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{{Short description|Tramway routes which share track with main-line railways}}
[[Image:Heilbronn Bahnhofsvorplatz Stadtbahn01 2002-09-08.jpg|right|thumb|240px|Street running of ''Stadtbahn'' in Heilbronn]]
{{Hatnote|This article is about [[tram]]s 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.}}
[[Image:Avg-898-00.jpg|right|thumb|240px|''Stadtbahn'' on standard railway]]
{{Redirect|Train-tram|the Siemens-Duewag train-tram|RegioSprinter}}
{{multiple image
| align = right
| total_width = 420
| image1 = Heilbronn Bahnhofsvorplatz Stadtbahn01 2002-09-08.jpg
| alt1 = A tram-train on street
| caption1 = ''[[Heilbronn Stadtbahn|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 Citadis|Alstom RegioCitadis]] next to a [[Trams in Kassel|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 Citadis|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 [[Trams in Nordhausen|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 [[Harzer Schmalspurbahn|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 [[Rome–Giardinetti railway|tram-train in Rome]], Italy
| image2 = Sasstram.jpg
| alt2 = A tram-train on street
| caption2 = A [[Metrosassari|tram-train in Sassari]], Italy
| 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.<ref name="connections">{{cite web |title=Tram-train: Making new connections |url=http://www.tautonline.com/tram-train-making-new-connections/ |website=tautonline.com |publisher=[[Tramways & Urban Transit]]|access-date=28 January 2022}}</ref>


The modern tram-train concept was pioneered by the German city of [[Karlsruhe]] in the late 1980s,<ref name="lessons">{{cite web |title=Uk tram-train: Learning lessons |url=http://www.tautonline.com/uk-tram-train-learning-lessons/ |website=tautonline.com |publisher=[[Tramways & Urban Transit]]|access-date=28 January 2022}}</ref> resulting in the creation of the [[Karlsruhe Stadtbahn]]. This concept is often referred to as the [[Karlsruhe model]],<ref name="connections"/> and it has since been adopted in other cities such as [[Mulhouse tramway|Mulhouse]] in France<ref name="connections"/> and in [[Kassel RegioTram|Kassel]], [[Trams in Nordhausen|Nordhausen]] and [[Saarbrücken]] in Germany.<ref name="lessons"/>
[[Image:Nordhausen DUO TramTrain.jpg|right|thumb|240px|A Nordhausen "DUO" TramTrain on the linking track between the urban tramway (where they are electrically powered via overhead wires) and the rural heavy rail HSB (Harzer Schmalspurbahn / Harz Narrow-Gauge Railway) - where they are powered via an onboard diesel engine]]


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]].
[[Image:Zwickau TrainTram.jpg|right|thumb|240px|The Zwickau Model sees lightweight diesel TrainTrams being extended from the mainline railway through urban streets. Because the trams are metre gauge and the trains are standard gauge so where the trams and trains share tracks they use a three rail system featuring one shared rail and one exclusive rail each.]]


==Technology==
A '''tram-train''' is a [[light rail]] [[public transport]] system where [[tram]]s are able to run on [[regional rail|train]] [[Rail tracks|tracks]] for greater flexibility and convenience. The concept was pioneered in [[Karlsruhe]], [[Germany]], and has since been adopted in [[RijnGouweLijn]], the [[Netherlands]], [[Manchester]] [[Manchester Metrolink|Metrolink]], [[England]] and [[Saarbrücken]], Germany.
The tram-train often is a type of [[interurban]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.urbanrail.net/eu/de/ks/kassel.htm|title=UrbanRail.Net > Europe > Germany > Hessen > Kassel Tram / Straßenbahn}}</ref>&nbsp;— that is, they link separate towns or cities, according to George W. Hilton and John F. Due's definition.<ref>{{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}}</ref>


Most tram-trains are [[Standard-gauge railway|standard gauge]], which facilitates sharing track with main-line trains. Exceptions include [[Alicante Tram]] and [[Trams in Nordhausen|Nordhausen]], which are [[Metre-gauge railway|metre gauge]].
A tram-train has to be fitted with dual equipment to suit the respective needs of tram and train, such as voltage, safety equipment such as [[train stop]]s, etc.


