsbruck tramway a new
and modern image and the future of the system now appears bright. Car
316 runs along Museumstrasse towards Hauptbahnhof and is about to call
at the Landesmuseum tram stop.. Manchester, United Kingdom : 20th July, 2015 Manchester's
Metrolink keeps expanding. The latest line, branching from the East
Didsbury line, takes trams through Wythenshawe to terminate at the
International Airport alongside the main line trains which make the
largest airport in the UK outside the London area well served by public
transportManchester
Airport. The line opened one year earlier than anticipated and below
budget - quite some achievement in terms of British tramways. This has
allowed Manchester to proceed with the next stages of planned
expansion, with a line to the Trafford Centre retail
complex now at design stage. The tram above is showing as running
to Cornbrook. In the summer of 2015 the Metrolink network was split
into to parts with the central section between Market Street and
Deansgate-Castlefield closed to allow a major reconstruction of St
Peter's Square for the junction with the future "second" city crossing. The new link is required to relieve the
original link through the city following the improvement of frequencies
on existing lines and the addition of new lines to the network. The
Deansgate-Castlefield stop has recently reopened after substantial
reconstruction including the installation of a new platform. However,
due to pressure of infrastructure here, the Airport line is being
terminated at Cornbrook, where shuttle buses are being provided for
onward travel into the city centre. Whilst the link through the city
centre will be restored later in the year, Airport services are
expected to continue to terminate at Cornbrook until the new city
crossing is opened. . Strasbourg, France : 11th - 13th June, 2015 When last visited in 1996, the Alsatian city was
beginning to benefit from its starter tram line from Baggersee to the
main station. A lot has happened in the intervening years and the city
which is home to the European Parliament now has an extensive tramway
network with very attractive frequencies and excellent passenger
numbers.Strasbourg
is a popular tourist destination because of its magnificent setting on
an island in the river Ill and featuring attractive historical
architecture including the fairy-tale like timber framed buildings in
the Petite France area and the impressive cathedral which is
thought to once have been the tallest structure in Europe. Trams have
played a major role in allowing the city to become highly
pedestrianised and traffic-calmed. Although the many tourists who now
take the popular boat trips around the city get to see the imposing
glass structures of the highly-modernistic European Parliament
buildings, perhaps many miss the equally impressive classical buildings
in the city, particularly at Place de la Republique. Republique is a
very busy tramway interchange set out in a grand style. The photo above
shows one of the original batch of British-built low-floor trams
passing the National and University Library on Place de la
Republique, heading north on the line to Hoenheim with the more recent
branch to Robertsau, passing the European Parliament buildings. More
development is on the way with a start on linking the German town of
Kehl, which lies on the opposite bank of the River Rhein into the
network. . Stuttgart, Germany : 9th - 11th June, 2015 Stuttgart
has completed its transition from metre-gauge street tramway to
standard-gauge Stadtbahn in a process which took over 30 years and has
ended up with one of the most exemplary transit systems around.Stuttgart
is not standing still after so many years of upheaval and investment.
Expansion is still anticipated and the latest route is that to
Hallschlag which left the existing network at Lowentor (above).
Hallschlag is only a temporary terminus, however. Work is underway to
link the line with the Muhlhausen / Remseck line and provide the latter
communities with two routes into the city centre. . Turin, Italy : 17th - 20th April, 2015 Despite
long-held plans for a metro system and the opening in stages of the
first automated light metro (VAL) line, the tramway network has
remained remarkably consistent over time. Some lines have fallen victim
to metro construction and more recently to the routing of mainline
rail tracks underground around Porta Susa, but tracks have been
retained and there is the prospect that some lines might be restored.
Attempts have been made to upgrade the tramways and some extensions
have been constructed, but rolling stock shortages have always
constrained growth and despite the arrival of new "Cityway" trams at
the beginning of the century, much old rolling stock remains.Turin
is a city of magnificent architecture with fine buildings wherever you
look. With the metro not penetrating the city centre, there is still
plenty of tramway activity despite a plethora of buses and cars and the
opportunity to see traditional trams running through collonaded
porticos such as here at Piazza Vittorio Veneto. Cars from the
city's extensive historical collection are used most of the year on a
hourly-served one-way loop around the city on Saturdays,
Sundays and holidays as a tourist attraction, but what is
remarkable about Line 7 is that it can be used freely as part of the
regular transport system within the standard fare structure.
