Tram system
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A tram system, tramway, or street railway is a railway on which trams (streetcars, trolleys) run. It is typically built at street level sharing roads with traffic but may include private right-of-way especially in newer light rail system. Many old tram systems lack platforms, which enables virtually complete integration with other forms of transport and pedestrians making simultaneous use of the streets.
Tram systems were common throughout the industrialized world in the early 20th century. Although they disappeared from many cities in mid-century, in recent years they have made a comeback. Many newer light rail systems share features with trams, although a distinction is usually drawn between them, especially if the line has significant off-street running.
In the United Kingdom, a tramway is a precise term in law and in regulations for a class of railway that shared a road. While a railway required an act of Parliament to resume private land for its right of way, a tramway could operate on a public road with a permit from local government. The majority of railways operating under this class were passenger tram networks, although some were industrial and at least one example at Weymouth was part of the main railway network and saw full freight and passenger trains traversing the streets of Weymouth down to the quay. One of the most unusual tramways was the Haytor Granite Tramway, built of granite.
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[edit] Comparison of transit modes
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A Tram System implements many technologies similar to Rapid Rail Transit and Bus Rapid Transit and in some cases it is hard to differentiate the difference between a Light Metro rail system to a high standard Tram System.
[edit] Rail Transit
[edit] Tram Systems
There are two distinct types of Tram Systems the first generation traditional Streetcar or trams System and then the second generation system commonly called Light Rail.
First Generation System
First Generation Tram, streetcars, or trolleys systems ran mainly or completely along streets, with low capacity and frequent stops. Passengers usually board at street- or curb-level.
Second Generation System
Light rail or light rail transit[1] (LRT) is a form of tram system that generally uses electric rail cars[2] on private rights-of-way or sometimes in streets. While the term is generally used for systems with modern light rail vehicles,[citation needed] it can be applied to any tram system. Light rail is a step below rapid transit, which is fully grade-separated.[3][4][5]
[edit] Difference in Tram Vehicles
- For more details on this topic, see Tram.
Conversely, LRVs generally outperform streetcars in terms of capacity and top end speed, and almost all modern LRVs are capable of multiple-unit operation. Particularly on exclusive rights-of-way, LRVs can provide much higher speeds and passenger volumes than a streetcar. Thus a streetcar capable of only 70 km/h (45 mph) operating on an exclusive right of way cannot be considered as “light rail”. The latest generation of LRVs is significantly larger and faster, typically of length of 25 m (80 ft with maximum speeds of 100 to 110 km/h (60 to 70 mph).
[edit] Typical rolling stock
| Type | Rapid Transit | Light Rail | Streetcar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Rohr | Siemens | St. Louis Car |
| Model | BART A-Car | S70 | PCC |
| Width | 3.2 m (10.5 ft) | 2.7 m (8.7 ft) | 2.5 m (8.3 ft) |
| Length | 22.9 m (75 ft) | 27.7 m (91 ft) | 14.2 m (47 ft) |
| Capacity | 150 max | 220 max | 65 max |
| Top Speed | 125 km/h (80 mph) | 106 km/h (66 mph) | 70 km/h (45 mph) |
[edit] Light metro
- For more details on this topic, see Medium capacity system.
A derivative of LRT is light rail rapid transit (LRRT), also referred to as Light Metro. Such railways are characterized by exclusive rights of way, advanced train control systems, short headway capability, and floor level boarding. These systems approach the passenger capacity of full metro systems, but can be cheaper to construct by using the ability of LRVs to turn tighter curves and climb steeper grades than standard RRT vehicles.
[edit] Rapid rail transit
- For more details on this topic, see Rapid transit.
LRVs are distinguished from rapid rail transit (RRT) vehicles by their capability for operation in mixed traffic, generally resulting in a narrower car body and articulation in order to operate in a traffic street environment. Due to their large size, large turning radius, and often an electrified third rail, RRT vehicles cannot operate in the street. Since LRT systems can operate using existing streets, they often can avoid the cost of expensive subway and elevated segments that would be required with RRT.
[edit] Buses
[edit] Bus lane
A bus (only) lane is a lane on a road restricted to buses, and possibly high occupancy vehicles, bicycles, emergency vehicles or taxicabs.
