Trams in Basel

Basel tramway network
A BLT tram in Basel.
Operation
Locale	Basel, Switzerland
Status	Operational
Operator(s)	Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe (BVB) Baselland Transport (BLT)
Overview Map of the network in 2009.
Website	Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe (German)

The Basel tramway network (German: Basler Strassenbahn-Netz) is a network of tramways forming part of the public transport system in Basel, a city in Switzerland, and its two associated cantons. It consists of 13 lines. Due to its longevity (the network is now more than a century old), it is part of Basel's heritage, and, alongside the Basel Minster, is one of the symbols of the city.

The trams on the network are operated by two transport providers: Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe (Basel Transport Service) (BVB) and Baselland Transport (BLT).

BVB is owned by, and operates in, Basel-Stadt, the small canton containing the inner city. Its green trams operate mostly in the city, although the termini of its lines 3 and 6 are in the more rural canton of Basel-Land.

BLT is owned by Basel-Land, and its yellow and red trams operate in the outer suburbs to the south of Basel.^[1] However, the three lines it operates, lines 10, 11 and 17, all also run over BVB track in central Basel. In addition line 14, while owned by BLT, is operated by BVB well into Basel-Land.

History

Ex-Basel heritage tram Ce 2/2 182 on the Blonay–Chamby Museum Railway.

The first line of the Basel tramway network was opened on 6 May 1895. It followed the route Centralbahnhof–Marktplatz–Mittlere Brücke–Aeschenplatz–Badischer Bahnhof.

The network grew quickly. In 1897, six new sections were put in service, with one linking Basel and Birsfelden.

In 1900, the Basel tramway network acquired an international dimension, when a new cross-border line was opened to Sankt-Ludwig (now Saint-Louis, Haut-Rhin), in the then German Empire.

From that year until 1936, at least one section of the network was modified each year. In 1934, upon the opening of a new section of line from Margarethenstr. to Binningen, the network reached its greatest length of 72 km (45 mi).

During the two World Wars, services were suspended on the parts of the line extending beyond Switzerland's borders. After World War II, several lines were closed. In 1958, the total length of the network's routes was 51.7 km (32.1 mi).

In 1974, the several companies that had been operating the suburban lines were merged to form the new company bearing the name Baselland Transport AG (BLT).

Lines

BVB tram on line 3.

BLT tram on line 11.

See also

• List of town tramway systems in Switzerland
• Trolleybuses in Basel

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Trams in Basel.

• Baselland Transport (BLT) – official site (German)
• Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe (BVB) – official site (German)
• Tramclub Basel – official site (German)
• Tram-Museum Basel – official site (German)
• Basel database / photo gallery and Basel tram list at Urban Electric Transit – in various languages, including English.

v t e  Urban public transport networks and systems in Switzerland S-Bahn/RER/Reti celeri Aargau Basel Bern Chur Fribourg/Freiburg Léman (Geneva–Lausanne) Lucerne St. Gallen Ticino Zug Zürich Métro Lausanne Trams Basel Bern Geneva Neuchâtel Zürich Trolleybuses Operational List of systems (all-time) Bern Biel/Bienne Fribourg Geneva La Chaux-de-Fonds Lausanne Lucerne Montreux/Vevey Neuchâtel St. Gallen Schaffhausen Winterthur Zürich Closed Altstätten–Berneck Basel Lugano Thun–Beatenbucht Val-de-Ruz

Coordinates: 47°33′17″N 7°35′21″E / 47.55472°N 7.58917°E / 47.55472; 7.58917