Login
Login

Tram-train

{{Short description|Tramway routes which share track with main-line railways}}

{{Hatnote|This article is about trams sharing tracks with main-line railways. "Tram-train" can also refer to a train of two or more coupled trams operating on a regular tramway.}}

{{Distinguish|Train-tram}}

{{multiple image

| align = right

| total_width = 420

| image1 = Heilbronn Bahnhofsvorplatz Stadtbahn01 2002-09-08.jpg

| alt1 = A tram-train on street

| caption1 = Stadtbahn street running, in Heilbronn

| image2 = Avg-898-00.jpg

| alt2 = A tram-train on railway

| caption2 = Stadtbahn on main-line railway

| footer =

}}

{{multiple image

| align = right

| total_width = 420

| image1 = RBK 703 and KGV 603 Kassel Königsplatz.jpg

| alt1 = A tram-train on street

| caption1 = Kassel RegioTram dual voltage DC/AC Alstom RegioCitadis next to a KVG Bombardier Flexity Classic tram at Königsplatz

| image2 = RBK 755 tram-train approaching Wolfhagen.JPG

| alt2 = A tram-train on railway

| caption2 = Kassel RegioTram dual mode diesel/electric Alstom RegioCitadis approaching Wolfhagen using diesel power, on main-line railway

| footer =

}}

{{multiple image

| align = right

| total_width = 420

| image1 = I09 054 Bf Nordhausen xxx, EVT 202.jpg

| alt1 = A tram-train on street

| caption1 = A "DUO" Combino on the Nordhausen urban tramway, where it is electrically powered via overhead wires.

| image2 = Harzquerbahn Merkwürdige Zugkreuzung - geo.hlipp.de -1016.jpg

| alt2 = A tram-train at a railway station

| caption2 = A "DUO" Combino at Ilfeld station on the HSB rural railway, where it is powered by an onboard diesel engine.

| footer =

}}

{{multiple image

| align = right

| total_width = 420

| image1 = Řím, Porta Maggiore, úzkorozchodná elektrická jednotka.jpg

| alt1 = A tram-train on street

| caption1 = A tram-train in Rome, Italy

| image2 = Sasstram.jpg

| alt2 = A tram-train on street

| caption2 = A tram-train in Sassari, Italy

| footer =

}}

{{multiple image

| align = right

| total_width = 420

| image1 = MML M5000 (2).jpg

| alt1 = A tram-train on street

| caption1 = A pair of Manchester Metrolink Bombardier M5000s on the street in Manchester City Centre, United Kingdom

| image2 = NT 150102 Navigation Road (2).jpg

| alt2 = A tram-train on rail, along with a heavy rail train

| caption2 = A pair of Bombardier M5000s on the mainline, along with a {{brc|150}} in the United Kingdom

| footer =

}}

A tram-train is a type of light rail vehicle that both meets the standards of a light rail system, and also national mainline standards. Tramcars are adapted to be capable of running on streets like an urban tramway but also be permitted operation alongside mainline trains. This allows services that can utilise both existing urban light rail systems and mainline railway networks and stations. It combines the urban accessibility of a tram or light rail with a mainline train's greater speed in the suburbs.{{cite web |title=Tram-train: Making new connections |url=http://www.tautonline.com/tram-train-making-new-connections/ |website=tautonline.com |date=14 January 2020 |publisher=Tramways & Urban Transit|access-date=28 January 2022}}

The modern tram-train concept was pioneered by the German city of Karlsruhe in the late 1980s,{{cite web |title=Uk tram-train: Learning lessons |url=http://www.tautonline.com/uk-tram-train-learning-lessons/ |website=tautonline.com |date=16 February 2019 |publisher=Tramways & Urban Transit|access-date=28 January 2022}} resulting in the creation of the Karlsruhe Stadtbahn. This concept is often referred to as the Karlsruhe model, and it has since been adopted in other cities such as Mulhouse in France and in Kassel, Nordhausen and Saarbrücken in Germany.

An inversion of the concept is a train-tram – a mainline train adapted to run on-street in an urban tramway, also known as the Zwickau Model.

Technology

The tram-train often is a type of interurban{{cite web|url=http://www.urbanrail.net/eu/de/ks/kassel.htm|title=UrbanRail.Net > Europe > Germany > Hessen > Kassel Tram / Straßenbahn}} — that is, they link separate towns or cities, according to George W. Hilton and John F. Due's definition.{{cite book |last1=Hilton |first1=George Woodman |last2=Due |first2=John Fitzgerald |title=The Electric Interurban Railways in America |date=2000 |orig-year=1960 |publisher=Stanford University Press |at= Original preface, 1960 page ix}}

Most tram-trains are standard gauge, which facilitates sharing track with main-line trains. Exceptions include Alicante Tram and Nordhausen, which are metre gauge.

