The Mendrisio electric tramway (, TEM) was a

metre gauge Metre-gauge railways ( US: meter-gauge railways) are narrow-gauge railways with track gauge of or 1 metre. Metre gauge is used in around of tracks around the world. It was used by several European colonial powers including France, Britain and ...

electric

tram A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States) is an urban rail transit in which Rolling stock, vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some ...

way in the

Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...

canton of Ticino Ticino ( ), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino, is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of eight districts and its capital city is Bellinzo ...

. It linked the town of

Chiasso Chiasso (; ) is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Mendrisio (district), Mendrisio in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Ticino in Switzerland. As Extreme points of Switzerland, the southernmost of Switzerland's ...

with

Riva San Vitale Riva San Vitale is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Ticino in Switzerland, located in the district of Mendrisio (district), Mendrisio. History Riva San Vitale is first mentioned in 774 as ' ...

, via

Balerna Balerna is a municipality in the district of Mendrisio in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. History Balerna is first mentioned in 1115 as ''Barerna''. In 844 and 865, the monastery of S. Ambrogio in Milan purchased land in the ''concilium'' of ...

Mendrisio Mendrisio (; ) is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Mendrisio (district), Mendrisio in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Ticino in Switzerland. Mendrisio is the seat of the Accademia di Architettura di Mendris ...

and

Capolago Capolago is a village situated at the south-eastern extremity of Lake Lugano, in the Swiss canton of Ticino. Originally a municipality in its own right, Capolago is now a quarter of the municipality of Mendrisio, itself part of the district of ...

. It was operated by the ''Società Tram Elettrici Mendrisiensi SA''. The line's southern terminus in Chiasso was adjacent to the border crossing with

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, and in Capolago it shared the same street outside

Capolago-Riva San Vitale railway station Capolago-Riva San Vitale railway station () is a railway station in the Swiss canton of Ticino. The station is in the village of Capolago, part of the municipality of Mendrisio, but, as its name suggests, also serves the adjoining municipality ...

with the

Monte Generoso railway The Monte Generoso Railway or Ferrovia Monte Generoso (MG) is a mountain railway line in the Italian language, Italian speaking cantons of Switzerland, canton of Ticino, in south-east Switzerland. The line runs from Capolago, on Lake Luga ...

. The track ran entirely within the street, and was electrified at 800 V DC. It had a length of , with 49 stops, a maximum gradient of 7.5% and a minimum radius of . The ''Società Tram Elettrici Mendrisiensi SA'' was incorporated in 1907, and construction started the following year, with the tramway opening in 1910. The line closed throughout in 1950, having closed between Riva San Vitale and Mendrisio in 1948. In 1953, the company changed its name to the ''Autolinea Mendrisiense SA'', and now operates Mendrisio's local bus service, including services covering much of the former route of the tramway. Very little remains of the tramway, although the line's main depot in Mendrisio was used by ''Autolinea Mendrisiense'' until 2010, and a smaller depot in Capolago is still used by them as a bus garage. After closure, several of the line's cars were sold to the

Lugano–Cadro–Dino railway The Lugano–Cadro–Dino railway (; LCD) was a Swiss metre gauge suburban railway that linked the towns of Lugano, Cadro and Dino, in the canton of Ticino. The line was opened in 1911. It was long, and was electrified at 1000 V DC using ...

, and one of these (Ce 2/2 3) has since been restored and is now on display at the Hotel Coronado in Mendrisio. Tram Elettrici Mendrisiensi 1908.jpg, Share of the Tram Elettrici Mendrisiensi, issued 1. January 1908 Tram Elettrici Mendrisiensi 1908 reverse side.jpg, Share of the Tram Elettrici Mendrisiensi, issued 1. January 1908, reverse side

References

External links

* {{Coord missing, Switzerland Closed railway lines in Switzerland

Metre-gauge railways in Switzerland Tram transport in Switzerland Transport in Ticino Chiasso