Trams In Munich
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The Munich tramway () is the
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 network for the city of
Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
in
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
. Today it is operated by the municipally owned Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft (the Munich Transport Company, or MVG) and is known officially and colloquially as the ''Tram''. Previous operators have included ''Société Anonyme des Tramways de Munich'', the ''Münchner Trambahn-Aktiengesellschaft'', the ''Städtische Straßenbahnen'' and the ''Straßenbahn München''. The tram network interconnects with the MVG's bus network, the
Munich U-Bahn The Munich U-Bahn () is an Railway electrification system, electric rail Rapid transit, rapid transit network in Munich, Germany. The system began operation in 1971, and is operated by the municipally owned Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft (MVG; Mun ...
and the
Munich S-Bahn The Munich S-Bahn () is an Railway electrification system, electric rail transit system in Munich, Germany. "S-Bahn" is the German abbreviation for ''Stadtschnellbahn'' (literally, "urban rapid rail"), and the Munich S-Bahn exhibits characteris ...
, all of which use a common tariff as part of the
Münchner Verkehrs- und Tarifverbund The (MVV; Munich Transport and Tariff Association) is the transit authority of the city of Munich, the capital of the German state of Bavaria. Its jurisdiction covers the city and its surrounding area, responsible for the Munich S-Bahn commute ...
(Munich Transport and Tariff Association, or MVV) transit area. As of 2012, the daytime tram network comprises 13 lines and is long with 165 stops. There is also a night tram service with four routes. The network is operated by 106 trams (as of 2012), and transported 98 million people in 2010 and 104 million people in 2012.


History

The tramway started in 1876, with a
horsecar A horsecar, horse-drawn tram, horse-drawn streetcar (U.S.), or horse-drawn railway (historical), is a tram or streetcar pulled by a horse. Summary The horse-drawn tram (horsecar) was an early form of public transport, public rail transport, ...
service. The first tramways extended from
Karlsplatz (Stachus) Stachus is a large square in central Munich, Bavaria. The square was officially named Karlsplatz in 1797 after the unpopular Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria. Munich natives seldom use that name, calling the square instead ''Stachus'', aft ...
, which remains one of central nodes of Munich's tram network. Two years later, the ''Société Anonyme des Tramways de Munich'' was founded. In 1882, the ''Münchner Trambahn-Aktiengesellschaft'' (MTAG) was founded. Electric trams were introduced by Union-Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft in 1895. In 1900, the last horsecar was taken out of service. In 1907, MTAG was taken over by the city, and changed its name to ''Städtische Straßenbahnen''. In 1919, the municipal agency ''Münchner Straßenbahnen'' was established. After World War II ended in 1945, only twenty tram lines remained; of 444 trams, only 168 were in operational condition. In 1956, the first new tram line after the war was opened. The
1972 Munich Olympic Games The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and officially branded as Munich 1972 (; ), were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. It was the ...
presaged a major expansion of public transport in the city. In 1965, construction of the
Munich U-Bahn The Munich U-Bahn () is an Railway electrification system, electric rail Rapid transit, rapid transit network in Munich, Germany. The system began operation in 1971, and is operated by the municipally owned Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft (MVG; Mun ...
, the city's
rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT) or heavy rail, commonly referred to as metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport that is generally built in urban areas. A grade separation, grade separated rapid transit line below ground su ...
system, was started. It opened in 1971, the same year as the transit authority MVV was founded. In 1972 a new S-Bahn network opened that, like the U-Bahn, was carried in new tunnels under the city centre. As these networks grew, they seemed to threaten the tram network, with extensive line closures in favour of the new modes. Such closures continued into the 1990s, but in 1991 the city council passed a plan to upgrade and modernize the tramway, as the trams were seen to be a better fit to expected passenger flows on many routes. Three years later, Class R2
low-floor tram A low-floor tram is a tram that has no steps between one or more entrances and part or all of the passenger cabin. The low-floor design improves the accessibility of the tram for the public, and also may provide larger windows and more airspace. ...
s were introduced, along with a night network. These were followed, in 1999, by the larger Class R3 trams. In 2001, the voltage on which the trams operate was increased from 600 to 750 V. The following year the MVG was formed. In 2009 the brand new route 23 was opened. This route acts as a feeder route for U-Bahn lines U3 and U6, to which it connects in an elaborate terminus above Münchner Freiheit U-Bahn station. The line has no interchanges with other tram routes, but is linked to the rest of the tram network by a connecting track that carries no public service. At the same time, February 2009, class S trams, built to the Stadler Variobahn design, were introduced. In December 2011 an extension was opened from the previous Effnerplatz terminus to St. Emmeram. The extension was long and added seven new tram stops to the network. Tram route 16 was extended to serve St. Emmeram, with knock-on effects on routes 17, 18 and 27. In December 2012 new routes 22 and 28 were opened. In December 2013, the extension of route 19, from its previous terminus at Pasing-Marienplatz to München-Pasing railway station, was opened in order to enable better interchange with S-Bahn and long-distance train services. In December 2016, route 25 was extended to the east of the city, from Max Weber Platz to Berg am Laim S-Bahn station. The extension comprises of segregated alignment with seven new stops, and a journey time of approximately eight minutes. The area served is undergoing redevelopment.


