ZhangJiang Tram is Shanghai's streetcar system, utilizing the French Raul company's Translohr tram system. It is a rubber-tired tram system, second both in China and Asia.
Shanghai once had a standard steel wheeled tramway network, which used electric trams. Routes were built step by step, and it reached its largest extent in 1925 with 328 tramcars. Tram service was completely stopped in 1975. Tram service returned to Shanghai in 2009. Commercial service started in 2010. Unlike the standard tramway, it chose a modern rubber-tired system.
ZhangJiang Tram started construction on December 23, 2007. Construction was originally planned to be completed on December 2008, but this was delayed a year, until December 31, 2009 when it was opened to traffic. Passenger operations started on January 1, 2010. Zhangjiang Tram runs from Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park Station of Shanghai Metro Line 2 to Heqing Town. Now the 10-km-long 1st phase, which runs from Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park Station to Jinqiu Road is running, and has 15 stops, two of which are interchanges to Shanghai Metro Line 2 (Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, the current terminal of the line and Jinke Road station). The next phase of the project is the Zhangjiang tram division multiple-phase construction, a project in the east Greenfield Road, from Zu Chong Zhi Road (Shanghai Metro Line 2 Zhangjiang Hi-tech station), west to Osmanthus Road Autumn Road, which covers a distance of about 10 km, with a total of 15 stops, 1 depot. It will be followed by the Tang Zhen-Qing direction of extension.
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After the tram network closed in the 1970s, people of Shanghai thought the only unfashionable obstacle of smooth city travelling had been removed, allowing the city can move faster than before, but it proved false some years later. Uncontrolled increase of the number of petrol vehicles like bus, taxi, and private car choked the streets of Shanghai. Like most Asian countries, China suffered many problems of developing countries, including pollution, traffic jams, illegal migration, low literacy and booming population. Increasing population increased urbanization of Shanghai, and which increased the number of motor vehicles, which started increasing air & noise pollution, traffic jams and smog. City traffic became slower than it was prior to the closure of the trams. It became increasingly clear through the 1980s and 1990s that closing the tram lines and the lack of control over city traffic was a grave error. Many cities around the world like Tunis, Sydney, Buenos Aires, Pyongyang and others had also recognized that error and like them, another Chinese city Tianjin also brought back it's tram lines. Observing what had happened in Tianjin, Shanghai also planned the return of tram.
Understanding the great mistake of former tram closure, the government worked to decrease pollution as soon as possible. Following the example of other cities around the world, Shanghai authorities planned to reinstate tram service in Shanghai. The number of cars & buses in downtown Shanghai had increased to the point that running tram lines in that area was no longer possible. Keeping this in mind, the transport authority decided to construct lines in the Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, on the eastern side of the main city. Shanghai's transport authority at last decided to open a separate, modern, high speed, rubber tired tram.
The line is operated by Pudong, Shanghai Modern Rail Transportation Co., Ltd.. The tram lines started running in Shanghai in 2010.
The new system was built in Zhangjiang Town, because it is a planned area, and commuting between neighborhoods of the town has always been difficult. The Translohr tram way is constructed in Zhangjiang Town which is in the heartland area of Pudong (east shore of Huangpu River) New District. Due to Economic-Technological Development Area ordinances, sound pollution must be kept to a minimum in this area. Traditional steel wheeled trams generate lots of vibration and sound during their journey. Rubber tires on the trams reduce vibration, and as a result noise, substantially. Additionally, the Zhangjiang Town roads are very hilly, and rubber tired trams can climb steeper grades than traditional trams easily. Another advantage is that rubber tired trams don't require tracks, as steel wheeled cars do, so there is less disturbance of underground networks like power cables, phone lines, and sewer/water mains.
The modern tram runs from Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park to Heqing Town.
Rolling stocks are Translohr. 9 trams of three cars that are low floor, fully air conditioned, and can operate at high speeds.
Most of Zhangjiang tram lines are along the centre of the roads. Other parts of the stations are situated at the intersection on both sides of the one-way side-type platform, while the two terminals have a bilateral platform. Zhangjiang streetcar doors adopted a "need to open" mode; if a stop is requested by a passenger, a green light is illuminated and the doors open at the next stop, while if no stop is requestion, the doors remain closed.
Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park & Heqing Town are the two termini.
The modern tram routes completely run on unreserved tracks & middle of the road. Due to rubber tire, it is not possible to lay track on grass, as the trams can only run on concrete roads. All stops has island platforms.
There is a single fare of 2 Yuan.
Thus far, the tram system has benefited Shanghai.
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