Infrastructure, Architecture and Environment along streets with trams
New
in 2024 : Bordeaux (France), Bucharest (Romania), Manchester (United
Kingdom), Avignon (France), Lyon (France, above), Nantes (France), Angers (France) and Tours (France). THE InTramCities PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT Gordon
Stewarttravels
regularly throughout Europe to photograph streets with trams.When
Gordon and his father Ian first started visiting tramways in
West Germany in the 1970s it seemed that it was a matter of recording
street scenes before the trams eventually disappeared, either into
tunnels in city centres or as a result of the outright closure of networks. The renaissance of
tramways, beginning in the 1980s, has meant that there is now an
ever-increasing amount of subject matter for this tramway photography
project. There are now over 42,000 images from 149 tramway systems THE InTramCities TRAMWAY PHOTOGRAPHSWhat makes this collection important ? Photographs
of tramcars are common. Photographs of city centres including their
trams are numerous. Photos exist of new tramway developments and their
inaugural celebrations. Photos of unusual tram workings can be found.
InTramCities photos are snapshots in time of typical scenes not just in
the well-covered locations of a network but also in places rarely
recorded for study or for posterity. Coverage
is limited to light rail systems with a predominantly urban tramway
character
- The photographs give a visual record of
a tramway city with typical scenes on the day of the visit only - The recent aim has been to cover as much of the tramway system as possible in the time available - The
website does not provide a history or technical description of the tramways - The website
is an educational resource for researchers and enthusiasts alike and is non-commercial.
The tramway systems :
Scroll down for the list of tramways covered in city sequence (and year
sequence within this for systems visited on multiple occasions) with link to photos.
Presentation :All
series are presented on-line in a nine-per-screen (12 from 2023 onwards) format below a
tabular list of photos with details of actual or nearest tram stop,
direction of view, direction in which the tram is travelling and tram
number where available. Photos are listed in the sequence in which
they were taken and for more recent series, the name of the street
along which the trams are running is shown in the comments column, but only where there is a change of street. 1000 pixel width photos are also presented
Catalogue :
You can view or download the full photograph catalogue as an MS
Excel format spreadsheet. The approximate file size is 2.3 MB. Updated to : 12/08/24.
Click
here
Maps : For
route maps and diagrams, please go to the website of the transport
operator or if appropriate the local transport coordinating body. Most
have a range of excellent downloadable maps, generally in pdf
format but often also as jpg/gif format images
Digital photography was adopted in 2004, generally resulting in greater network coverage and improved image quality
All photos are Copyright Gordon
Stewart / InTramCities 1980-2024 except for the Nordhausen 2005 set for which the copyright is owned by Phil Barnes
Use of images
: Images may be made available by arrangement for approved uses such as
research, publications and materials promoting tramway schemes. Please
contact the webmaster. You are welcome to link to these pages. Please do not
copy photos for insertion into other websites or publications
without
permission from the webmaster. Contact the webmaster :Send an e-mail to Gordon
Stewart at InTramCities .PHOTOGRAPH SERIES LIST and links to the images : Click
on the Year in the table below alongside the selected city. See below for the special report regarding West Germany in the 1970s and other tramway photographs by Ian Stewart
Gordon Stewart and his
father Ian visited West German tramways on several occasions in the 1970s, taking
a limited number of photographs with varying results. It was an era
when the future of tramways was being vigorously debated as operators
faced the need to modernise at great cost or concede to the
strongly-vocal roads lobby supporting investment to assist the private
motorist, consigning trams to the history books or at best sending them
underground. In West Germany a number of cities formulated grand plans
for underground tramways, some of which were, at least in part, to be
realised, such as at Essen (see photo below taken in 1977 at the top of
the recently-opened ramp leading from the new underground station at
Porscheplatz). The fate of the other remaining systems remained
unclear. Many of the photos show scenes which were to disappear before long ...... Go to the photographs
There
was a remarkable renaissance of the concept of tramways in the 1980s.
The public and some politicians now thought that previous closures had
been a bad idea and plans were drawn up to retain, modernise and in
numerous cases, reintroduce trams. Deciding that they might be a good
thing was not necessarily a green light to build new tramways, at least
until a debate had been undertaken as to what form they should take.
Should they replace buses or integrate with them? Should there be
tunnels in city centres ? Should trams be segregated from other traffic
including pedestrians ? Should trams take their power from overhead
cables or other methods, such as the ground-charging system
used in sections of the Bordeaux tramway pictured below ? Should they replace under-used heavy rail lines ? What height should the platforms be to allow easy access to trams? Should
other types of "tram" be considered as an alternative?
InTramCities photos help show many of the issues involved. Analysis by Gordon Stewart here
The
section with photos of tramways in West Germany in the 1970s includes
many tramway scenes which later disappeared and in most cases this has
been
in favour of improved alignments or tunnels. Despite the tramway
revival beginning in the 1980s with a large number of new systems and
tramway extensions, there have been a number of route closures, not all
as a result of improved alignments. In a limited number of
cases, complete systems have been shut down. A
recent closure is that of route 104 on the south side of Mulheim,
Germany in August 2023 (see photo below) which runs primarily through
an old established residential district (Kahlenberg) Photos
in the InTramCities collection illustrate other examples. Click here for photos along alignements which were later closed.