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 stop]]s and other railway signalling equipment. The Karlsruhe and [[Saarbrücken]] systems use "[[Punktförmige Zugbeeinflussung|PZB]]" or "Indusi" [[automatic train protection]], so that if the driver passes a signal at a stop the emergency brakes are applied.
The idea is not new; in the early [[20th century]], [[interurban streetcar]] lines often operated on the same tracks as [[steam train]]s, 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. The Karlsruhe and [[Saarbrücken]] systems also uses an "Automatic Train Protection" signalling system called [[Indusi]] or [[PZB]], so that even if the driver accidentally misses a stop signal (perhaps because (s)he has become unwell) safety will be ensured by means of an application of the emergency brakes. The [[River LINE]] [[light rail]] in [[New Jersey]] runs along freight tracks with strict time separation - freight only runs at night, when passenger trains do not run.

==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 first interurban to emerge in the United States was the Newark and Granville Street Railway in [[Ohio]], which opened in 1889. In 1924, in [[Trams in Hobart|Hobart]], Australia, sharing of tracks between trams and trains was proposed.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article23715670 |title=TRAMS AND TRAINS. |newspaper=[[The Mercury (Hobart)|The Mercury]] |location=Hobart, Tasmania |date=12 February 1924 |access-date=21 April 2012 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

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. An exception is the United States' [[River Line (New Jersey Transit)|River Line]] in [[New Jersey]], which runs along freight tracks with time separation; passenger trains run by day, and freight by night.


== Existing systems ==
== Existing systems ==
===Asia===


==== Japan ====
* [[Karlsruhe]], [[Germany]] - [[750VDC]]/[[15kVAC]]
* [[RijnGouweLijn]], the [[Netherlands]]
* [[Saarbrücken]], [[Germany]]
* [[River LINE|New Jersey, US]]
* [[Nordhausen]], [[Germany]] - [[600VDC]]/[[onboard diesel engine]]
* [[Zwickau]], [[Germany]] - [[onboard diesel engine]] (Lightweight RegioSprinter diesel trains which also operate over street tramway as TrainTrams)


*Fukui: [[Fukui Railway Fukubu Line|Fukui Fukubu Line]]
== Proposed systems ==
* [[Wroclaw]], [[Poland]] (2005) - [[600VDC]]/[[3kVDC]]
* [[Mulhouse]]
* [[Kassel]], [[Germany]] (2006)
** [[600VDC]]/[[15kVAC]] and (different tramtrains)
** [[600VDC]]/[[onboard diesel engine]]


== Manufacturers ==
=== Europe ===


==== Austria ====

* [[Gmunden]]: [[Gmunden Tramway|Traunsee Tram]] (2018)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.stern-verkehr.at/portfolio/traunseetram/ |title = TRAUNSEETRAM - Stern & Hafferl Verkehr}}</ref>
* [[Vienna]] - [[Baden bei Wien]]: [[Badner Bahn]]

==== Denmark ====

* [[Aarhus Letbane]]<ref name=rgi20120510>{{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]]}}</ref>

==== France ====

* [[Lyon]]: [[Rhônexpress]] (2010)
* Lyon: [[Tram-train de l'ouest lyonnais]]
* [[Mulhouse]]: [[Mulhouse tramway]]<ref name=tre184>{{cite news | first = David | last = Haydock | title = France's first real tram train | work = Today's Railways | publisher = Platform 5 Publishing Ltd | pages = 37–40 | date = April 2011}}</ref>
* [[Nantes]]: [[Nantes tram-train]] (2011)
* [[Île-de-France]] (Paris region):
** [[Île-de-France tramway Line 4|Tramway Line 4]] (2006)
** [[Île-de-France tramway Line 11 Express|Tramway Line 11 Express]] (2017)
** [[Île-de-France tramway Line 12 Express|Tramway Line 12 Express]] (2023)
** [[Île-de-France tramway Line 13 Express|Tramway Line 13 Express]] (2022)