. St Etienne, France : 11th March, 2015 St
Etienne is one of three French tramways which survived from the "first
generation" of systems and like the other two was basically a single
line. Although the city has not embarked on any major expansion,
it has made extensions to the existing line and built a branch to the
main station. An intensive service is maintained with frequent trams
running along primarily tram and pedestrian only streets in a
north-south direction through the city centre and on reserved
alignments elsewhere.St
Etienne's main north-south tram alignment is traffic-calmed and allows
for a fast and frequent service through the heart of the city. 925 is
seen heading southbound on Rue Charles de Gaulle approaching
the Jean Jaures tram stop.. Lyon, France : 9th and 10th March, 2015 More
new developments to report from Lyon including one complete new line,
one new line opened as a branch from an existing service and a
further extension through a rapidly developing area close to the city
centre to the south of Gare PerracheLyon has been actively developing its tram system and since the last
review of the network. a complete new line (T4) has been built, from
Gare Part Dieu to Hopital Feyzin Venissieux. Route T1 has been extended
from Montrochet back to the eastern side of the Rhone to connect with
the Metro at Debourg. The line serves the enormous redevelopment
projects in the peninsula at the confluence of the Rhone and Saone,
including new regional government offices, commercial developments and
the prestige Museum of the Confluence. A new line, T5, has been
introduced, partially duplicating line T2 and including a new branch to
Eurexpo. The Rhone-Express rapid tram link to Lyon's St-Exupery Airport
has now been completed. It shares its route with urban tram line T3 for
much of its length with only a limited number of stops. The distinctive
red trams terminate at Gare Part Dieu. Above
: View back towards Part Dieu from the Manufacture Montluc tram stop as
the new T4 carves a route south through the city . Geneva, Switzerland : 7th, 8th and 12th March, 2015 Since
the last review of Geneva in 2007, the Swiss city has constructed
routes to Bernex and to the CERN atomic research centre (with a branch
into Meyrin). The two new routes have been linked by a new connection
through the city centre, bringing trams to the central interchange at
Bel-Air The
new route to the CERN scientific research centre follows a long
virtually straight alignment from the city centre via the Rue de
Servette and the
Route de Meyrin and almost reaches the international border with
France. The above image view shows the view back to the city centre
from
Meyrin Village. . NEW IN 2014Manchester, United Kingdom : 30th September, 2014 A
return to the UK's premier tramway network to see how the Manchester
Metrolink, a system which exhibits both light-railway and tramway
features, has converted a former railway line to the neighbouring towns
of Oldham and Rochdale and re-routed part of the new line through
central OldhamUnion
Street in Oldham runs closely parallel to the old railway alignment
linking Manchester with Rochdale, but the newly-converted Metrolink
line now follows this new route through Oldham and shows distinct
tramway features albeit with high level platforms. The new Oldham
Central stop is in the background in the photo above. . Edinburgh, United Kingdom : 13th September, 2014A
look at the recently-opened tram line in Scotland's capital city which
overcame much political controversy, disputes with building
contractors, a change of planned operator and massive cost overruns to
open many years behind the originally expected schedule. On several
occasions it was feared that the project would be cancelled outright,
but the western half of the originally planned first line has been
completed and, since opening on May 31st 2014, has been a reasonable
success even without the major re-casting of bus services, some of
which appear to provide competition along some of the line and on
end-to-end journeys.Edinburgh's
main street, Princes Street, has a tram service at long last, despite
rails being laid, lifted and relaid in what was an almost farcical
management of a major public infrastructure project. To keep ballooning
costs to a minimum, the line was only built to York Place, two
stops beyond Princes Street tramstop (above). Another cost cutting
measure can be seen in the surrounding street. Unlike the majority of
new tramways around Europe and the world in general, no attention was
paid to street "beautification" and very little to traffic calming
measures. Princes Street remains a bustling street, clogged with
numerous buses and taxis and with pedestrians kept to the old uneven
pavements alongside the highway . Cologne, Germany : 18th June, 2014 A
brief visit covering only the short surface stretch between Rudolfplatz
and Heumarkt - the only surface line crossing the city centre.