Operation


Vehicles

The tram system uses five types of tram: *The Class P tram is a two-section high-floor articulated tram carried on two four-wheeled trucks, usually operating with a similar articulated trailer tram. They were built by Rathgeber between 1967 and 1969. One two-car set carries 315 passengers, with 151 seated. , six sets remained in service, of which two are reserved for special services. The Class P tram was withdrawn in November 2014 for a short time. *The Class R2 tram is a three-section 100% low-floor articulated tram carried on six axles. The trams were built by
Adtranz Adtranz was a multi-national rail transportation equipment manufacturer with facilities concentrated in Europe and the US. The company, legally known as ABB Daimler-Benz Transportation, was created in 1996 as a joint venture between ABB and Daim ...
to their GT6N design between 1994 and 1997. Each tram has a capacity of 157 passengers, of whom 58 are seated. As of 2011, 68 trams are in service, operating on all lines. *The Class R3 tram is a four-section 100% low-floor articulated tram carried on eight axles. The trams were built by
Adtranz Adtranz was a multi-national rail transportation equipment manufacturer with facilities concentrated in Europe and the US. The company, legally known as ABB Daimler-Benz Transportation, was created in 1996 as a joint venture between ABB and Daim ...
to their GT8N2 design between 1999 and 2001. Each tram has a capacity of 218 passengers, of whom 67 are seated. As of 2011, 20 trams are in service, operating on lines 17, 19, 20, 21, 27, and also 25 on school holidays and weekend. *The Class S tram is a five-section 100% low-floor articulated tram carried on six axles. The trams were built by Stadler to their Variobahn design. They have a capacity of 221 passengers, of whom 75 are seated. Four trams of this design were delivered in 2011, and a further 10 are on order, with delivery expected in 2011. *The Class T trams are 100% low-floor articulated trams with two-, three- or four sections. They were built by
Siemens Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational technology conglomerate. It is focused on industrial automation, building automation, rail transport and health technology. Siemens is the largest engineering company in Europe, and holds the positi ...
to their Avenio design. The first tram was delivered to Munich in November 2012. The first Avenios entered service on 17 September 2014 on line 19. A number of older trams are still owned by the MVG. Some are exhibited in the MVG Museum, and may occasionally be seen on special services. Other Munich trams are displayed in the 'Verkehrszentrum' (Transport Centre) of the
Deutsches Museum The Deutsches Museum (''German Museum'', officially (English: ''German Museum of Masterpieces of Science and Technology'')) in Munich, Germany, is the world's largest museum of science museum, science and technology museum, technology, with a ...
in Munich.


Class M

The first four M1.62 trams and two m1.62 trailers were delivered by Rathgeber and Westwaggon in 1949 and 1950. Based on the experience with the M1.62, eight M2.63 trams were delivered from 1951 to 1953. These trams had a different door arrangement than its predecessor. Additionally, eight m2.65 trailers were delivered by Rathgeber and Westwaggon in 1951 and 1952. From 1953 to 1955, 100 type M3.64 trams were built by Rathgeber. From 1956 to 1959, 98 more M4.65 trams were delivered, and from 1963 to 1965, 75 M5.65 trams were delivered. The M tram fleet also had a total of 191 m3 and m4 trailers. In 1975, the entire type M2 fleet was withdrawn due to the reduction of the tram network. The last day of regular services with type M trams was on 7 December 1998. File:Muenchen-mvv-tramlinie-9-m465-612361.jpg, Two Class M trams in August 1974 File:Rathgeber M.565 service car number 2518.jpg, M5.65 in Bucharest, rebuilt as a service tram