==== Germany ====

* [[Chemnitz]]: [[City-Bahn Chemnitz]]
* [[Karlsruhe]]: [[Stadtbahn Karlsruhe]]
* [[Kassel]]: [[Kassel RegioTram]] (2006)
* [[Nordhausen, Thuringia|Nordhausen]]: [[Trams in Nordhausen]]
* [[Saarbrücken]]: [[Saarbahn]]

==== Hungary ====

* [[Szeged-Hódmezővásárhely Tram-train|Szeged-Hódmezővásárhely tram-train]] (2021)

==== Italy ====
* [[Rome]]: [[Rome–Giardinetti railway]]
* [[Sassari]]: [[Metrosassari]]

==== Netherlands ====

* [[The Hague]]-[[Rotterdam]]: [[RandstadRail]]

==== Portugal ====

* [[Porto]]:
** [[Porto Metro]] Line B/Bx (opening 2005)
** Porto Metro Line C (opening 2005)

==== Spain ====

* [[Alicante]]: [[Alicante Tram]] (2007)
* [[Mallorca]]: [[Mallorca rail network]]
* [[Cádiz]]: [[Cádiz Bay tram-train]] (2022)

==== United Kingdom ====

===== England =====

* [[Sheffield]] - [[Rotherham]]: [[South Yorkshire Supertram]] (2018)

===== Wales =====

* [[Cardiff]] & [[South Wales Valleys]]: [[South Wales Metro]] (2024)

===North America===
*[[New Jersey]]: [[River Line (NJ Transit)|River Line]] – [[diesel multiple unit]]s using main line tracks between [[Trenton, New Jersey]] and [[Camden, New Jersey]] in a time-sharing agreement with the freight companies.
*[[Puebla (city)|Puebla]], [[Mexico]]: [[Puebla-Cholula Tourist Train]] (2017-2021; trains now sold to [[Tren Interoceánico]])
*[[San Diego]], [[California]]: [[San Diego Trolley]]

==Proposed systems==

===Africa===
* The October 6th Tram system (The O6T), [[Cairo]], [[Egypt]]

===Asia===
* [[Haifa–Nazareth railway|Haifa–Nazareth]], [[State of Israel|Israel]]<ref>{{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)}}</ref>
* [[Keelung railway station|Keelung Light Rail Transit]] ([[Nangang station|Nangang]]-[[Keelung railway station|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 <ref>{{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}}</ref>
* [[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
* [[Trams in Gorzów Wielkopolski|Gorzów Wielkopolski]], Poland
* [[Greater Manchester]], United Kingdom. Proposed extensions to the [[Manchester Metrolink]] network.<ref name="connections"/><ref name="stalybridge">{{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}}</ref>
* [[Grenoble]], France
* [[Groningen (city)|Groningen]], Netherlands
* [[Kiel]], Germany
* [[Kyiv]], Ukraine
* [[Košice]], [[Slovakia]]<ref>{{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}}</ref> (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]]<ref>{{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}}</ref>
* [[Strasbourg]], France
* [[Szeged]], Hungary. Two other destinations are being considered as of January 2022 besides the [[Szeged-Hódmezővásárhely Tram-train|Szeged - Hódmezővásárhely line]], which entered operation in November 2021. The Szeged - [[Subotica]] (Serbia) line is in early planning phase.<ref>{{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}}</ref> A preparatory study was also completed for the Szeged - [[Makó]] line,<ref>{{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 }}</ref> but the estimated costs were high, and it is also dependent on a new [[List of road-rail bridges|road-rail bridge]] over the river [[Tisa]] only in planning phase as of now.
* TramCamp, [[Camp de Tarragona]], [[Catalonia]], Spain
* [[Tramways in Wrocław|Wrocław]], Poland (2005) — [[600VDC|600 V DC]]/[[3kVDC|3 kV DC]]
* [[Riga]], [[Latvia]]
* [[Turku]], Finland
* [[West Midlands conurbation]], United Kingdom. Proposed extensions to the [[West Midlands Metro]].