More tramway photograph series : Copyrights owned by the photographer
Paris, France : Line T5 "Tramway on Tyres" using the Translohr system in 2017 by Gordon Stewart . PHOTOGRAPH SERIES IN DATE SEQUENCE : the newest firstTours (France) : 16th July, 2024 Tours
closed its first-generation tramway in 1949 but joined the
second-generation "French Revolution" in 2013 with a modern 15 km-long
line running north-south through the city centre. A second line,
sharing part of the existing track in the city centre has
been authorised with the start of construction imminent. Opening
is not expected before 2027. Above
: The Tours tramway features the APS ground collection system through
the city centre from the Pont Wilson across the River Loire, along the
prestige Rue Nationale to Place Jean Jaures (above, location of the
magnificent City Hall) and further to the main railway station via Rue
Charles Gille. . Angers (France) : 14th, 15th and 17th July, 2024 Coverage
of the most recently opened routes (to Belle-Beille Campus and
Monplaisir, opened on 8th July 2023) plus the route to Avrille-Ardenne
which was out of service at the time of the 2019 report. In July 2024
line A was terminating at Acacias due to road reconstruction between
there and Avrille-Ardenne. Above
: The new routes opened in 2023 included this reserved alignment on Boulevard Carnot at Centre de Congres. . Nantes (France) : 13th and 17th July, 2024 Coverage
of the city centre and all but the outer reaches of the routes to
Francois Mitterand and Neustrie. The earliest arrivals of the new
Alstom Citadis trams were beginning to make their presence felt on Line
1 and will eventually allow the withdrawal of the remaining Alstom
TFS-1 trams. The TFS-1 still retain a significant presence alongside
the later Adtranz Incentro trams and the subsequent small group of CAF
Urbos 3 trams.Above : Citadis tram 434 at Bouffay . Lyon, France : 19th June, 2024 The
large second generation tramway in Lyon continues to expand. The 6.7 km
long Line 6 has been built as an extension of Line 1 from Debourg near
the city centre, through the southern areas of the east bank to the
large hospital at Pinel in the east and was opened in November 2019. A
further 5.4 km extension to La Doua - Gaston Berger is expected to open
in 2026. At the time of the report, Line T1 was closed between Halle
Tony Garnier and Debourg on Avenue Debourg to allow the construction of
points and a junction for a new route around the southern suburbs of
the city at Avenue Tony Garnier. A further new route service the
western part of the city across the rivers Rhone and Saone has been
authorised with part of the line in tunnel. Metro construction has been
halted with the exception of short extensions of existing lines. Coverage of T6 and much of T2. See earlier series for other parts of the network.
Above : Line T6 , the latest extension of the Lyon network, with tram 41 outbound on Avenue Jean Mermoz at Mermoz-Pinel where there is an interchange with the Metro system . Avignon, France : 14th June, 2024 The historic walled city of
Avignon, noted for being the seat of the papacy for much of the 14th
century, opened its first "second generation" tram line in October
2017. The new line is 5.2 km long and links
the central railway station with the suburb of Saint-Chamand and
extends along the city wall for one stop to Saint-Roch. Initial plans
foresaw a branch into the old city centre at Gare centre, but this was
more controversial than the rest of the line and has not been pursued.
The Saint-Roch stop is part of a planned second line running from L'Ile
de Piot in the west, where there is a major car parking lot, to Le
Pontet Gare (with a branch to Realpanier) in the east, construction of
which has been deferred. The first phase, to Saint-Lazare / Universite
Arendt has, as yet, no planned completion date. Above
: The Gare Centre tram stop running on grassed reserved track gained
through the reduction of traffic lanes on the Boulevard Saint-Roch,
viewed eastwards . Manchester, United Kingdom : 1st June, 2024 The
city of Manchester and the adjoining city of Salford are experiencing a
building boom of unprecedented magnitude. The backdrops to many tramway
routes are changing rapidly. InTramCities revisits the Salford Quays
area, the first area to experience redevelopment, which continues to
this day with an explosion of offices, apartments, leisure complexes
and the nationally important Media City, a major home to the nation's
television broadcasters. Detailed coverage is given to the Eccles line
beyond the Salford Quays area and to the tram lines in central
Manchester. Above
: Trams at the foot of the ramp leading from the Deansgate-Castlefield
metrolink stop returning to ground level from the elevated former
main-line railway alignment which once led into the now repurposed
Manchester central station, seen to the right. At street level, trams
run along the traffic-calmed Lower Mosley Street to St Peter's Square
and onwards to the city centre. The backdrop to views from St Peter's
Square has changed dramatically in recent years with the construction
of numerous high-rise blocks, a feature of many parts of this
rapidly renewing and growing metropolis. . Bucharest, Romania : 19th - 22nd May, 2024 The
Romanian capital city's extensive tramway system has undergone
significant modernisation in recent years but much work is still to be
done to replace worn-out track and ageing trams. A number of lines have
now been designated as "light rail" with reserved tracks, often fenced
off from motor traffic, and with protected passenger platforms. This is
essential to allow trams to flow relatively freely amongst the
enormous number of cars using the major thoroughfares, but is still not
enough to allow for acceptable average speeds. Trams can become
severely delayed at the frequent major road junctions and as a result,
service intervals can be highly irregular. Trams approach the city centre at three places but are not linked
: a consequence of transport planning, metro consruction and urban
regeneration. Trams do not run along
the cleared and reconstructed showpiece Bulevardul Unirii which leads
to the enormous and impressive Palace of Parliament. Modern articulated low-floor
trams are now being introduced in large numbers, built by the Astra
Vagaone plant in Arad (a departure from the usual practice of having
trams built by the operator's technical and maintenance subsidiary
URAC. Above
: One of the modern Astra trams (Imperio Metropolitan design) on the
ring route around the central city located about 2 km away from the old
town. Progress on this busy reserved track route is severely impacted
by frequent junctions and heavy traffic. Many of Bucharest's boulevards
are flanked by high-rise residential accommodation built in the 1970s
and 1980s . Bordeaux,
France : 7th - 9th April, 2024 Bordeaux's
three-line second generation tramway has been regularly extended and a
completely new line (D) was built in two stages : December 2019 and
February 2020. Serving the north-west of the city it joins line C to
access the city centre as the existing network comprises just three
discrete routes (Lines A, B and C) through the city centre with three
interchange points.
