Tramway routes which share track with main-line railways
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.
A tram-train, also known as a dual-system tram,[1] is an interoperable urban rail transit system in which specially designed vehicles operate as trams on urban street-level networks and as trains on mainline railway tracks, alongside mainline trains.[2]
By complying with both light rail and heavy rail technical and safety standards, these vehicles can use existing tram infrastructure as well as railway lines and stations, enabling a single service to operate across both networks.[3] A tram-train combines the urban accessibility of a tram or light rail with a mainline train's greater speed in the suburbs.[4]
The modern tram-train concept was pioneered by the German city of Karlsruhe in the late 1980s,[5] resulting in the creation of the Karlsruhe Stadtbahn. This concept is often referred to as the Karlsruhe model,[4] and it has since been adopted in other cities such as Mulhouse in France[4] and in Kassel, Nordhausen and Saarbrücken in Germany.[5] It can be regarded as an evolution of the earlier interurban operations model.
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.
The tram-train often is a type of interurban[6]— that is, they link separate towns or cities, according to George W. Hilton and John F. Due's definition.[7]
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. A few interurban services did share tracks with mainline steam railroads, such as the Daisy Line or East Bay Electric Lines.
In 1924, in Hobart, Australia, sharing of tracks between trams and trains was proposed.[8]
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
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.
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.[19] A preparatory study was also completed for the Szeged - Makó line,[20] 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.
↑Hilton, George Woodman; Due, John Fitzgerald (2000) [1960]. The Electric Interurban Railways in America. Stanford University Press. Original preface, 1960 page ix.
↑"TRAMS AND TRAINS". The Mercury. Hobart, Tasmania. 12 February 1924. p.6. Retrieved 21 April 2012– via National Library of Australia.
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