===Oceania===
* [[Adelaide]], [[South Australia]] – On June 5, 2008, the [[Government of South Australia]] announced plans for train-tram operation on the [[Adelaide Metro]]'s [[Outer Harbor and Port Dock lines|Outer Harbor]]/[[Grange line|Grange]] train lines and [[Glenelg tram line|City West-Glenelg]] tramline extension as part of a 10-year A$2 billion public transport upgrade.<ref>[http://www.adelaidemetro.com.au/general/pdfs/OMPbudget.pdf Adelaidemetro.com.au<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080721062628/http://www.adelaidemetro.com.au/general/pdfs/OMPbudget.pdf |date=July 21, 2008 }}</ref>
*[[Hobart]] [[Tasmania]]

===South America===
* [[RegioTram|Bogotá Commuter Rail (RegioTram)]], [[Colombia]]
* [[Cali]], [[Colombia]]<ref>{{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}}</ref>

==Vehicles==
Models of tram designed for tram-train operation include:
Models of tram designed for tram-train operation include:
* [[Alstom]]'s RegioCitadis and Citadis Dualis, derived from the [[Alstom Citadis|Citadis]]
* [[Bombardier Flexity Link]] and [[Bombardier Flexity Swift]]
* [[Siemens S70]]
* [[Stadler Citylink]]


== Train-tram ==
* [[Bombardier]]'s [[Flexity Link]]
[[File:Zwickau TrainTram.jpg|thumb|The ''[[Zwickau Model]]'' has main-line lightweight diesel tram-trains running through urban streets.]]
* [[Bombardier]]-[[Adtranz]] A32.
* [[ALSTOM]]'s Regio-[[Citadis]]


=== Europe ===

* [[Zwickau]]: [[Trams in Zwickau]] [[Trams in Nordhausen|–]] on-board [[diesel generator]] (light-weight [[RegioSprinter]] diesel [[railbuses]] that also operate on street tramway)

=== North America ===
*[[Austin, Texas]]: [[Capital MetroRail]] – [[commuter rail]] that shares more commonality with train-tram operation, with downtown [[street running]] and usage of mainline track. Uses [[diesel multiple unit]]s.


== See also ==
== See also ==
* [[Grooved rail]]
* [[Light rail]]
* [[Stadtbahn]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}


== External links ==
* [[Karlsruhe model]]
* [http://www.lightrail.nl/TramTrain TramTrain - the 2nd generation: Searching for the 'ideal' TramTrain-city]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110207170146/http://www.draemmli.info/report-mulhouse_e.html New TramTrain for Mulhouse - Reportage and images] ''(English/German)''
* [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]


{{Trams}}
[[Category:Rail transport]]
[[Category:Public transport]]
{{Public transport}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Electric public transport]]
[[de:Tram-Train]]
[[Category:Passenger rail transport]]
[[fr:Tram-train]]
[[nl:Tram-train]]
[[pl:Tramwaj dwusystemowy]]

Latest revision as of 06:05, 9 December 2024

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.
"Train-tram" redirects here. For the Siemens-Duewag train-tram, see RegioSprinter.
A tram-train on street
Stadtbahn street running, in Heilbronn
A tram-train on railway
Stadtbahn on main-line railway
A tram-train on street
Kassel RegioTram dual voltage DC/AC Alstom RegioCitadis next to a KVG Bombardier Flexity Classic tram at Königsplatz
A tram-train on railway
Kassel RegioTram dual mode diesel/electric Alstom RegioCitadis approaching Wolfhagen using diesel power, on main-line railway
A tram-train on street
A "DUO" Combino on the Nordhausen urban tramway, where it is electrically powered via overhead wires.
A tram-train at a railway station
A "DUO" Combino at Ilfeld station on the HSB rural railway, where it is powered by an onboard diesel engine.
A tram-train on street
A tram-train in Rome, Italy
A tram-train on street
A tram-train in Sassari, Italy