The aim of a bus only lane is to give priority to buses and save journey time in places where roads are congested with other traffic. A bus lane is not necessarily very long, as it may only be used to 'detour' a single congestion point. However, some cities have built large stretches of bus lanes which in some places, e.g. Almere, Barcelona and Singapore, amount to a separate local road system.
[edit] Bus Rapid Transit
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a broad term given to a variety of transportation systems that, through improvements to infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling, attempt to use buses to provide a service that is of a higher quality than an ordinary bus line. Each BRT system uses different improvements, although many improvements are shared by many BRT systems. The goal of such systems is to at least approach the service quality of rail transit while still enjoying the cost savings of bus transit. The expression "BRT" is mainly used in North America; elsewhere, one may speak of Quality Bus or simply bus service while raising the quality.
[edit] Comparison of Capacity between transit modes
[edit] Cars
Roads have capacity limits which can be determined by traffic engineers. Due to traffic congestion they experience a chaotic breakdown in flow and a dramatic drop in speed if they exceed about 2,000 vehicles per hour per lane. [6] Since automobiles in many places average only 1.2 passengers during rush hour, this limits roads to about 2,400 passengers per hour per lane. This can be mitigated by using high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, but many people prefer to drive alone.
[edit] Light Rail Capacity
Light rail vehicles can travel in trains carrying much higher passenger volumes then compared to the Traditional Streetcars or road based transit.[7] If run in streets, light rail systems are limited by city block lengths to about four 180-passenger vehicles (720 passengers). Operating on 2 minute headways using traffic signal progression, a well-designed system can handle more than 30 trains per hour, achieving peak rates of over 20,000 passengers per hour per track. More advanced systems with separate rights-of-way using moving block signalling can exceed 25,000 passengers per hour per track. [8]
Most North American systems are limited by demand rather than capacity and seldom reach 10,000 passengers per hour per track, but European light rail systems often approach their limits. When they do, they can carry as many passengers as a 16-lane freeway in the space of a two lane roadway. If passenger volumes exceed light rail limits, heavy rail systems can be built to carry many more people.
[edit] Disappearance from many cities
The advent of personal motor vehicles and the improvements in motorized buses caused the rapid disappearance of the tram from most western and Asian countries by the end of the 1950s. Continuing technical improvements in buses made them more reliable, and a serious competitor to trams because they did not require the construction of costly infrastructure. [1]
In many cases postwar buses were cited as providing a smoother ride and a faster journey than the older, prewar trams. For example, the tram network survived in Budapest but for a considerable period of time bus fares were higher to recognize the superior quality of the buses. However, many riders protested against the replacement of streetcars arguing that buses weren't as smooth, efficient and polluted the air. In the United States, there have been allegations that the General Motors streetcar conspiracy was responsible for the replacement of trains with buses, but critics of this theory point to evidence that larger economic forces were driving conversion before General Motors' actions and outside of its reach.
Governments thus put investment principally into bus networks. Indeed, infrastructure for roads and highways meant for the automobile were perceived as a mark of progress. The priority given to roads is illustrated in the proposal of French president Georges Pompidou who declared in 1971 that "the city must adapt to the car".
Tram networks were no longer maintained or modernized, a state of affairs that served to discredit them in the eyes of the public. Old lines, considered archaic, were then bit by bit replaced by buses.
Tram networks disappeared almost completely from North America, Brazil, Argentina, France, the UK, India, and altogether from Ireland, Turkey, Spain and South Africa. On the other hand, they were generally retained or modernized in most communist countries, as well as Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, and Japan. In France and the UK, only the networks in Lille, Saint-Etienne, Marseille, and Blackpool survive from this period, but they are each reduced to a single line. Most Australian tram networks disappeared by 1973, with the exception of the extensive system in Melbourne and the Glenelg line in Adelaide. There are also many tourist Tram lines in operations across the Australasia region including Bendigo and Ballarat.
