Wikipedia

Tram-train

(Redirected from Tram train)
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.
Not to be confused with Train-tram.

A tram-train, also known as a dual-system tram,[1] is an interoperable 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]

A tram-train on street
Stadtbahn street running, in Heilbronn
A tram-train on railway
Stadtbahn on main-line railway

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]

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

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Kassel RegioTram dual voltage DC/AC Alstom RegioCitadis next to a KVG Bombardier Flexity Classic tram at Königsplatz
 
Kassel RegioTram dual mode diesel/electric Alstom RegioCitadis approaching Wolfhagen using diesel power, on main-line railway
 
A "DUO" Combino on the Nordhausen urban tramway, where it is electrically powered via overhead wires.
 
A "DUO" Combino at Ilfeld station on the HSB rural railway, where it is powered by an onboard diesel engine.
 
A tram-train in Rome, Italy
 
A tram-train in Sassari, Italy
 
A pair of Manchester Metrolink Bombardier M5000s on the street in Manchester City Centre, United Kingdom
 
A pair of Bombardier M5000s on the mainline, along with a Class 150 in the United Kingdom

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]

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

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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.[8]

Existing systems

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Asia

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Japan

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Europe

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Austria

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Denmark

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France

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Germany

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Hungary

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Italy

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Netherlands

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Portugal

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Spain

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United Kingdom

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North America

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Proposed systems

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Africa

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

Asia

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Europe

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Oceania

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South America

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Vehicles

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Models of tram designed for tram-train operation include:

Train-tram

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The Zwickau Model has lightweight diesel trains running through urban streets.
 
A train running on the street section of Keishin line.
See also: Street running train

Europe

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Japan

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North America

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ BATRAK, OLEKSANDR (2021-12-03). "First dual-system tram launched in Hungary". Railway Supply. Archived from the original on 2021-12-03. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  2. ^ "Suburban to City Centre travel: Is tram-train the solution?". dbesg.deutschebahn.com. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  3. ^ Assefa, Nuhamin G.; Carra, Martina; Ventura, Roberto; Richiedei, Anna; Barabino, Benedetto (2024-10-01). "Assessing Tram-Train feasibility via multicriteria approach: The case of Brescia (Italy)". Research in Transportation Business & Management. 56: 101178. doi:10.1016/j.rtbm.2024.101178. ISSN 2210-5395.
  4. ^ a b c d "Tram-train: Making new connections". tautonline.com. Tramways & Urban Transit. 14 January 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Uk tram-train: Learning lessons". tautonline.com. Tramways & Urban Transit. 16 February 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  6. ^ "UrbanRail.Net > Europe > Germany > Hessen > Kassel Tram / Straßenbahn".
  7. ^ Hilton, George Woodman; Due, John Fitzgerald (2000) [1960]. The Electric Interurban Railways in America. Stanford University Press. Original preface, 1960 page ix.
  8. ^ "TRAMS AND TRAINS". The Mercury. Hobart, Tasmania. 12 February 1924. p. 6. Retrieved 21 April 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ^ "TRAUNSEETRAM - Stern & Hafferl Verkehr".
  10. ^ "Aarhus tram-train project gets the go-ahead". Railway Gazette International. 10 May 2012. Archived from the original on 1 March 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
  11. ^ Haydock, David (April 2011). "France's first real tram train". Today's Railways. Platform 5 Publishing Ltd. pp. 37–40.
  12. ^ "Tram-Train for Haifa-Nazareth.(Transit News)". Archived from the original on 2014-06-29.
  13. ^ "Tram-trains may also run between Debrecen and Oradea in the future". www.debrecen.hu. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ "Planovane-modernizacie-elektrickovych-trati-MET-a-Integrovany-dopravny-system-IDS" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2015-12-08.
  16. ^ "Agency Strategic Initiative" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-08-26.
  17. ^ "Jöhet a Szeged-Szabadka tram-train, megjelent a tender – Szegedi hírek". Szeged365 (in Hungarian). 2021-12-02. Retrieved 2022-01-04.
  18. ^ "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.
  19. ^ "Battery-equipped trams with local styling ordered for TramCamp line". Metro Report International. 31 July 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
  20. ^ Adelaidemetro.com.au Archived July 21, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  21. ^ "El tren tranvía ya tiene la firma para arrancar - Cali - Colombia - ELTIEMPO.COM". 25 April 2018.
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