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.[1]

The modern tram-train concept was pioneered by the German city of Karlsruhe in the late 1980s,[2] resulting in the creation of the Karlsruhe Stadtbahn. This concept is often referred to as the Karlsruhe model,[1] and it has since been adopted in other cities such as Mulhouse in France[1] and in Kassel, Nordhausen and Saarbrücken in Germany.[2]

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

[edit]

The tram-train often is a type of interurban[3] — that is, they link separate towns or cities, according to George W. Hilton and John F. Due's definition.[4]

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

[edit]

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 first interurban to emerge in the United States was the Newark and Granville Street Railway in Ohio, which opened in 1889. In 1924, in Hobart, Australia, sharing of tracks between trams and trains was proposed.[5]

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. An exception is the United States' River Line in New Jersey, which runs along freight tracks with time separation; passenger trains run by day, and freight by night.

Existing systems

[edit]

Asia

[edit]

Japan

[edit]

Europe

[edit]

Austria

[edit]

Denmark

[edit]

France

[edit]

Germany

[edit]

Hungary

[edit]

Italy

[edit]

Netherlands

[edit]

Portugal

[edit]

Spain

[edit]

United Kingdom

[edit]
England
[edit]
Wales
[edit]

North America

[edit]

Proposed systems

[edit]

Africa

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

Asia

[edit]

Europe

[edit]

Oceania

[edit]

South America

[edit]

Vehicles

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Models of tram designed for tram-train operation include:

Train-tram

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The Zwickau Model has main-line lightweight diesel tram-trains running through urban streets.

Europe

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North America

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Tram-train: Making new connections". tautonline.com. Tramways & Urban Transit. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Uk tram-train: Learning lessons". tautonline.com. Tramways & Urban Transit. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  3. ^ "UrbanRail.Net > Europe > Germany > Hessen > Kassel Tram / Straßenbahn".
  4. ^ Hilton, George Woodman; Due, John Fitzgerald (2000) [1960]. The Electric Interurban Railways in America. Stanford University Press. Original preface, 1960 page ix.
  5. ^ "TRAMS AND TRAINS". The Mercury. Hobart, Tasmania. 12 February 1924. p. 6. Retrieved 21 April 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ "TRAUNSEETRAM - Stern & Hafferl Verkehr".
  7. ^ "Aarhus tram-train project gets the go-ahead". Railway Gazette International. 10 May 2012.
  8. ^ Haydock, David (April 2011). "France's first real tram train". Today's Railways. Platform 5 Publishing Ltd. pp. 37–40.
  9. ^ "Tram-Train for Haifa-Nazareth.(Transit News)". Archived from the original on 2014-06-29.
  10. ^ "Tram-trains may also run between Debrecen and Oradea in the future". www.debrecen.hu. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  11. ^ Place North West (7 January 2019). "Metrolink heads to Stalybridge and Middleton in 2040 expansion". Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  12. ^ "Planovane-modernizacie-elektrickovych-trati-MET-a-Integrovany-dopravny-system-IDS" (PDF).
  13. ^ "Agency Strategic Initiative" (PDF).
  14. ^ "Jöhet a Szeged-Szabadka tram-train, megjelent a tender – Szegedi hírek". Szeged365 (in Hungarian). 2021-12-02. Retrieved 2022-01-04.
  15. ^ "Szeged-Makó elővárosi közösségi közlekedés vizsgálata - Döntéselőkészítő Tanulmány (Közlekedés - Pro-Urbe - V-Plan - Uvaterv - Unitef)". Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2012-12-22.
  16. ^ Adelaidemetro.com.au Archived July 21, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  17. ^ "El tren tranvía ya tiene la firma para arrancar - Cali - Colombia - ELTIEMPO.COM".
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