A feature of several of the more recent extensions, including to the
Airport, is extensive single-track running with passing points located
at the stations. This leads to delays at stations and relatively slow
running. This is partially compensated for by relatively long distances
between tram stops in the more sparsely populated outer suburban areas.
With most routes now branching near their extemities, including one
alongside a local railway joining line C using a short stretch of
abandoned railway alignment, large numbers of passengers have been
attracted on to the tramway
requiring an increasingly intensive service. The Bordeaux tramway has
been a great success - so much so that calls have been made for a full
underground metro to be built to relieve the pressure on an
increasingly overloaded system Line
D, which was opened in two stages (December 2019 and February 2020),
features an extensive section of ground current-collection using
the APS system as seen in the photo above taken at Place Tourny, close
to where the line joins the existing network near one of the three
interchange points of the system at Quinconces. Bordeaux pioneered the
Alstom-designed collection system which is used extensively throughout
the city to eliminate the many objections raised to the use of overhead
wiring, particularly in areas of exceptional architectural interest.
Wroclaw, Poland : 8th-10th October, 2023 One
of Europe's largest tramway systems continues to expand, the
latest being a new route from the city centre to the western suburb of
Nowy Dwor, opened on September 2nd 2023 with a parade of historic trams
and buses. It was the second major opening of the year. On May 13th a
new link was opened in the Popowice area of the city giving a new
direct link to the city centre for services from the Tarcynski Arena,
Gornicza and Dokerska. Above : The new route to Nowy Dwor is built as reserved track on
Robotnicza and Strzegomska with the exception of the final stage around the edge of
the said-named residential area. The
trams operate alongside an intensive bus service, including route 106
to the city's airport. In the view above showing an inbound Moderus
Gamma tram at Wroclawski Park Przemyslowy
where the new alignment joins the existing traditional tramway
where a turning circle had existed in the greenery in the area behind
the tram. The short section between here and Srubowa, previously served
as the last portion of a short branch from the Lesnica line was
upgraded to the new standard. Trams now serve Nowy Dwor both from the
existing branch and
from the city
centre on the direct link from pl. Orlat Lwowskich which was opened in
June 2021 as the first stage of this ambitious expansion. A new
junction with this line had allowed trams from Lesnica to reach
the city centre at Orlat Lwowskich as well as the traditional point at
plac Jana Pawla II. . Palermo, Italy : 18th September, 2023 A new tramway in the
Sicilian capital Palermo opened on
30th December 2015. The initial network, which remains unchanged today, has
two independent sections : in the south west from the central station
to the retail park at Roccella and in the west from Notarbartolo
station with three branches, including to Pollaci/Calatafimi, the
latter branch being constructed as single track along either side of
the busy urban motorway ring road. This meant that neither of the two
systems penetrated the historic centre of the city, but the regular bus
line 102 acts as a connector service. The success of the tramway has
led the city to develop plans for further expansion and, crucially, a
link between the two separate operations Above
: Palermo's trams do not have to fight through the city's congested
streets as much as might have been expected due to the significant
amount of reserved track. Here, one of the current fleet of 17 Flexity
trams purchased from Bombardier heads towards the Centrale
railway station on Via Padre Guiseppe Puglisi approaching Amedeo
d'Aosta tram stop on the south-western line. Lund, Sweden : 26th July, 2023 The small but historic city of
Lund, lying close to the big city of Malmo in southern Sweden opened a
short 5.5 km, 9 stop tram line in December 2020. There had been no
first-generation tram system and in view of the city's relatively small
population (94,000 in 2020) the project was somewhat surprising and
controversial. One of the main driving forces was the "green" agenda.