[edit] Return to grace
The priority given to personal vehicles and notably to the automobile led to a loss in quality of life, particularly in large cities where smog, traffic congestion, sound pollution and parking became problematic. Acknowledging this, some authorities saw fit to redefine their transport policies. Rapid transit required a heavy investment and presented problems in terms of subterranean spaces that required constant security. For rapid transit, the investment was mainly in underground construction, which made it impossible in some cities (with underground water reserves, archaeological remains, etc.). Metro construction thus was not a universal panacea.
The advantages of the tram thus became once again visible. At the end of the 1970s, some governments studied, and then built new tram lines. In France, Nantes and Grenoble lead the way in terms of the modern tram, and new systems were inaugurated in 1985 and 1988. The first UK modern light rail system opened in Manchester in 1992 with Italian built vehicles. In 1994 Strasbourg opened a system with novel British-built trams, specified by the city, with the goal of breaking with the archaic conceptual image that was held by the public.
A great example of this shift in ideology is the city of Munich, which began replacing its tram network with a metro a few years before the 1972 Summer Olympics. When the metro network was finished in the 1990s the city began to tear out the tram network (which had become rather old and decrepit), but now faced opposition from many citizens who enjoyed the enhanced mobility of the mixed network -- the metro lines deviate from the tram lines to a significant degree. New rolling stock was purchased and the system was modernized, and a new line was proposed in 2003.
In Melbourne, Australia, the already extensive tramway system continues to be extended. In 2004 the Mont Albert line was extended several kilometres to Box Hill, whilst in 2005 the Burwood East line was extended several kilometres to South Vermont.
[edit] Pros and cons of tram systems
All transit service involves a tradeoff between speed and frequency of stops. Services that stop frequently have lower overall speed, and are therefore less attractive for longer trips. Metros, light rail, monorail, and Bus Rapid Transit are all forms of rapid transit — which generally signifies high speed and widely-spaced stops. Trams are a form of local transit, making frequent stops. Thus, the most meaningful comparison of advantages and disadvantages is with other forms of local transit, primarily the local bus.
[edit] Advantages
- The greatest advantage of modern trams is social rather than technical. In most countries, trams don't suffer from the image problem that plagues buses. On the contrary — most people associate trams with a positive image. Unlike buses, trams tend to be popular with a wider spectrum of the public, including better-off people who often shun buses. This high level of customer acceptance means higher ridership and public support for investment in new tram infrastructure.
- Multiple entrances allow trams to load faster than suburban coaches, which tend to have a single entrance. This, combined with swifter acceleration and braking, lets trams maintain higher overall speeds than buses, if congestion allows.
- Trams can adapt to the number of passengers by adding additional cars during rush hour (as well as removing excess cars during off-peak hours). No additional driver is then required for the trip in comparison to buses.
- In general, trams provide a higher capacity service than buses.
- Unlike buses, but like trolleybuses, (electric) trams give off no exhaust emissions at point of use. Compared to motorbuses the noise of trams is generally perceived to be less disturbing.
- Rights-of-way for trams are narrower than for buses. This saves valuable space in cities with high population densities and/or narrow streets.
- Because they are rail-bound, trams command more respect from other road users than buses do, when operating on-road. In heavy traffic conditions, rogue drivers are less likely to hold up trams, for example by blocking intersections or parking on the road. This often leads to fewer delays. As a rule, especially in European cities and Melbourne, trams always have priority.
- Passenger comfort is normally superior to buses because of controlled acceleration and braking and curve easement. Rail transport such as used by trams provides a smoother ride than road use by buses.
- Light rail systems are generally cheaper to build than heavy rail, since the infrastructure is relatively insubstantial, and tunnels used in most metro systems are generally not required. Moreover, the ability to handle sharp curves and steep gradients can reduce the construction work.
- In an emergency, light rail trains are easier to evacuate than monorail or elevated rapid rail trains which may require ladders or cranes to evacuate passengers from a disabled train.
Compared with buses, light rail systems have higher capacity, are cleaner, quieter, more comfortable, and in many cases faster. Light rail does not have the negative connotations of being a system used by the "transit dependent" that can plague BRT. Recent data indicates that BRT is more cost effective below 1600 passengers per hour, but above 2000 passengers per hour bus headways become so short that average speed falls and per-passenger costs increase. [9]
Many modern light rail projects gain rights-of-way by re-using parts of old rail networks (such as abandoned industrial rail lines), sharing freight railways, or using the medians of freeways. For example, the Docklands Light Railway uses a sharp, steep curve to enable it to run alongside an existing railway line and then transfer to a previously disused railway line which crosses underneath. A direct connection between these lines would not be practical for conventional rail.
