Trams in Arkhangelsk

Arkhangelsk tramway was a tramway system that operated in the Russian city of Arkhangelsk. The system operated from 1916 to 2004 (when the last line closed down).

History

Work on first tramway line started in 1914 and was opened on 26 June 1916. Until 1956 Arkhangelsk had two separate tramway networks - one running on the mainland and the other network running on the island of Solombala as there was no bridge for the trams over the Kuznechikha river. At some times during winter tracks were laid directly on the ice over the winter season (a similar method was used in St. Petersburg over some winters). Following the opening of the Kuznechevskiy Bridge in 1956, the two tramway networks were able to be connected.

With the demise of the Soviet Union, public transport services declined in many Russian cities. In Arkhangelsk, the Solombala network was shut down in 2000, the official reason being the bad condition of the Kuznechevskiy Bridge. Two years later there were severe cuts to the tramway lines on the mainland. The last tram returned to the depot on 21 July 2004. After this the tramway tracks were removed from the main streets.

Arhangelsk was the northernmost tramway system in the world. After it was shut down, this distinction went to the tramway in Trondheim, Norway

Stock

In the last years that the Arkhangelsk tramway operated the following trams were used:

LM-93 – 20 four-axle trams, manufactured between 1993 and 1999 by the Petersburg Tram Mechanical Factory
RVZ-6 - 1 tram

Before 2002 also 6 LVS-86T trams were used. One KTM-1 tram was saved from being scrapped and converted into a monument.

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