Class P

Two experimental articulated trams, designated as P1.65, were built by Rathgeber in 1959 and 1960. Since two conductors were required for them, the P1.65 were too uneconomical and no further sets were ordered. In 1965, two prototype articulated trams were delivered by Rathgeber, built under license from Hansa Waggonbau of Bremen. They were designated as P2.12 and P2.13. After the prototypes proved successful, between 1966 and 1968 a total of 42 P3.16 trams were built. A total of 40 p2.14, p2.15 and p3.17 trailers were built by Rathgeber between 1964 and 1968. The type P2 trams were decommissioned in 1982 (motored cars) and 1989 (trailers). Since the 1990s, after delivery of the successor type R3.3, the P3 trains are retired. Between 2001 and 2003, many cars were sold to Romania for use on the Timişoara tram system and the Bucharest tram system. Other trains were scrapped or given to private interested parties. After temporarily only one car had been used in regular service, six P3.16 cars and five trailers were in regular use again in mid-2014. One motor-car was preserved as an inoperable exhibit at the MVG Museum. It was disassembled as a spare parts donor in early 2016. File:Munich Tram P1.jpg, P1.65 at the Hanover tramway museum in 1996 File:Strassenbahn-muenchen-p3-hanauer-str.jpg, P3.16 in Munich File:MVG museum 13.JPG, ''2009'' at the MVG Museum in March 2012 File:Rathgeber P 2037, tram line 4, Timișoara, 2007.jpg, Class P tram in Timișoara in 2007 File:Rathgeber P3.16 2008 at Sf. Georghe square (2).jpg, P3.16 in Bucharest in October 2017


Class R

Three prototypes of a three-section low-floor tram of the Adtranz low floor design were ordered for evaluation. The three cars were delivered 1990/91 and formed the R1.1. series. The cars had two joints and three self-supporting steel car bodies. The three R1.1 cars are no longer part of MVG's fleet since they were returned to the manufacturer. Between 1994 and 1997, a total of 70 three-section low-floor trams were procured, designated as R2.2 series. Towards the end of the 1990s, additional low-floor vehicles with a higher capacity than the R2.2 series were purchased. 20 R3.3 series trams were delivered between 1999 and 2001. Although the R3.3 is based directly on the R2.2, it features a different front design and more doors. Since 2010, around 50 R2.2 trains have been refurbished by a subsidiary of Leipziger Verkehrsbetriebe. File:Strassenbahn-muenchen-r2-2121-borstei.jpg, Unrefurbished R2.2 tram in April 2009 File:Strassenbahn Haltestelle Rosenheimerplatz (Stein Str.) - geo.hlipp.de - 26514.jpg, Refurbished R2.2b in August 2012 File:Munich - Tramways - Septembre 2012 - IMG 6967.jpg, R3.3 in September 2012


Class S

The Class S tram is an articulated tram built by
Stadler Rail Stadler Rail AG is a Swiss manufacturer of railway rolling stock, with an original emphasis on regional train multiple units and trams, but moving also into Rapid transit, mass rapid transit, High-speed rail, high speed, Inter-city rail, interci ...
to its Variobahn design. The five-section 100% low-floor trams have a total length of . The first delivered S-Tram, number 2301, was used for the first time in Munich on 19 March 2009 for a press tour. A total of 14 trams were built between 2008 and 2011. The vehicles are designed for 221 passengers each. The top speed is . After numerous technical problems with its running gears, MVG cancelled the further order and switched to Siemens Avenio for their next generation tram, the T1 tram.


Class T

In May 2014, MVG announced a prequalification procedure in which interested manufacturers can submit vehicle designs to the proposals. Due to the increasing ridership, trams were tendered to be able to operate in multiple, reaching a total length of 48 meters. The double traction trains, which are to consist of two coupled tramways, should provide space for 270 passengers. However, for these trains to be able to travel, the stops still need to be extended. The trams were expected to join the Munich fleet in 2017. In October 2015, MVG finally commissioned 22 more Avenio trams from Siemens. Nine two-car and three-car trams were ordered, which can be coupled with each other. Four four-car trams also have been ordered. The contract also includes an option for up to 124 further trams. The 22 new trams will be delivered from mid-2017. File:Avenio in Munich (geschnitten).JPG, First-generation Avenio File:München, MVG-Betriebshof, zwei Avenio-Generationen, 1.jpeg, Differences in front design (left: second-generation Avenio) File:Hohenlohe Süd - Siemens Avenio - 2018-05-24 08-06-17.jpg, Three-section Avenio on delivery File:Hohenlohe Süd - Siemens Avenio - 2018-05-24 08-07-11.jpg, Two-section Avenio on delivery