Cologne's large tram and underground "Stadtbahn" network was covered in
some detail in 2001. The
central area tram stop at Neumarkt is on the only remaining surface
line though central Cologne. A large number of lines funnel into this
route making it extremely busy. A new north - south underground tram
line is currently under construction and now partially opened after
severe delays following the collapse of a museum building above the
tunneling work, but it seems that this east - west route will remain
above ground for the foreseeable future. . Dusseldorf, Germany : 17th, 19th and 20th June, 2014 A
look at central Dusseldorf before the opening of the "Wehrhahn" Line,
the second and long-awaited underground route through the city centre.
Unlike the first Stadtbahn line and in a change to original plans, this
has been built for low-floor trams, allowing the existing tram
routes, which have in recent years been so re-equipped, to funnel into the tunnel between Bilk and Am Werhahn via Graf
Adolf Platz, Heinrich-Heine-Allee, and Schadowstrasse. Also covered are
the route to Bilk Kirche and the recent extension from there to
Mediahafen plus the route to Benrath and views at Kaiserswerth (Klemensplatz). Time
is running out for the surface tram line alongside Dusseldorf's
historic Altstadt. The tunnel for the future Heinrich-Heine-Allee
station on the proposed Wehrhahn line was built here when the first
underground route was under construction. The rest of the tunnel is now
built and being fitted out and this iconic view northwards on
Hunsruckenstrasse where the trams run southbound (northbound trams
being on the parallel Breite Strasse and Heinrich-Heine-Allee) will
soon be consigned to the history books.. Rotterdam, Netherlands : 22nd - 25th May, 2014 When last featured in 1985, the tram system was looking somewhat
down at heel and despite some new extensions, such as to the Beverwaard
housing development, investment was being concentrated on to the metro
system. In recent years, the tram network has been completely
upgraded. The
networks north and south of the river have been linked
again via the new Ersamus Bridge and an extensive inner-city
network survives as the city itself modernises once more with gleaming
high-rise blocks creating a thoroughly modern environment in parts, but
despite the enormous destruction at the beginning of World War II, a
remarkable amount of traditional streetscape survives. Alstom
Citadis trams in two (very slightly different) series provide all the
services. The photo above shows the scene at Beurs. The Erasmus Bridge is in the middle distance.. Toulouse, France : 3rd May, 2014 France's
fourth largest city agglomeration embarked on a driverless mini-metro
construction programme which has given it an excellent two-line system.
Trams then came on to the agenda, but recent mayoral elections returned
a new incumbent promising to end further tramway development in favour
of a third metro line. An
extensive network of "first generation" trams finally disappeared in
1957, but the rapid growth of Toulouse, powered by the aerospace
industry meant that an all-bus solution increasingly became seen as
inadequate. A strong city mayor pushed for and achieved a two-line
"VAL" mini-metro system, the concept being accepted in 1983 and the
first line opening in 1993. Line 2 followed in 2007. There is an
interchange between the two lines at Jean-Jaures station, close to the
city's historic core. The focus shifted to tramways, partially because
of the high cost of metro construction and by December 2010, line T1
was opened, linking the developing north-western communities of
Beauzelle and
Blagnac (see photo above at Place Georges Brassens) to the city proper
and terminating at Arenes metro station for
transfers onward to the city centre. Tram line T1 was extended towards
the southern side of the city centre, reaching Palais de Justice and
the new track was opened for service in December 2013. Most passengers
still change at Arenes because the trams do not penetrate into the
historic city centre, but passenger numbers on the new extension have
been encouraging. A short branch from line T1 is currently under
construction to serve Toulouse-Blagnac airport and a recent change of
political power in the city threatens future development of the
tram network. . Montpellier, France : 2nd, 4th and 5th May, 2014 Much
has happened in the four and a half years since our 2009 visit,
with a complete new line crossing the city and a loop around the inner
southern suburbs adding to the network in this progressive
Mediterranean city Four
tram lines now converge in front of Montpellier's St Roch station, with
the latest line 3 approaching along Rue de la Republique (see photo
above) and a new line 4 inaugurated with the intention to create a future
inner-city loop line using these tracks opened on April 7th 2012.