The line links the main railway station with the University and
University Hospital and a major Science and Technology Park, stretching
out into open, developing land. The new suburb of Brunnshog is being
developed on a green-field site along the tram line with medium-rise
apartment blocks under construction. Plans are in place for an
expanded network but the rate of development is likely to be determined
by the future composition of the local governing council. The majority
party in office at the time of the line's opening were not in favour of
further construction.Above
: One of Lund's brightly coloured fleet of Urbos-3 trams
delivered by CAF of Spain at Clemenstorget, outside the Central
Station. The view is along Sankt Lorentigatan, from which motor traffic
has been removed. The church is the Allhelgonakyrka. Aarhus, Denmark : 22nd July, 2023 Aarhus was the first Danish city
to reintroduce trams, its new network opening in stages from 2017. A
new street tramway line was built along the waterfront, originally home
to old docks, alongside Kystvejen, Skollebacken and Havnegade with a
link to the main station. The waterfront alignment connects two
formerly independently-operated local railways, to Grenaa in the north
(which terminated at Ostbanetorvet on Kystvejen) and to Odder in the
south which terminated at the main station. Trams from the north are
now of Stadler's Tango stable and terminate at the main station. Trams
from Odder feature Stadler's more tramway-suited Variobahn design.
Trams from Odder use most of the new waterfront route before turning
north-west along Norrebrogade on to which is a genuine street tramway
serving amongst others the University and University hospital. The
latter has been constructed on an expansive site on the edge of the
city. Frequencies on this urban section are increased by services
commencing at the main station. The hospital is the terminus for many
services as the line subsequently runs through mostly open countryside
to Lystrup and alternatively on a short branch from this route at
Lisbjerg. At Lystrup terminus there is a connection with the Grenaa
line which offers a fast, limited stop service directly to the city,
betraying its railway origins. Above
: A Variobahn tram calls at the Skolebakken tram stop on the new
waterfront tram alignment. This Line 2 service will go beyond the main
station and continue south to the small town of Odder over the local
railway line which was converted to light rail standards for Aarhus'
Letbane (Light-rail) project. This section of line also carries Line 2
services from Grenaa operated by Tango trams with a slightly "heavier"
feel making them genuine tram-trains. Odense, Denmark : 20th and 21st July, 2023 Odense
became the second Danish city to reintroduce trams when a new 14.5 km
route was inaugurated in May 2022. Points have already been built into
the first route at two places along the route to allow planned
extensions to be linked up quickly. Above : One of Odense's fleet of Stadler Variobahn trams runs into the Odeon area having just left the main city centre tram stop at Albani Torv, en route to the main station and ultimately Tarup. This
area was once a busy four-lane highway and removing traffic has
allowed a large area of the historic Odeon and Carl Nielsens quarters
to be redeveloped in an extremely tasteful way with apartments, a hotel
and a major concert hall as well as the new tramway. Edinburgh, United Kingdom : 24th June, 2023 After
many years of planning, the 2.9 mile (4.7 km) extension of the
Edinburgh tram line from the city centre to Newhaven opened on 7th June
2023. The line runs from Picardy Place, which replaced the nearby
temporary terminus of York Place, along Leith Walk and through Leith to
Newhaven, passing the Ocean Terminal, a retail centre in a
redevelopment area alongside Leith Docks and home to the museum ship,
the Royal Yacht Britannia. Above
: The new extension links central Edinburgh with Leith, running along
Leith Walk. The long construction period was controversial due to the
disruption caused but has resulted in an attractive traffic-calmed
road. Tram 265 heads towards Leith. Manchester, United Kingdom :
15th June, 2023 The
most recent extension to the Manchester Metrolink system was from
Pomona on the Eccles route to the Trafford Centre, an enormous
out-of-town shopping centre. This opened on 22nd March, 2020. Due to
congestion in the city centre, the line currently terminates at
Deansgate-Castlegate but this still means that trams from the Trafford
Centre have to pass through the system bottleneck at Cornbrook.
Photos also illustrate the Bury line (as far as Whitefield) and the
city centre stops at St Peter's Square and Exchange Square. Above : The stub terminus at The Trafford Centre. One of the entrances to
the enormous mall is seen on the right of the photo. To the left is the
Trafford Palazzo shopping centre which has its own tram stop, Barton Dock
Road. The tower at the development is a modern construction Linz, Austria :
16th May, 2023 In the last twenty years, Linz has
built a tram tunnel to better connect the main railway station to the
tram network, extended in the south to the rapidly developing Solar
City, in the south-west to Traun, feeding into the new tunnel at Hauptbahnhof and regauging
and reequipping the steep adhesion tram line to the Postlingberg whilst
extending it into the city centre at Hauptplatz. The
tramway uses an unusual 900 mm gauge track requiring a gauge reduction
from a more standard 1000 mm on the Postlingbergbahn, for which
suitably "retro" styled articulated trams were purchased to replace the
old bogie trams. Three historical trams were retained and re-gauged for
museum purposes. Above
: The south-eastern portal of the tram subway brings trams to the old
surface tram stop at Bulgariplatz, with Herz-Jesu-Kirche built in
free-light at the bottom of the ramp. Highly visible signage has been
placed at all three tunnel portals. .Bern, Switzerland :
13th June and 18th August, 2022 The network was greatly expanded in December 2010 with the new opening of a new line from Kaufmannischer
Verband westwards to Bumpliz Unterfuhrung where it branches to Bumpliz
and Brunnen Westside Bahnhof. Rolling stock was supplemented with
Combino trams supplied by Siemens in three batches between 2002 and
2010.
