Tram

:For other meanings of tram, see tram (disambiguation).

Regional variations

Western Europe

In the Netherlands many local railways were referred to as trams, even where the steam locomotives did not have enclosed motion. In Belgium an extensive system of tram-like local railways called Vicinal or Buurtspoor lines had a greater route kilometre length than the main-line railway system. The only survivors of the Vicinal system are the Kusttram (which almost reaches France at one end and the Netherlands at the other - it's the longest line in the world) and two lines near Charleroi. Regular tram networks exists in Antwerp, Ghent and Brussels, and are very popular.

Related Topics:
Netherlands - Belgium - Vicinal or Buurtspoor - Railway - Kusttram - France - Charleroi - Antwerp - Ghent - Brussels

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France has several tram networks in major cities: in Paris suburban, in Lyon, in Nantes (Nantes has the largest French network).

Related Topics:
France - Paris - Lyon - Nantes

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Recently the tram has seen a huge revival with many experiments like trolleybuses masquerading as trams in Nancy or hidden wires as in Bordeaux as the municipalities find it a quick fix to the traffic problems.

Related Topics:
Nancy - Bordeaux

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In the United Kingdom, tram systems were widely dismantled in the 1950s, and after the closure of Glasgow's extensive network in 1962 only Blackpool's survived (see Blackpool tramway), although a funicular line continued to operate up the Great Orme in Llandudno.

Related Topics:
United Kingdom - 1950s - Glasgow - 1962 - Blackpool - Blackpool tramway - Funicular - Great Orme - Llandudno

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However in recent years new light rail lines have been opened in Manchester (Metrolink), Sheffield (Supertram), the West Midlands (Midland Metro), Croydon (Tramlink) and Nottingham (NET), with several others under consideration (including the proposed three-line Edinburgh Tram Network) and extensions planned for many existing systems.

Related Topics:
Manchester - Metrolink - Sheffield - Supertram - West Midlands - Midland Metro - Croydon - Tramlink - Nottingham - NET - Edinburgh Tram Network

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The Irish capital Dublin recently opened the first two lines of a new tram system known as Luas, the Irish-language word for "speed".

Related Topics:
Irish - Dublin - Luas - Irish-language

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The Norwegian capital Oslo has an extensive network, as does the Swedish city of Göteborg (Gothenburg).

Related Topics:
Oslo - Göteborg

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In Finland, there have been three cities with trams: Helsinki, Turku and Viipuri. Of these, only Helsinki still has trams.

Related Topics:
Finland - Helsinki - Turku - Viipuri

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In Italy electric Trams run from the last years of XIX° Century; the first line was opened between Milano and Monza in the 1840 (it was an Horses-Tram). The first electric line was opened in Milano in the 1893. Today in Milano there are 21 tramways lines for a total of 286,8 km.

Related Topics:
Italy - Milano

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Today also Roma (7 lines), Torino (10 lines), Napoli (2 lines), Messina (1 line), Firenze (3 line), , Trieste (1 line), and L'Aquila (1 line), have Tramways.

Related Topics:
Roma - Torino - Napoli - Messina - Firenze - Trieste - L'Aquila

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Other cities have under construction new lines of Tramways:

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Bergamo (1 line of 12.6 km), Cagliari (1 line of 7 km), Modena (2 lines of 16.5 km), Palermo (3 lines of 16.6 km), Sassari (1 line of 7 km), Verona (1 line of 11.3 km)

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Central and Eastern Europe

All countries of the former Soviet Bloc, excluding Lithuania, have extensive tram infrastructure. Industrial freight use of city tram lines was a widespread practice during the communist era but has since mostly disappeared, as factories left the urban areas. Another factor is an increasing replacement of trams with trolleybuses as cities face a rapid increase in traffic and such replacement often allows to increase road size. One of the exceptions is Warsaw, Poland, where the last trolleybus line was closed in the year 1995 due to high maintenance costs, and replaced with more efficient trams. Czech ČKD Tatra and the Hungarian Ganz factories were notable manufacturers of trams. The busiest traditional city tram line in the world is still route 4/6 in Budapest, Hungary, where 50-meter long trains run at 60 to 90 second intervals at peak time and are usually packed with people. A part of this route is the same as where electric trams made their world first run in 1887. Most vehicles are still of high-floor type, in fact many of them are old ones. Low floor hi-tech trams are only starting to infiltrate Central European lines due to their high price and high maintenance costs.

Related Topics:
Soviet Bloc - Lithuania - Warsaw - Poland - ČKD Tatra - Ganz - Budapest - Hungary - Low floor

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North America

Note that in North America, trams are generally known as streetcars, whilst the term tram is more likely to be understood as a rubber-tyred mock streetcar, an aerial tramway or a people-mover.

Related Topics:
Streetcar - Aerial tramway - People-mover

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Many North American cities abandoned their streetcar systems in the mid-twentieth century, their city governments having succumbed in the late 1940s to inducements from General Motors Company and Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, as these firms were eager to sell diesel-powered transit buses and rubber tyres, respectively (See General Motors streetcar conspiracy). However, traditional systems survived in Boston, Newark, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, and Toronto. This survival was aided by the introduction of the modern PCC car in the 1940s and 1950s in all these cities except New Orleans.

Related Topics:
Twentieth century - 1940s - General Motors Company - Firestone Tire and Rubber Company - Diesel - Bus - General Motors streetcar conspiracy - Boston - Newark - New Orleans - Philadelphia - Pittsburgh - San Francisco - Toronto - PCC car - 1950s

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New light rail systems have since opened in many other cities, starting with the ground-breaking system in San Diego, and now including Baltimore, Buffalo, Denver, Hoboken, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Ottawa, Portland, Sacramento, St Louis, Salt Lake City, San Jose, and Vancouver. Additionally, all the surviving PCC operators have replaced their PCC cars with light rail vehicles, although PCC cars are still in regular operation on San Francisco's F Market line.