The opening of the new lines
resulted in a reorganisation of the former two-line network in the
inner city areas and now both lines 1 (opened July 2000) and 2
(December 2006) share tracks between St
Roch and Corum, both serving the main city stop at Comedie. Rather then
just the blue-liveried trams of line 1, this attractive square now sees
the brightly-coloured red, yellow, green and orange floral design of
line 2 - and a highly frequent service with it now uncommon to have no
tram in or approaching the platforms in daytime hours. This set of
photos follows lines 3 and 4 and records the new colours abounding in
the city centre which now include the two new designs chosen for the
new lines. Montpellier is not stopping there as more construction
is now in the pipeline to complete the loop around the old-city, but
new leaders in the city hall have called for a proposed line in the
city's north-west to be reviewed as financial constraints take hold.
. Paris, France : 27th March, 2014 New
tramway line T7 has opened since the last visit a year ago - and the
first new generation tramway has been upgraded and, more recently, extended since our
first visit to line T2 in 1997Tramway
development continues unabated as the communities in the Ile-de-France
region expand their populations rapidly. Tramway line T7 was opened in
November 2013 and is basically a southern extension of metro line 7
from the community of Villejuif (see photo above) to Orly Airport and
on to Athis-Mons on the airport's southern perimeter (11.2 km - 7 miles
in total). The line passes the enormous food market and logistics
handling area at Rungis and a number of developing commercial areas and
despite the apparent lack of dense residential developments, there is
still healthy traffic on the new line and an impressively frequent
service - and plans are in place to extend the line in the south to
connect with the RER regional metro at Juvisy. The photographs also
cover tram line T2 which when opened was Paris' first new generation
tramway - a tentative conversion of a lightly used railway line. The
concept has been a massive success - it has been extended to provide
interchange with the equally successful line T3 (now circling much of
the city of Paris proper) at Porte de Versailles and at its northern
end from la Defense to Pont de Bezons. The area covered has been
subject to much development and traffic numbers are impressive and
crush loads common, despite new rolling stock being introduced to allow
the operation of coupled tram sets . Reims, France : 24th-26th March, 2014 Another
new second generation French tramway - with the points already in place
for extensions. However, a recent change in the city's mayor office has
called further developments into question. Reims is a relatively small
city and whatever their merits, tramways are expensive to build and
maintain and this can be controversial.Reims
chose a ground-contact power collection system for its city centre tram
line primarily so as to protect views of the historic cathedral from
the clutter of overhead wires and supporting columns (as at the Langlet
tram stop shown above). The design of the
ends of the Alstom Citadis cars was reputedly inspired by the shape of
the flutes used for drinking Champagne, the sparkling wine inextricably
associated with the region around Reims, where a number of producers'
cellars are located and open to the public. Trams are painted in a
variety of colours in an attempt to brighten up the city's environment
rather than reflect any corporate image. Points have already been
installed at Opera and Comedie in anticipation of two new branches to
the tramway which opened in 2011. It is not certain that the proposed
new east-west line will proceed, but if it does, the provisions made
mean that the existing route will not need to be disruped to allow it
to be connected the tracks through Rue Vesle. The normal service
on Route A is 8
trams per hour augmented by the less frequent trams on line B which
duplicate the route for most of its length before branching off to
serve the Champagne High Speed Train (TGV) station located in
open ground to the south of the city in Bezannes territory. On opening,
line B terminated at Gare Centre but has since been extended to
Neufchatel. Trams on line B are timed with respect to connecting
with high-speed trains calling at Gare Champagne TGV.