Above
: Combino 659, from the third and final batch of deliveries, is seen on
Marktgasse at Barenplatz tram stop in the picturesque city centre.
.Innsbruck, Austria : 21st and 22nd July, 2022 Coverage
of central Innsbruck, the route to Amras and the recent extensions to
Peerhofsiedlung/Technik West in the west of the city and to
Schutzenstrasse/Josef-Kirschbaumer-Strasse in the east Above
: Tram 371 approaches Jugendherberge tram stop on Reichenauer Strasse
on a service to Schutzenstrasse. A further extension of this route, to
the station at Rum, is under construction. In the west, preparations
are being made to extend the network from Technik West to Vols. Freiburg (Germany) : 10th-13th October, 2019 The
south German city of Freiburg-im-Breisgau has a successful tramway
system which has undergone an number of expansions in the 21st century.
The latest, the so-called Rotteckring route, which relieves the
tastefully rebuilt and largely pedestrianised city centre of tram
congestion at the central interchange at Bertoldsbrunnen, was opened on
16th March, 2019. Above : View south along the new Rotteckring line from the Stadttheater tram stop. Here it crosses the intensively
served line between Hauptbahnhof and the old city's central junction at
Bertoldsbrunnen. This part of the new route has been extensively
traffic calmed and the part in front of the futuristic University
Library (to the right in the photo) built alongside the classical Theater has become a haven for
cyclists. To the left of the road but not in shot is the imposing
building of the city's University and the memorial to the city's former
synagogue which was razed to the ground by fire in an attack in 1938. . Basel (Switzerland) : 9th October, 2019 In
recent years, Basel's tram system has been extended beyond the city's
limits into both France (St Louis Station) and Germany (Weil-am-Rhein
Station) as well as being requipped with Bombardier Flexity trams for
the BVB urban services company and Stadler Tango trams in their
distinctive bright yellow and red livery for the BLT lines. BLT (Basel
Land Transport) operates lines into the local canton and retains its
autonomy although in practice the network is well integrated.
Illustrating the proximity of international borders, one of BLT's lines
briefly passes through French territory to reach Rodersdorf and prior
to World War II, city routes also reached across borders.Above
: A Basel tram enters Germany. In the middle distance is the border
control point between Switzerland and Germany, with storage warehouses
at the port of Basel immediately behind. Trams were extended into
Germany in 2014. This tram will turn right out of Zollstrasse into
Hauptstrasse in the Friedlingen area of Weil-am-Rhein which is
separated from the main part of Weil by extensive railway lines and
railfreight marshalling yards. The new line crosses the railway on a
new bridge to terminate at Weil-am-Rhein Bahnhof. There are plans to
extend the line further, but, perhaps surprisingly, not directly into
the town centre along Weil's own Hauptstrasse. Passengers turning left would shortly reach the pedestrian bridge over the River Rhein and arrive in France.. Le Mans (France) : 22nd August, 2019 Le
Mans operates a two-line tramway, first opened in November 2007. There
was originally a shared central section between Universite
and Saint-Martin but with the opening of a new branch to Bellevue on
August 30th, 2014, the joint section ran only between Prefecture and
Saint-Martin. Originally served by 23 Alstom Citadis trams, the fleet
was expanded to 34 following the opening of the Bellevue branch. Above
: The route from the University reaches the city centre via the long
and straight Rue Gambetta, crossing the river Sarthe and rising steeply
to Place de la Republique. Tram 1018 is named "Trouve Chauvel" after
Ariste Jacques Trouve-Chauvel, a 19th century businessman and politician
in the city. Most trams are named after communes in the Le Mans
metropolitan area..Angers (France) : 21st August, 2019 Angers
opened its second genertion tramway in 2011 and Ligne A has 25 stations
along its 12 km route length. Construction is currently under way for
lines B and C which are not due to open until 2022. Line A is currently
curtailed at Moliere with the northern half to Avrille-Ardenne closed
temporarily whilst junctions are installed for the new lines. This
photo series covers the city centre and southern section of the line to
Roseraie. Above
: Angers city centre at the Place du Ralliement tram stop. The tram
awaits departure to run along Rue d'Alsace to Boulevard du Marechal
Foch. It has just climbed the steep incline of Rue de la Roe from the
tramstop at Place Moliere on the banks of the River Maine. This short
stretch of tramway receives its power through the APS system which
supplies electricity through a contact shoe from a centre "rail" and
thus dispenses with the need for overhead wires. The conductor is
isolated into short strips which are only activated when the tram is
directly above. This French system was pioneered in Bordeaux and
adopted for two sections of the Angers tramway deemed to be
environmentally sensitive. Nantes (France) : 19th-20th August, 2019 Coverage
of the city centre. Above
: Nantes was the first of France's "second generation" tramways,
but the system's inauguration in 1985 came just as low-floor trams were
being developed. This left the city with a fleet of Alstom TFS-1
high-floor trams which were subsequently extended with a low-floor
centre section (see photo above). Nantes continued to buy
similarly-modified TFS-1 trams which were originally planned to be a
standard for new French
tramways but in practice were unique to Nantes. For their next batches,
Nantes went to Adtranz for their Incentro design rather than to Alstom
for their Citadis model which had become the "French standard" and
later to Spanish manufacturer CAF for trams of their Urbos 3 range.