Related Topics:
Light rail - San Diego - Baltimore - Buffalo - Denver - Hoboken - Los Angeles - Minneapolis - Ottawa - Portland - Sacramento - St Louis - Salt Lake City - San Jose - Vancouver - F Market line

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Another trend originating in North America is the introduction of newly built heritage streetcar lines using original or replica historic equipment, a trend which is now spreading elsewhere in the world. Examples in North America include Little Rock, Memphis, Tampa, Seattle, Charlotte, the new Canal Street line in New Orleans, and the reintroduction of the historic Girard Street line in Philadelphia.

Related Topics:
Heritage streetcar line - Little Rock - Memphis - Tampa - Seattle - Charlotte - Canal Street line - New Orleans - Girard Street line - Philadelphia

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Asia

Asia has had relatively few tram systems, with the notable exception of Japan.

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Many Japanese cities have tram systems. Among them are Sapporo and Hakodate in Hokkaido; Tokyo, Kamakura, Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima on Honshu; Matsuyama and Kochi on Shikoku; and Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, and Kagoshima on Kyushu. Some extend into neighboring communities.

Related Topics:
Japan - Sapporo - Hakodate - Hokkaido - Tokyo - Kamakura - Kyoto - Osaka - Hiroshima - Honshu - Matsuyama - Kochi - Shikoku - Fukuoka - Nagasaki - Kumamoto - Kagoshima - Kyushu

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Hong Kong still possesses the Hong Kong Tramway, a traditional English-style double-decker tramway with street running, along the north shore of Hong Kong Island. More recently the KCRC Light Rail system has opened in the north west New Territories. Despite its name, the Peak Tram is actually a funicular railway.

Related Topics:
Hong Kong - Hong Kong Tramway - Double-decker - Hong Kong Island - KCRC Light Rail system - New Territories - Peak Tram - Funicular railway

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The Philippines once had a tram network in Manila, but it was destroyed during World War II. The system has been replaced with the LRT and MRT.

Related Topics:
Philippines - World War II - LRT - MRT

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In India, Kolkata (Calcutta) has a tram network. Kanpur and Mumbai (Bombay) were the other two which had a network but were dismantled.

Related Topics:
India - Kolkata - Kanpur - Mumbai

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The only cities in mainland China with a tram network are the seaside resort of Dalian, Liaoning which as of 2003 had three working lines, Anshan in Liaoning and Changchun in Jilin. The last trams ran in Shanghai in the mid-1960s.

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Australasia

In Australasia, trams are used extensively only in Melbourne, all other major cities having largely dismantled their networks by the mid 20th century.

Related Topics:
Melbourne - 20th century

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In Melbourne, in addition to newer types of trams in use such as the Citadis and the Combino and the middle-aged A, B and Z class trams, older W-class trams remain in service and are a popular tourist attraction. W-class trams are used exclusively on the free City Circle tram route, and also in use on some regular routes. A total of 53 W-class trams remain in regular service, with the oldest in service tram dating from 1939. See also: Trams in Melbourne.

Related Topics:
Citadis - Combino - W-class - City Circle - 1939 - Trams in Melbourne

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Amongst other Australian cities, Sydney closed a once-extensive tram system in the 1950s but has since opened a new light rail line. Adelaide also closed its urban tram network, but has retained an express tram line linking the city centre with the seaside suburb of Glenelg. In 2005 there are plans to extend the line into North Adelaide and the main railway station. The smaller cities of Bendigo and Ballarat retain heritage tramway operations.

Related Topics:
Sydney - 1950s - Light rail - Adelaide - Glenelg - Bendigo - Ballarat

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Perth and Brisbane both have proposals to implement light rails systems in their respective CBDs. In Brisbane's case, several proposals have been made and each has been knocked back, but with the recent introduction of integrated ticketing under the TransLink scheme and expansive Queensland Government transport infrastructure plans, the most recent proposal may go ahead. Calls also are in place for the Gold Coast, just south of Brisbane, to solve their major traffic problems. Proposals also exist to extend the Sydney and Adelaide systems beyond one line each.

Related Topics:
CBD - TransLink - Gold Coast

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The Tasmanian city of Hobart was the first city in the Southern Hemisphere to operate a successful electric tramway system, installed in 1893, and the only Australian city to use the European-style 'bow collector', instead of Frank Sprague's trolley pole system. Another first for Hobart was its use of electric double-decker trams, the first city outside Europe to do so.

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All New Zealand cities closed their tramway systems, but Christchurch has since constructed a new city-centre heritage line, using historic cars.

Related Topics:
New Zealand - Christchurch

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Africa

Tram systems were and are less prevalent in Africa. However, in Egypt both Cairo and Alexandria have historic and still extant tram systems.

Related Topics:
Egypt - Cairo - Alexandria

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In Cairo, the urban tramway network is now defunct, but the express tramway linking it with Heliopolis is still in operation, as is the relatively new tram system in the satellite town of Helwan 25km to the south.

Related Topics:
Heliopolis - Helwan

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In Alexandria, both the urban tramway network and the express tramway system serving the eastern suburbs are still in operation. The urban system operates yellow cars, included some acquired second-hand from Copenhagen, on largely street track. The express tramway operates 3-car trains of blue cars, including some double-deck cars, on largely reserved track.

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