NEW IN 2013
Murcia, Spain : 29th November, 2013 This southern Spanish city only had a
short experience
of trams but decided to bring them back following the success of a
demonstrator line operated along part of Avenida Juan Carlos I. The
current 17.5 km long line opened in 2011.Modern
trams run along modern alignments on two radial routes originating at
the northern edge of the city centre which afford lots of space for
tram stops and tracks. The city has big plans for more lines. The first
objective is to penetrate the city centre along Gran Via and link in
with the railway station which lies to the south of the centre. Further
routes are planned to intersect at the station giving good coverage in
all directions. The photo is taken on Avenida Juan Carlos I on
the section of route which was originally built as a short
demonstration line - a magnificent advert for a modern tramway, which
offered free rides throughout and convinced the public and the
authorities to proceed with the tramway project . Alicante / Alacant, Spain : 27th and 30th November, 2013 135
views in this Spanish Mediterranean city where trams have been revived
with two new urban routes and where a coastal light railway leading to
popular coastal resorts such as Benidorm has been upgraded to modern
light rail standards. Both systems share tracks in the city area and
run through to the main railway station in a tunnel underneath the
central area.Trams
on the city routes and
tram-trains on the interurban route now share a tunnel bringing
services right into the heart of the city and provide a modern and
efficient service for local travellers and tourists alike. Along with
other Spanish cities, much money has been spent on transport
infrastructure in recent years - and despite a temporary halt due to
the severe economic downturn in Spain, more developments are planned. Blackpool, United Kingdom : 14th September, 2013 77 views along the promenade in central Blackpool of the newly modernised line operated by new Bombardier Flexity-2 tramsThose
who knew Blackpool would hardly recognise the transformation which has
taken place in recent times. A complete renovation of the tracks, tram
stops, electrical equipment and a brand new depot - and new articulated
trams to replace the old fleet, many of which dated back to the 1930s.
These photos show the "new" tramway along the "old" route on
Blackpool's sea-front. Manchester, United Kingdom : 5th June, 2013 Coverage of the Droylesden branch and the recently opened extension to East Didsbury as well as views in central ManchesterManchester's Metrolink is growing rapidly. 2013
saw the opening of the line from Piccadilly to Droylsden, passing
through the Eastlands redevelopment area, where several large sports
facilities have been built, including the Etihad Stadium, built
for the Commonweath Games and now home of Manchester City FC. On
May 23rd a further extension was opened - from St Werburgh's
Road to East Didsbury on a long-abandoned former railway alignment.
The photo above shows tram 3023 inbound at Didsbury Village. Close
to St Werburgh's Road, construction works can be seen for the line
to Manchester Airport via Wythenshawe and the Droylsden line is
due to be extended to Ashton-under-Lyne shortly. With the former
heavy rail line to Rochdale via Oldham now open as a Metrolink service,
the network has expanded greatly. A new alignment through Oldham
town centre is due soon and a short extension from Rochdale Railway
Station to the town centre will improve the service even further.
Hoardings at St Peter's Square in the city centre refer to the second
city crossing - a new link beteween the Square and Victoria Station
to relieve the busy tracks through the city via Market Street and
Shudehill which will become even busier as the new lines come on
stream - and twin-set trains become standard on the Altrincham and
Bury lines.
Modern trams slink their way through the historical
areas of central Bremen and serve all sides of this former Hanseatic port
city
in an exemplary street-based network. The system is growing and
the final phase of the line to Mahnsdorf Bahnhof, opened earlier
in the year, is only the latest of a number of new extensions to
be opened.
Paris, France : 15th
April 2013 featuring two of the major route extensions inaugurated
since the 2007 visit - around the southern and eastern edges of the
city proper and the westwards extension from St Denis to Genevilliers
With such a dense underground railway (Metro)
network in the city of Paris and a regional express railway (RER)
bringing
suburban commuter lines into and through the city centre, it is easy to think that
there would be no role for trams in Paris. That was the thinking
when the city's system closed, but it was one which was reversed
when the mode was deemed ideal for tangential routes, linking the
outer points of the metro network and bringing much-needed high
capacity links in the city's burgeoning suburbs. This philosophy
had already been put into practice when Tramscape visited in 2007
and by the next visit ten years later, extensions were in full swing,
including the beginning of a circumferential route around the
inner edge of the city proper. This route has now been extended
the complete the southern side of the city (see photo above), run
around the east and terminate in the north. As well as linking numerous
metro routes, it caters for significant amounts of local traffic.