Tram-train vehicles are dual-equipped to suit the needs of both tram and train operating modes, with support for multiple electrification voltages if required and safety equipment such as train stops and other railway signalling equipment. The Karlsruhe and Saarbrücken systems use "PZB" or "Indusi" automatic train protection, so that if the driver passes a signal at a stop the emergency brakes are applied.

History

The idea is not new; in the early 20th century, interurban streetcar lines often operated on dedicated rights-of-way between towns, while running on street trackage in town. The difference between modern tram-trains and the older interurban and radial railways is that tram-trains are built to meet mainline railway standards, rather than ignoring them.

In 1924, in Hobart, Australia, sharing of tracks between trams and trains was proposed.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article23715670 |title=TRAMS AND TRAINS. |newspaper=The Mercury |location=Hobart, Tasmania |date=12 February 1924 |access-date=21 April 2012 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}}

Existing systems

=Asia=

== Japan ==

= Europe =

== Austria ==

== Denmark ==

  • Aarhus Letbane{{cite news |url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/aarhus-tram-train-project-gets-the-go-ahead.html |title=Aarhus tram-train project gets the go-ahead |date=10 May 2012 |publisher=Railway Gazette International |archive-date=1 March 2020 |access-date=11 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200301085800/https://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/aarhus-tram-train-project-gets-the-go-ahead.html |url-status=dead }}

== France ==

== Germany ==

== Hungary ==

== Italy ==

== Netherlands ==

== Portugal ==

== Spain ==

== United Kingdom ==

=North America=

Proposed systems

=Africa=

  • The October 6th Tram system (The O6T), Cairo, Egypt

=Asia=

  • Haifa–Nazareth, Israel{{cite web|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-162298992.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140629120537/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-162298992.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2014-06-29|title=Tram-Train for Haifa-Nazareth.(Transit News)}}
  • Keelung Light Rail Transit (Nangang-Keelung), Taiwan{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