[edit] Disadvantages
- The initial cost is higher than for buses, hence the usual preference for the latter in smaller cities
- When operated in mixed traffic, trams are more likely to be delayed by disruptions in their lane. Buses, by contrast, can easily maneuver around obstacles. Opinions differ about whether deference that drivers show to trams — a cultural issue that varies by country — is sufficient to counteract this disadvantage.
- Tram tracks can be dangerous for cyclists. This and problems with parked cars are avoided by building tracks and platforms in the middle of the road. Cyclists can avoid this by always riding across and never along tramways, as bikes, particularly those with narrow tyres, may get their wheels caught in the track grooves. It is also possible to close the grooves of the tracks on critical sections by rubber profiles. Those profiles are pressed down by the wheelflanges of the passing tram but cannot be lowered by the weight of a cyclist.
- Tram infrastructure occupies urban space above ground and requires modifications to traffic flow.
- Steel wheel trams can be noisier than rubber-wheeled trolleybuses, especially when cornering.
- Tram drivers can control the switches ahead of them. This caused a major derailment in Geneva, Switzerland. A Wikinews article on the derailment
Light rail vehicles are often heavier per passenger carried than heavy rail and monorail cars. On the other hand, light rail vehicles tend to be more reliable and have longer service lives than the typical monorail vehicle, and the generally lower capital cost of construction usually offsets any weight disadvantage.
The opening of new light rail systems has sometimes been accompanied by a marked increase in car accidents, as a result of drivers' unfamiliarity with the physics and geometry of trolleys.[10] Though such increases may be temporary, long-term conflicts between motorists and light rail operations can be alleviated by segregating their respective rights-of-way and installing appropriate signage and warning systems. [11]
Light rail can expose neighboring populations to moderate levels of low-frequency noise. However light rail vehicles use quiet electric motors and techniques such as rubber inserts in the wheels to reduce running noise, and transportation planners use noise mitigation strategies to minimize these effects. [12]
[edit] Regional variations
[edit] Europe
In many European cities, as in other parts of the world, tramway infrastructure was lost in the mid-20th century, though not always on the same scale as in other cities (in America, for example). Much of Eastern Europe lost less tramway infrastructure but some cities are now reconsidering their transport priorities, while some Western European cities are rehabilitating, upgrading and even reconstructing their old tramway lines.
[edit] Western Europe
Europe, particularly Germany, Italy, Finland, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Sweden and Belgium, has an extensive number of tramway networks. Some of these networks have been upgraded to light rail standards, called Stadtbahn in Germany and Pre-metros in Belgium.
[edit] Central and Eastern Europe
All countries of the former Soviet Bloc, excluding Lithuania and Moldova, have extensive tram infrastructure. Industrial freight use of city tram lines was a widespread practice until 1960s but has since mostly disappeared. 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.
[edit] North America
Note that in North America, especially the United States, trams are generally known as streetcars or trolleys, while the term tram is more likely to be understood as a tourist trolley, an aerial tramway, or a people-mover.
- See also: Light rail in North America
Streetcars were largely torn down in the mid-20th century with exception including New Orleans' streetcars and Newark which still have them. Pittsburgh kept the majority of its streetcar system serving the city and many suburbs until January, 27th 1967, making it the large network US streetcar system that lasted the longest. Toronto has the largest streetcar system in the Americas. In the later 20th century, the term Light Rail is preferred, with many cities in North America opting to install them, often along the same corridor as the old streetcars. Some have even restored their old streetcars and run them as a heritage line for tourists like the Vancouver Downtown Historic Railway.
[edit] South America
[edit] Argentina
The Anglo-Argentine Tramways Company opened Latin America's first "underground tramway" system, (Subte line A) in 1913. The original route was partially underground and on street level until 1926, for this reason these "pantograph" cars built by La Brugeoise in Belgium had both low doors at the ends for boarding from the street and high doors in the middle for loading from platforms in the tunnel, therefore, "Subte" line A might also be considered one of the continent's first light rail trams. These vintage beautifully maintained carriages (sans end doors) are still in operation.
