Trams and trolleybuses in North Korea

Trams and Trolleybuses in North Korea are forms of public transportation for North Koreans to travel around in urban centres given the shortages on fuel and access to cars for average citizens.

Very few details are known about these trolleybuses and trams due to the closed society of North Korea. Pyongyang and Chongjin are the only cities known to have tramways.

Contents

Trams

Product list and details
 Fleet Size  Description   Make  Fleet #  Year acquired   Notes 
45 double-articulated  Czech Republic CKD Tatra KT8D5K units 1001–1045 1990
129 articulated trams  Czech Republic CKD Tatra T6B5K single motor units 1046–1174 1990s
50 articulated trams  Czech Republic CKD Tatra KT4K units 1175–1224 ordered 1991 articulation removed by Shenfang works in China; all trams of this type have been moved from Pyongyang to Chongjin
320 trams  Czech Republic CKD Tatra T4D/B4D used trams from Leipzig (200 vehicles), Dresden (95), and Magdeburg (25)
articulated trams North Korea Kim Jong Tae Locomotive Works – modification of ČKD KT4 1990s
18 trailers and 18 motor units 2 car married tram units Zürich 4/4 1b (Kurbeli) Switzerland Built 1947–1954 for Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon (MFO) and Schindler Waggon Schlieren (SWS) retired 1994; purchased by North Korea in 1995 used on a metre gauge line from Samhung metro station to Kumsusan Memorial Palace in Pyongyang (all other lines are standard gauge)

Trolleybuses

The Pyongyang trolleybus system has been operating since 1962, with a large fleet serving several routes. Due to the closed nature of North Korea, the existence of trolleybus networks in other North Korean cities was generally unknown outside the country for many years, but it is now known that around 12 to 15 other cities also possess trolleybus systems, among them Chongjin and Nampho.[1] A few other places have private, very small (in some cases only one or two vehicles) systems for transporting workers from a housing area to a nearby coal mine or other industrial site—or at least did at some time within recent years.[1] Trolleybuses include both imported and locally made vehicles. Imported buses are from Europe and copied versions from China. There are a few local manufacturers of trolleybuses.

Product list and details
 #  Description   Make  Fleet #  Year acquired   Year retired   Notes 
trolleybus  Hungary Hungarian Ikarus Bus 260/280
trolleybus  Czech Republic Škoda Works 1950s
articulated trolleybus Pyongyang Trolleybus Works Chollima
trolleybus Pyongyang Trolleybus Works Chollima 1/2/9.11 N/A 1961
articulated trolleybus Pyongyang Trolleybus Works Chollima 9.25 1963
trolleybus Pyongyang Trolleybus Works Chollima 70 1970
trolleybus Pyongyang Trolleybus Works Chollima 72 1972
trolleybus Pyongyang Trolleybus Works Chollima 74 1974
trolleybus Pyongyang Trolleybus Works Chollima 82 1982
trolleybus Pyongyang Trolleybus Works Chollima 84 1984
articulated trolleybus Pyongyang Trolleybus Works Chollima 862 1986
articulated trolleybus Pyongyang Trolleybus Works Chollima 90/903 1990
trolleybus Pyongyang Trolleybus Works Chongnyon 1990
trolleybus Pyongyang Trolleybus Works Chongnyonjunwi 1996
trolleybus and articulated Pyongyang Trolleybus Works Chollima 1997 Ikarus Bus assembly
articulated trolleybus Pyongyang Trolleybus Works Sonyon 1999
articulated trolleybus Pyongyang Trolleybus Works Chollima 032 2004
trolleybus Chongjin Bus Works Jipsam 74 1972
articulated trolleybus Chongjin Bus Works Jipsam 86 1986
trolleybus Chongjin Bus Works Chongnyonjunwi Chongjin 2000

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b Tarkhov, Sergei; and Merzlov, Dmitriy. "North Korean Surprises". Trolleybus Magazine Nos. 244–6 (July, September and November 2002).

References