=Europe=

  • Braunschweig, Germany
  • Bratislava, Slovakia
  • Cardiff, United Kingdom. Wales & Borders franchise: South Wales Valley Lines (2022 - 2023) - rolling stock currently under construction.
  • Debrecen, Hungary {{Cite web |title=Tram-trains may also run between Debrecen and Oradea in the future |url=https://www.debrecen.hu/en/local/news/tram-trains-may-also-run-between-debrecen-and-oradea-in-the-future |access-date=2024-03-03 |website=www.debrecen.hu |language=en}}
  • Erlangen, Germany – an extension of Straßenbahn Nürnberg not initially planned to use mainline rail tracks but proposed to do so in the future. The planned line to Herzogenaurach replicates a former mainline rail line
  • Gorzów Wielkopolski, Poland
  • Greater Manchester, United Kingdom. Proposed extensions to the Manchester Metrolink network.{{cite web|url=https://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/news/metrolink-heads-to-stalybridge-and-middleton-in-2040-expansion/ |title=Metrolink heads to Stalybridge and Middleton in 2040 expansion|date=7 January 2019|author=Place North West|access-date=30 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301044640/https://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/news/metrolink-heads-to-stalybridge-and-middleton-in-2040-expansion/|archive-date=1 March 2021|url-status=live}}
  • Grenoble, France
  • Groningen, Netherlands
  • Kiel, Germany
  • Kyiv, Ukraine
  • Košice, Slovakia{{cite web|title=Planovane-modernizacie-elektrickovych-trati-MET-a-Integrovany-dopravny-system-IDS|url=https://imhd.sk/ke/media/mn/00001130/Planovane-modernizacie-elektrickovych-trati-MET-a-Integrovany-dopravny-system-IDS-20150119.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208230004/http://imhd.sk/ke/media/mn/00001130/Planovane-modernizacie-elektrickovych-trati-MET-a-Integrovany-dopravny-system-IDS-20150119.pdf|archive-date=2015-12-08}} (in planning phase)
  • León, Spain
  • Liberec — Jablonec nad Nisou, Czech Republic
  • Linköping, Sweden
  • Linz, Austria (in planning phase)
  • Manresa, Spain
  • Metro Mondego, Coimbra, Portugal
  • RijnGouweLijn, Netherlands
  • Metro de Sevilla. Seville has one metro line and one tram line that are not connected, but the long-term intention is to link the metro and tram systems.
  • Oradea, Romania - The first romanian tram-train will be in Oradea, featuring several lines, and connecting the city to the villages near, like Borș, Băile Felix or Sântandrei. The tram-train in Oradea is in planning phase, some parts of the project already accepted by the local government.
  • Sevastopol{{cite news |title=Agency Strategic Initiative|url=https://idea.asi.ru/attachments/6/99/943a5f-804a-4e4f-9271-f0422b44dbd6/%D0%A1%D0%95%D0%92%D0%90%D0%A1%D0%A2%D0%9E%D0%9F%D0%9E%D0%9B%D0%AC_-_%D0%93%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B4%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%8F_%D0%A1%D0%96%D0%94_-_%D0%9F%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B7%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D1%8F_-_%D0%9B%D0%B0%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%B9%D0%B4%D0%B0_%D0%92.%D0%92__%D0%90%D0%A1%D0%98_.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826225208/https://idea.asi.ru/attachments/6/99/943a5f-804a-4e4f-9271-f0422b44dbd6/%D0%A1%D0%95%D0%92%D0%90%D0%A1%D0%A2%D0%9E%D0%9F%D0%9E%D0%9B%D0%AC_-_%D0%93%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B4%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%8F_%D0%A1%D0%96%D0%94_-_%D0%9F%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B7%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D1%8F_-_%D0%9B%D0%B0%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%B9%D0%B4%D0%B0_%D0%92.%D0%92__%D0%90%D0%A1%D0%98_.pdf|archive-date=2021-08-26}}
  • Strasbourg, France
  • Szeged, Hungary. Two other destinations are being considered as of January 2022 besides the Szeged - Hódmezővásárhely line, which entered operation in November 2021. The Szeged - Subotica (Serbia) line is in early planning phase.{{cite web | title=Jöhet a Szeged-Szabadka tram-train, megjelent a tender – Szegedi hírek | website=Szeged365 | date=2021-12-02 | url=https://szeged365.hu/2021/12/02/johet-a-szeged-szabadka-tram-train-megjelent-a-tender/ | language=hu | access-date=2022-01-04}} A preparatory study was also completed for the Szeged - Makó line,{{Cite web |url=http://www.szegedvaros.hu/letoltesek/doc_download/2897-szeged-mako-elvarosi-koezoessegi-koezlekedes-vizsgalata.html |title=Szeged-Makó elővárosi közösségi közlekedés vizsgálata - Döntéselőkészítő Tanulmány (Közlekedés - Pro-Urbe - V-Plan - Uvaterv - Unitef) |accessdate=2012-12-22 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305155241/http://www.szegedvaros.hu/letoltesek/doc_download/2897-szeged-mako-elvarosi-koezoessegi-koezlekedes-vizsgalata.html |archivedate=2016-03-05 }} but the estimated costs were high, and it is also dependent on a new road-rail bridge over the river Tisa only in planning phase as of now.
  • TramCamp, Camp de Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain
  • Wrocław, Poland (2005) — 600 V DC/3 kV DC
  • Riga, Latvia
  • Turku, Finland
  • West Midlands conurbation, United Kingdom. Proposed extensions to the West Midlands Metro to Stourbridge and Walsall.

=Oceania=

=South America=

  • Bogotá Commuter Rail (RegioTram), Colombia
  • Cali, Colombia{{cite web| url = http://www.eltiempo.com/colombia/cali/el-tren-tranvia-ya-tiene-la-firma-para-arrancar-209212| title = El tren tranvía ya tiene la firma para arrancar - Cali - Colombia - ELTIEMPO.COM| date = 25 April 2018}}

Vehicles

Models of tram designed for tram-train operation include:

Train-tram

File:Zwickau TrainTram.jpg has main-line lightweight diesel tram-trains running through urban streets.]]

File:Keishin-Line-Series800.jpg

= Europe =

= Japan =

= North America =

See also

References

{{Reflist|30em}}

External links

  • [http://www.lightrail.nl/TramTrain TramTrain - the 2nd generation: Searching for the 'ideal' TramTrain-city]
  • {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20110207170146/http://www.draemmli.info/report-mulhouse_e.html New TramTrain for Mulhouse - Reportage and images]}} (English/German)
  • {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20090316133445/http://www.draemmli.info/report-tramtrain_e.html Construction of the TramTrain system in Mulhouse with images]}} (English/German)
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20131231102256/http://kasig.com/ tram-train of Karlsruhe transformed in a subway in the center]
  • [http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/road/Hopes-rise-for-tramtrains-pilot.2962865.jp Leeds City Region proposal ]
  • [https://www.ihs.com/products/janes-urban-transport-systems.html (Jane's) Urban Transit Systems]{{Dead link|date=May 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

{{Trams}}

{{Public transport}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Electric public transport

Category:Passenger rail transport