The Karlsruhe model is a

tram-train A tram-train is a type of light rail vehicle that meets the standards of a light rail system (usually an urban street running tramway), but which also meets national mainline standards permitting operation alongside mainline trains. This al ...

system which consists of

tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport ...

/ light rail trains and commuter/ regional rail trains running on the same set of tracks, generally between or outside of urban areas. It was initially developed and implemented in the city of

Karlsruhe Karlsruhe ( , , ; South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the third-largest city of the German state (''Land'') of Baden-Württemberg after its capital of Stuttgart and Mannheim, and the 22nd-largest city in the nation, with 308,436 inhabitants. ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

by the local transit authority, ''Karlsruher Verkehrsverbund'' (KVV).

Overview

Commencing service in 1992, the system in Karlsruhe has provided a connection between the regular

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a p ...

network and the city's local

network. The whole system is now called the

Karlsruhe Stadtbahn The Karlsruhe Stadtbahn is a German tram-train system combining tram lines in the city of Karlsruhe with railway lines in the surrounding countryside, serving the entire region of the middle upper Rhine valley and creating connections to neighbo ...

. Passengers may travel from distant towns such as Baden-Baden directly into the city centre of Karlsruhe, bridging the inconvenient distance between the main station and the city centre. For most trips, the number of train transfers has been reduced significantly. This model has led to the creation of similar

systems in other locations.

Other examples

A similar model has been connecting the city of Vienna with the Baden suburb since 1886 as Lokalbahn Wien-Baden. Other systems that have implemented the Karlsruhe model include: * City-Bahn Chemnitz, Germany *

Saarbahn The Saarbahn is a regional Stadtbahn operating on the tram-train principle in the German state of the Saarland. It consists of a core line in Saarbrücken and Riegelsberg operating under tram operating procedures ( BOStrab), connected to two line ...

, Germany *

Kassel RegioTram The Kassel RegioTram is a tram-train light rail system in Kassel, Hesse, Germany. Kassel's tram-train system follows the Karlsruhe model, and has been in full operation since 2007. With special RegioTram tramcars, continuous trips between ...

, Germany * Nordhausen tramway network, Germany * Tyne and Wear Metro,

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

RijnGouweLijn The RijnGouweLijn ( en, The Rhine-Gouwe Line), or RGL, was a proposed light rail project in South Holland, Netherlands, that used some new tracks and some existing tracks from the Gouda–Alphen aan den Rijn railway and the Woerden–Lei ...

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

RandstadRail RandstadRail () is a light rail network in the Rotterdam–The Hague metropolitan area in the west of the Netherlands that is jointly operated by HTM Personenvervoer (HTM) and Rotterdamse Elektrische Tram (RET). It connects the cities of Ro ...

, Netherlands * Athens Metro,

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...

* San Diego Trolley,

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

Alicante Tram The Alicante Tram, trademarked as Alicante Metropolitan TRAM ( ca-valencia, TRAM Metropolità d'Alacant}, es, TRAM Metropolitano de Alicante), operates in the Spanish city of Alicante ( Valencian Community) and its surrounding area. Like other ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

* Sheffield Supertram, United Kingdom In 2013, Adelaide Metro in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

proposed the PortLINK project, which would have featured the Karlsruhe model for 4.8 km of track between Bowden and Woodville, followed by another 4.2 km to Port Adelaide.

Train-trams

Zwickau Zwickau (; is, with around 87,500 inhabitants (2020), the fourth-largest city of Saxony after Leipzig, Dresden and Chemnitz and it is the seat of the Zwickau District. The West Saxon city is situated in the valley of the Zwickau Mulde (German: ' ...

, Germany has reversed the Karlsruhe model by extending Lightweight RegioSprinter diesel trains from the main-line railway onto the street tramway as train-trams ( Zwickau Model).

References

External links

Karlsruhe model project
includes extensive information on the history of Karlsruhe's Stadtbahn with a special focus on the development of the model

KVV operates rail service in the Karlsruhe region that runs as a fast train and flexibly as a tram in the city.

from SURBAN – database on sustainable urban development in Europe by the European Academy of the Urban Environment, Berlin {{DEFAULTSORT:Karlsruhe Model Passenger rail transport in Germany Rail transport operations Rail transport in Karlsruhe Transportation planning

Overview

Other examples

Train-trams

See also

References

External links