In the city centre, the tram lines follow wide boulevards which were
first created following the filling in of branches of the River Loire
and its local tributary (which was diverted into a culvert) in the late
1920s and 1930s. .Nottingham (United Kingdom) : 18th August, 2019 Coverage of the Clifton line and the city centreAbove
: Alstom Citadis tram 227 crosses the River Trent on the now tram and
pedestrian only Wilford Toll Bridge, having left the Meadows Embankment
tram stop en route to Clifton. Sassari (Italy) : 3rd June, 2019 Sassari
is the second largest settlement on the Italian island of Sardinia with
a population of 127,000 and an urban area of around 220,000. A
short (4.331 km) tramway marketed as Metrosassari opened in
October 2006 with a 2.45 km urban segment. The remainder opened over
railway tracks from Sassari station to Santa Maria di Pisa in September
2009. The track gauge is 950 mm to match that of the railway. The
street-running portion is single track with two passing loops. Above
: Tram SS02 is one of four AnsaldoBreda "Sirio" designs with additional
features by the famous Italian design house Pininfarina. It is seen at
Cliniche station, one of two, along with Stazione, where there is a
passing loop. The route loops around the University Hospital area and
returns to the city centre along the Viale Italia but stops short of
the old city at the Emiciclo Garibaldi gardens area. There are no plans
to extend the line within the city but there are plans to extend over
the local narrow-gauge railways : beyond Santa Maria di Pisa to Sorso
and also the 28-km line to the popular coastal resort of Alghero.
Both projects require the reconstruction and electrification of the
existing lines. . Manchester (United Kingdom) : 28th and 29th April, 2019 Manchester city centre, the Ashton route between Droylesden and Ashton-under-Lyne and, briefly, central Rochdale and Oldham Above
: St Peter's Square. Two years ago, this tram stop was extensively
redesigned to accommodate the new second city crossing. Although this
represents modern Manchester, the city is experiencing a substantial
spurt of growth. The rising skyscrapers in the distance in the
Deansgate-Castlefield tramstop area are new, substantially changing the
vista along Lower Mosley Street . Almada (Portugal) : 29th March, 2019 Almada
is one of a number of rapidly growing communities on the south bank of
the Tagus estuary opposite Portugal's capital city, Lisbon. A new
tramway, branded Metro Transportes do Sul was opened in three stages between May 2007 and December 2008, with two
branches combining to run through the centre of Almada to the port
area of Cacilhas from where there is a frequent ferry service to
Lisbon's Cais do Sodre. Above
: The enormous hilltop statue of Jesus Christ overlooks the Tagus
estuary and the city of Lisbon, but there are fine views of the
monument from behind on the southern branch of the Metro,
such as from along Avenida 23 de Julho Vitoria Liberal. This Siemens
articulated tram has left Parque de Paz tram stop and nears Antonio
Gedeao . Lisbon (Portugal) : 27th, 28th and 30th March, 2019 This
series augments the extensive coverage of 2007 by covering the Ajuda
branch and the more recently reopened branch from Praca L. Camoes to
CampolindeAbove
: April 2018 saw the reopening of line 24 to Campolinde, albeit
only from Camoes, with the old tracks between Camoes and Cais do Sodre,
although extant, not connected. The line had been closed for 23 years.
The reopening marked a change of attitude to the tramway from the city
authorities which had recently assumed full control of the transport
operator, Carris. Lisbon's network had contracted significantly in the
face of metro construction, traffic congestion and the cheaper
availability of buses compared with trams suitable for the 900 mm gauge
tracks and extremely hilly terrain of the city. Apart from 10
articulated trams introduced in 1995 and only suitable for the
riverside route to Belem and Alges, Lisbon relies on its remaining "remodelled" trams, technically updated but otherwise
virtually unchanged from their 1930s appearance. The reopened route had
to be served by the existing fleet, putting severe pressure on other
lines. The line still has to contend with severe traffic
congestion, especially between Camoes and Rata, but things were
relatively quiet when this photo was taken around midday at Praca do
Principe Real. . Nurnberg (Germany) : 29th September - 2nd October, 2018 In
1994, the city council of Nurnberg decided to retain its tramway
despite its original plan to replace it with an underground railway
system. Whilst several routes have subsequently fallen victim to
expansion of the U-Bahn, there have been modest extensions elsewhere.
