A tram-train is a light-rail public transport system where trams are designed to run both on the tracks of an urban tramway network and on the existing railways for greater flexibility and convenience. The Karlsruhe model pioneered this concept in Germany, and it has since been adopted on the RijnGouweLijn in the Netherlands and in Kassel and Saarbrücken in Germany.
In March 2008 the UK Department for Transport released details of a plan to trial diesel tram-trains on the Penistone Line for two years starting in 2010.[1] This idea was withdrawn as it was deemed non-economically viable for a trial and instead electric tram-trains will be trialled between Rotherham and Sheffield.[2]
On June 5, 2008 the Government of South Australia announced plans for train-tram operation on the Grange line. [3]
Most tram-trains are standard gauge, which facilitates sharing track with standard gauge mainline trains. An exception is in Nordhausen, where both the trams and the trains are metre gauge.
Its advantage over separate tram and train systems is that passengers travelling from outside a city need not change from train to tram, though some passengers are displeased by the replacement of regular trains with tram-trains, which usually lack amenities such as on-board toilets.
Contents |
Technology
Tram-trains have dual equipment to suit the respective needs of tram and train, such as support for multiple voltages and safety equipment such as train stops.
The idea is not new: in the early 20th century, interurban streetcar lines often operated on the same tracks as steam trains, until crash standards made old-style track sharing impossible. The difference between modern tram-trains and the older interurbans and radial railways is that the tram-trains are upgraded to meet mainline railway standards, rather than ignoring them (an exception is the USA's River Line, for reasons explained below). The Karlsruhe and Saarbrücken systems use an automatic train protection signalling system called ‘PZB’, or ‘Indusi’, so that if the driver passes a signal at stop the emergency brakes are applied. Regarding deadman's pedals and deadman's handles, a Sifa must also be operational on railtracks as well.
The River LINE light rail line in New Jersey runs along freight tracks with time separation: passenger trains run by day, and freight by night. This, like the O-Train in Ottawa, Canada, and the Newark City Subway extension in Belleville and Bloomfield, New Jersey (with similar FRA-imposed time-share waivers), does not qualify it as a tram-train per se, whose chief characteristic is shared-use of mainline tracks at all times.
Existing systems
- Capital MetroRail in Austin, Texas, USA - Considered commuter rail, but shares more commonality with tram-train operation, with downtown street running and usage of mainline track. Uses on-board diesel engines in DMU format.
- Karlsruhe, Germany - 750 V DC/15 kV AC
- Nordhausen, Germany - 600 V DC/on-board diesel engine
- River Line (New Jersey, United States) - on-board diesel engine
- Saarbrücken, Germany
- Zwickau, Germany - on-board diesel engine (Light-weight RegioSprinter diesel railbuses which also operate over street tramway as TrainTrams)
- Chemnitz, Germany - 750 V DC
- Paris, France (Line T4)
- The Hague, Netherlands (RandstadRail)
- Alicante, Spain (Alicante Tram, TRAM - Metropolitano de Alicanrte, L1).
- Kassel, Germany (2006)
- Sassari Tram-train, Sassari, Italy
Proposed systems
In the UK
The Penistone line from Huddersfield to Sheffield (currently a diesel heavy rail service operated hourly) was to be converted for use by vehicles described as tram-trains. However, in September 2009 it was decided that this would be economically unviable for a trial and instead electric tram-trains would be trialled between Rotherham and Sheffield.[2]
A tram-train trial in the Manchester area was ruled out as the Department for Transport wanted to trial low-floor tram-trains, and Manchester Metrolink floors are at train height. [4] Tram-train trials in Leeds and York were not seen as options as there is no existing tram system in either Leeds or York.
Other suggested schemes for England include:
- Leeds to York via Harrogate
- Leeds to Wakefield
- Leeds to Bradford via Bradford Interchange
- Leeds to Selby
- Manchester to Marple [4]
- Manchester to Northwich (via the direct Manchester Metrolink line to Altrincham)[4]
- Sheffield to Huddersfield [2]
- Tees Valley Metro (later phases)[5]
- Abbey Line[6]
In the Americas
- Metrotranvía of Mendoza in Mendoza, Argentina. Currently under construction. (Yet still not clear of rolling stock to be used) The opening is scheduled in 2011.
In Mainland Europe
- Braunschweig, Germany
- Grenoble, France
- Kiel, Germany
- Liberec to Jablonec nad Nisou, Czech Republic
- Manresa, Catalonia, Spain
- Mulhouse, France
- Nantes, France
- RijnGouweLijn, Netherlands
- Strasbourg, France
- Wrocław, Poland (2005) - 600 V DC/3 kV DC
- TramCamp in Camp de Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain
- Line extensions to the Midland Metro in the West Midlands conurbation, England
- Lines B and C of Porto Metro, Porto, Portugal, lines currently using Eurotram, expected to use Flexity Swift tram-trains in the first quarter of 2008 in order to increase speed.
- Metro Mondego, Coimbra, Portugal
In the Indian Ocean
In Australia
- Adelaide, South Australia - Tram-train connection for the Adelaide Metro's Outer Harbor/Grange train lines and City West-Glenelg tramline extentsion announced in 2008 state budget as part of a 10-year $AU2 billion public transport upgrade.
Manufacturers
Models of tram designed for tram-train operation include:
- Bombardier’s Flexity Link
- Bombardier-Adtranz A32.
- Alstom’s Regio-Citadis
References
- ^ "Britain announces tram-train trials". Railway Gazette International. 2008-03-18. http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/10/britain-announces-tram-train-trials.html.
- ^ a b c "Tram-train line given go ahead". South Yorkshire Transport Forum. http://www.sy-transport.co.uk/news_item_30.htm.
- ^ Adelaidemetro.com.au
- ^ a b c gmIta.Gov.uk
- ^ "Tees Valley Metro". Darlington Transport Forum. 2008-10-06. http://www.darlington.gov.uk/PublicMinutes/Darlington%20Transport%20Forum/October%206%202008/Item%205%20-%20Tees%20Valley%20Metro.pdf. Retrieved 2008-12-29.
- ^ "St Albans Abbey tram-train announced". Railway Gazette International. 2009-10-30. http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/10/st-albans-abbey-tram-train-announced.html.
See also
External links
- TramTrain - the 2nd generation: Searching for the ‘ideal’ TramTrain-city
- T4: tram-train Les Coquetiers
- tram-train of Karlsruhe transformed in a subway in the center
- Leeds City Region proposal
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