Buenos Aires street tramway networks where one of the most extensive in the world with over 857 km (535 mi) of track, most of it dismantled during the 1960s in favor or bus transportation. 2006 was a very significant year for tramways in Argentina, a 2 kilometre experimental tram known as the Tranvía del Este (Eastern Tram) will be inaugurated in the middle 2007 in Puerto Madero with extensions to Retiro station and La Boca neighborhood being talked about, these are ultra-modern Citadis302 cars from France, there's also talks about a “heritage tram” to be put in service in colonial San Telmo.
A proposed Ferro Tranvía Urbano (Urban Tramway) in the city of Mendoza is to be inaugurated in two years.
[edit] Asia
Tramway Systems where well established in the Asian region at the start of the 20th century but strated to decline in use in the 1930's and began to be dismantled by the time it was the 1960's the majority of systems had been closed down. Extensive Tramways still exist in Japan and Hong Kong. Recently more modern Systems have been built in Korea and the Philippines.
Japan
Many Japanese cities have tram systems. Among them are Sapporo and Hakodate in Hokkaidō; Tokyo, Kamakura, Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima on Honshū; Matsuyama and Kochi on Shikoku; and Nagasaki, Kumamoto, and Kagoshima on Kyūshū. Some extend into neighboring communities.
China and Hong Kong
Hong Kong still possesses the Hong Kong Tramway, a traditional British Isles-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.
China has tram systems in the three cities of Anshan, Changchun and Dalian. Changchun's system consists of one "tram" line [2] and one new "light rail" line. [3]. Dalian's system consists of three fairly new lines. [4]
[edit] Australasia
In Australasia, trams aare used extensively only in Melbourne, and to a lesser extent, Adelaide, all other major cities having largely dismantled their networks by the 1970s.
A distinctive feature of many Australasian trams was the early use of a lowered central section between bogies (wheel-sets). This was intended to make passenger access easier, by reducing the number of steps required to reach the inside of the vehicle. It is believed that the design first originated in Christchurch, as early as the first decade of the 20th century. Cars with this design feature were frequently referred to as "drop-centres".
List of major Australian Tram Systems
- Trams in Melbourne
- Adelaide Tram
- Trams in Brisbane (closed)
- Trams in Sydney (closed)
- Trams in Perth (closed)
List of major New Zealand Tram Systems
- Wellington tramway system (closed)
- Dunedin cable tramway system (closed)
[edit] Africa
Tramway Systems are still operational in some parts of Africa especially Egypt.
[edit] Egypt
In Egypt both Cairo and Alexandria have historic and still existent tram systems.
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.
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, including 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. There are also trams that serve on the urban tram lines and the express tram lines at the same time.
[edit] South Africa
Public transport in South Africa commenced for the first time in Cape Town in May 1801 when a weekly wagon service from Cape Town to Simon's Town was announced. Round about 1838 the Cape's first horse-drawn omnibus, based on George Shilbeer's omnibus, was introduced. In September 1862 the Cape Town and Green Point Tramway Company was formed and on 1 April 1863 it began operating. Both single-deck and double-deck horse drawn trams were used. In 1896 the power station at Toll Gate Cape Town, with two stacks supplied by Milliken Brothers of New York, was completed and the old horse sheds were remodelled. Cape Town's electric tram system initially consisted of ten cars made in Philadelphia, USA. On 6 August 1896 Lady Sivewright, wife of Sir James Sivewright opened the new system. At Queen Victoria's Jubilee in 1897 there were thirty-two electric trams on Cape Town's roads serving the city and its suburbs over about twenty-three miles of track. The new power station at Toll Gate was proving inadequate to meet demands and additions were called for.
Tram services also existed in Johannesburg (where the suburban railway to Boksburg, opened in 1890, was also called the Rand Tram), Pretoria and Durban but were replaced by petrol, diesel and trolley bus systems by the early 1960s.
[edit] Tunisia
Trams are used frequently in Tunis, Tunisia, and has a very large Tram system which has been running for many years.