Now so long, route 3 has been divided into A and B routes to
help operational efficiency. This photo series also covers the extension
of line T1 from its erstwhile western terminus as St Denis Gare
to Genevilliers, providing interchange with the RER at Genevilliers
and the extended Metro at the current new terminus at Genevilliers
(Les Courtilles). Tramway development is not stopping there
- and there is already an extension to line T2 at La Defense which
awaits coverage.. Orleans, France
: April 12th - 13th 2013 This historic French city built
two tram lines in double quick time. Line
A (18 km) is a north-south line from Fleury-les-Aubrais to Orleans La
Source and was opened in 2000. Line B is 11 km long and runs east to
west through the city, intersecting with line A at Place de Gaulle. It
was opened in 2012 and features a length of ground-contact power
supply in the city centre where the line passes the cathedral.Along with many other French cities which
had been tramless for 50 years, two long new lines have been built
in double quick time in the 21st century. Much of the city centre is
now either pedestrianised or with restricted car access. Orleans
also has a number of fine architectural masterpieces and imposing
classical street frontages. With line B in planning and the tracks
planned to run along Rue Jeanne d'Arc to the city's cathedral (see
photo above) it was decided to implement a ground-collection system
for the electric current to eliminate the need for wires and, potentially,
poles. The system had been successful in Bordeaux and was specified
so as to protect the view along Rue Jeanne d'Arc and also Rue des
Carmes and Rue Porte Madeleine as the line transverses the city centre
from east to west. The photos show how the tram (especially in its
sandy-coloured livery) can fit unobtrusively into a sensitive
historical environment. In this view at Place de Gaulle, where
lines A and B cross, the wires for line A can be seen immediately
above the tram. Perhaps line A was built just too soon for the
ground collection system to be specified to protect the vistas in
Rue de la Republique and Rue Royale. Nevertheless, the overhead
collection is unobtrusive and the Orleans system is a fine example
of the new generation of French tramways..
Den
Haag, Netherlands : March 23rd - 27th 2013 The
Dutch administrative capital is perhaps not as well known for its
trams as nearby Amsterdam, but it has an enormous traditional street
tramway and now a short tram subway in the city centre. It is also
benefiting from the so-called Randstad Rail project, bringing upgraded
light rail to the city
Alstom low-floor light rail vehicles now run through
Den Haag, mainly on shared track with the existing tramways, but
on also special reserved tracks to and through the modern sattelite
development at Zoetermeer. Part of the route is shared with high-platform
trains serving neighbouring city Rotterdam's metro which has been
extended to Den Haag Centraal Station. The futuristic station pictured
above is on an elevated alignment through the modern office developments
of the Beatrixkwartier close to Den Haag CS which is for light rail
only. Nothwithstanding Randstad Rail developments, there are on-going
extensions to the traditional network, the latest under construction
being in the nearby city of Delft which is undergoing an enormous
expansion away from its picturesque and historic core.. Dublin,
Ireland : February 13th - 14th 2013 Catching
up on recent extensions to the Red Line, to the Point (O2 Arena)
in the east and the community of Saggart in the west and adds the
westen branch to Tallaght and additional photography on the core
Red line to the photos taken in 2005It
had long been planned to extend the Red line eastwards to the entrance
to the commercial docks where the O2 Arena is situated. The route,
along George's Dock (see photo above), Mayor Street Lower and Upper and
terminating in Castleforbes Road, passes through old docklands areas
now partially redeveloped as an International Financial Area. The
recent economic depression which hit both Ireland and the Financial
sector hard has meant that the route is not as busy as originally
hoped, but with economic conditions improving, the long term value of
the link will be realised. Traffic on the extension to Saggart at the
western end of the route has also been disappointing. New housing areas
created on the edge of the city during the times of the boom, which in
terms of the Irish housing market approximated a construction bubble,
have not filled to the level expected. Dublin is pressing ahead with
tramway development despite government budgetary cuts which have seen
no progress on more ambitious projects such as Metro North and Metro
West and a rail tunnel under the city centre linking Heuston and
Connolly Stations. The Green Line which currently terminates at St
Stephen's Green will be extended northwards through the city centre and
a new bridge over the River Liffey is under construction for the
southbound tracks of the forthcoming line. Earlier Series