A short link between Hauptbahnhof and Aufsessplatz actually
duplicated a U-Bahn alignment, but provided much-needed connectivity in
the shrinking network. The most recent extension, from Thon to Am Wegfeld, could
possibly be the first stage of a much longer inter-urban light rail
line to Erlangen and Herzogenaurath, a decision on which is due in the
next few years. Above
: The historical city of Nurnberg has cut its tram system back as its
U-Bahn has developed. Nevertheless there
remain many good opportunities to photograph trams against a
historical background, such as this view of the city's walls at
Mohrengasse with the tram entering Spitteltorgraben from Westtorgraben.
The castle dominates the background. . Zagreb (Croatia)
: 19th-21st August, 2018 The
Croatian capital city has an extensive tramway system, primarily street
running, but slowly undergoing modernisation. The rolling stock has
been extensively renewed with articulated cars built locally by the
Crotram industrial consortium. The one genuine light-rail line, in the
southern suburbs, was closed for reconstruction between Savski Most and
Sopot. Above :
Zagreb is slightly uusual with respect to the amount of
gutter-running throughout the system and there is the obvious intention
to retain such an arrangement as trackwork is renewed. Although
some sections of the network were closed outright for upgrading, the
gutter-running tracks in Savska Cesta, seen here with articulated tram
2283 on the soutbound track at Vjesnik tram stop, are being relaid
whilst trams still pass. . Elblag (Poland)
: 14th June, 2018 The
tramway in the smaller town of Elblag has received a significant amount
of investment in recent years and a new link in the median strip of 12.
Lutego has improved route options and improved journey times between
Ogolna and the railway station. A number of of single-track alignments
remain on this metre-gauge system and are likely to do so for many
years. The ageing fleet of Konstal bogie trams has been augmented by
six new 121N articulated trams from PESA in 2006 and three double-ended
Duwag M8C "Stadtbahnwagen" dating from 1985 and arriving in 2013 after
withdrawal from the fleet in Augsburg, Germany. The
tramway authorities expect these trams to give a further twenty years
of service. In 2017 a contract was awarded to Modertrans for
three new partly low-floor four axle trams.Above
: The modern face of Elblag's tramway, but still not totally typical of
the network in transition. A second-hand ex-Augsburg tram, 33 years
old, but recently modernised provides a step-change from the fleet of
Konstal bogie trams and although not low-floor throughout like their
deliveries from PESA, the 8-axlers have a low-floor centre section.
This is the new link on 12. Lutego, seen northwards with a tram heading
for Druska via the railway station. . Gdansk (Poland)
: 13th and 15th June, 2018 Two
branches of the Gdansk tramway network have been extended recently.
This series looks at these new lines, plus sections which were
closed for reconstruction during the last InTramCities visit in 2011.
There are a number of views taken elsewhere on
the network, which was covered more comprehensively in 2011. .Above
: Ex-Dortmund Stadtbahn N car 1165 heads towards central Gdansk on a
central reservation on Bulonska at Budapesztanska tram stop. This is
one of the new extensions (from Siedlce, primarily along Rakoczego)
which branches after Warnenska to serve Migowo, which is seen
in the background of the photo above and, separately, Bretowo PKM railway station. Significant
investment has recently been put into a new local railway system, run by
PKM, serving the tri-city area of Gdansk-Sopot-Gdynia and including a
branch to serve Gdansk Lech Walesa Airport. .Darmstadt (Germany)
: 30th April, 2018 Once
the seat of the rulers of the independent German Grand Duchy of Hessen,
Darmstadt has now transformed itself into the unified country's "City
of Science". It has an extensive tramway system characterised by a
central interchange at Luisenplatz from where lines run in three
directions and tracks encircle a 33-meter high column topped off by a
statue of Grand Duke Ludwig I, which was erected in 1844. One very long
line takes trams well beyond the city boundaries, to Alsbach in the
south and featuring a limited-stop service as far as Eberstadt. A
further line crosses the city boundary to serve the community of
Griesheim to the west. Both these were
originally steam-hauled light railways. The branch to Kranichstein was
opened in 2003 and an extension in Arheiligen beyond Loewenplatz in
2011. Above
: The bustling Luisenplatz, with the base of the Ludwig column. Fleet
renewals have led to most trams now being low-floor, but some
high-floor vehicles remain. Accessibility for these and capacity
expansions for all are provided by low-floor trailers and Darmstadt is
unusual for following this plan which was once common in Germany and
elsewhere but is now a rarity.Mainz (Germany) : 29th April, 2018 As
a smaller tramway system, it was one which risked closure in the 1980s
and one route, to Ingelheimer Aue was abandoned, but a change in
philosophy has led to security and one major new extension. Part of the
route to Ingelheimer Aue has also been reopened to serve new
developments around the docks on the river Rhine. Above
: Tram 228, one of a number of new Variobahn vehicles from
Stadler, runs along Am Ostergraben in the residential suburb
of Bretzenheim, approaching Ludwig-Nauth-Strasse tram stop on its
way to Lerchenberg. This is a major new tram route, opened in 2016 and
featuring extensive stretches of "interurban" tramway, which links the
expanding sattelite community of Lerchenberg, site of a number of major
office developments, with the city centre. It also serves a large
expanse of hitherto undeveloped flat land close to the city centre,
where a new stadium has been built for the city's football team which
has, in recent seasons, established itself in Germany's top division.
Although apparently "in the middle of nowhere", development is now
taking place with various scientific and research establishments
associated withh the nearby Johannes Gutenberg university. . Frankfurt-am-Main (Germany) : 27th - 28th April, 2018 Keen
to remove trams from the streets of the city centre, Frankfurt
struggled to find a way to convert its enormous tramway system into a
genuine U-Bahn as although it developed an extensive network of
tunnels, its outer lines remained traditional tramways. Grappling
with vehicles of varying width and platforms of varying heights,
many years of compromise solutions ensued. Now things are more
rational, with upgraded lines with tunnel sections in the city centre
designated as U-Bahn and traditional tramways, saved after public
protest, now back in fashion and benefiting from the advance of
low-floor technology.Above
: Not the longest stretch of new tramway but possibly one of the most
significant. Despite Frankfurt moving most of its city centre tramways
into tunnels in the 1980s and 1990s and now having an excellent network
of "U-Bahn" lines albeit with significant amounts of surface running
outside the central area, the move towards a completely rail-free
city centre was halted by public protests in the 1990s. This led to the
retention of the "Altstadtstrecke" through the old city centre and
eventually the return of trams to Konstablerwache (above). A busy city
square on the main shopping street, Zeil, Konstablerwache has an
intensive service of regional and city underground trains below ground,
but the link along Konrad-Adenauer-Strasse and
Kurt-Schumacher-Strasse restored a surface connection in the
north-south axis. Prior to its opening, tram line 12 from the
north-western direction had been diverted into a stub terminus in
Grosse Friedberger Strasse, a narrow street parallel to
Konrad-Adenauer-Strasse. It was impossible to access the ramp
built for services from Preungesheim even though it was close to
the route's stop at Hessendenkmal, but line 12 was also not regarded as
suitable for upgrading to the necessary standard for designation as a
"U-Bahn". The unsatisfactory arrangement at Grosse Friedberger
Strasse put the whole line at risk. Not only can line 12 now run
through to the south of the city, a new conventional tramway line has
been built from Gravensteiner Platz, also in the Preungesheim
area, which joins route 12 at Friedberger Platz. The branch to
Rebstockbad and a "missing link" along Stresemannallee for route 17 add
to the improvements to the conventional tramway network made in recent
years. . Antwerp (Belgium) : 2nd - 5th April, 2018 Antwerp's
large tram network is undergoing considerable improvement - investment
in upgraded track, large numbers of new articulated trams to eventually
replace the city's enormous fleet of PCC trams, the recent opening of
tunnels
long-built but mothballed on cost grounds, extensions to park-and-ride
facilities on the city's edge, and now new surface tram lines are under
construction as part of the planned redevelopment of older dockland
areas close to the city centre.Above
: The most recent extension is that beyond the old Tollhuis terminal
into the Eilandje area which includes the oldest of Antwerp's enormous
dock complex. No longer used for commercial shipping, the area is being
redeveloped for commercial, housing and leisure use, including the new "MAS" museum and
cultural attraction, seen in the right of the picture. The short
extension, which brings people right to the new museum and the nearby
Red Star Line museum, which tells the story of the many emigrants to the New World
who left Europe through Antwerp's port, is only the beginning of a
larger tramway development which is currently under construction. . Malaga (Spain) : 9th March, 2018 Malaga's
two-line metro system opened on July 30th, 2014, both with a terminus
at El Perchel, the site of the city's rail and bus stations. The lines
are almost entirely underground, with the exception of the outer end of
Line 1 to Andalucia Tech, where it operates as a conventional tramway
in a newly developing area with university buildings and a hospital.
Work is in progress to extend the lines by two stops towards the city
centre, with the next provisional terminus under Alameda Principal, the
main thoroughfare between the old city and the adjacent port area.
Further expansion is planned Above
: CAF tram 3044 has just reached the surface via the ramp
immediately prior to Universidad metro station, which is in reality a
tramway stop. The surrounding area is developing quickly. The tram stop
takes its name from the presence of university faculty buildings.
The following stop, Clinico, reflects the presence of a new hospital. . Granada (Spain) : 7th March, 2018 The
Metro de Granada is in reality a tramway with three underground
stations along the eastern edge of the city centre. It eventually
opened on September 21st, 2017 following commencement of construction
in 2007 and an originally planned opening date of 2012. The 15.9 km
long line features 26 stations, with three being below the Camino de
Ronda and has four catenary-free sections, totalling 4.7 km, which are not in areas
of any particular environmental or visual sensitivity. Above
: A CAF tram is at Hipica station, running northbound. Immediately on
leaving Hipica it will descend into the underground section of the route See earlier series
Gordon
Stewart / InTramCities 1980-2024 except for the Nordhausen 2005 set for which the copyright is owned by Phil Barnes