Network

As of 2012, the Munich tram network comprises thirteen daytime routes and four night routes. The tram network totals of route length, including of segregated tram lane, with 165 stops. The network is
standard gauge A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), international gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge in Europe, and SGR in East Africa. It is the ...
track and configured to allow a maximum body width of . It is electrified using
overhead lines An overhead line or overhead wire is an electrical cable that is used to transmit electrical energy to electric locomotives, Electric multiple unit, electric multiple units, trolleybuses or trams. The generic term used by the International Union ...
at 750 VDC. As all Munich trams are single ended, facilities for turning trams, such as turning loops or wye tracks, are provided at all termini and strategic intermediate points.


Daytime routes

The daytime route network operates between 04:45 and 01:30, and comprises the following routes:


Night routes

The night route network operates between 01:30 and 04:30, and comprises the following routes:


Future developments


Westtangente

The new Westtangente line is meeting the demand for a crosstown transportation in the west, serving five municipalities: Neuhausen-Nymphenburg, Laim, Sendling-Westpark, Hadern, and Thalkirchen-Obersendling-Forstenried-Fürstenried-Solln. The new line follows mostly the current Metrobus 51 and the 1928 tram extension plan. The line will have seventeen stops with subway transfer points at Aidenbachstraße station (southern terminus), Holzapfelkreuth station,
Laimer Platz station Laimer Platz is an U-Bahn station in Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. ...
, and München-Laim S-Bahn station along with Tram line 12 and lines 16 and 17 at Romanplatz (northern terminus), Tram line 18 at Agnes-Bernauer-Straße, and Tram line 19 at Ammerseestraße. The passengers can transfer to Tram line 12 for further journey to Schwabing, bypassing the city centre. The line number has not been assigned yet. The €170 million Euro construction approved on 21 March 2018 is expected to begin in 2024 and completed by 2027 the latest.


Nordtangente (Englischer Garten)

Another new tram line project in discussion is the ''Nordtangente'' (North Tangent) across the
Englischer Garten The ''Englischer Garten'' (, ''English Garden'') is a large public park in the centre of Munich, Bavaria, stretching from the city centre to the northeastern city limits. It was created in 1789 by Sir Benjamin Thompson (1753–1814), later Coun ...
, linking Elisabethplatz (Trams lines 27 and 28) in the west with terminus at Romanplatz and Tivolistraße (Tram line 16) in the east with terminus at St. Emmeram. Additionally, the proposal also examines the possible southern extension of Tram line 23 to connect with the Nordtangente at Martiusstraße and Leopoldstraße intersection and eastern extension of Tram lines 16 and 17 to the Johanneskirchen S-Bahn station at Johanneskirchner Straße and Cosimastraße. The Englischer Garten tram line was proposed in 1927 but was immediately rejected by the city council. The proposal for the Nordtangente isn't without controversy due to the feasibility of running trams through the busy thoroughfare and potential damage to the environment during the construction and after the service launch. Several buses (MetroBus 54, 58, and 68 as well as local Bus 154) currently serve the 600-metre-long Englischer Garten thoroughfare, adding noise and congestion. Adding the tram line would cause safety hazard for pedestrians and cyclists who in a very large number share the same thoroughfare. The overhead lines could not be used due to the sensitive nature environment in Englischer Garten and due to many mature trees in close proximity. An initial proposal was to use the specially modified trams that run on batteries across Englischer Garten before reverting to overhead lines outside the park. MVG and
Stadler Rail Stadler Rail AG is a Swiss manufacturer of railway rolling stock, with an original emphasis on regional train multiple units and trams, but moving also into Rapid transit, mass rapid transit, High-speed rail, high speed, Inter-city rail, interci ...
modified one Class S tram with
lithium-ion batteries A lithium-ion or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery that uses the reversible intercalation of Li+ ions into electronically conducting solids to store energy. Li-ion batteries are characterized by higher specific energy, energy ...
for feasibility runs at
Velten Velten () is a town in the Oberhavel district of Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated 10 km southwest of Oranienburg, and 24 km northwest of Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by b ...
near
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
: this specially modified tram broke the world distance record by running on a test track. The Class S trams delivered to MVG in 2012 are designed to be retrofitted with batteries. After the success of ''Initiative M-ein Englischer Garten'', a grassroots movement to cover the portion of Mittleren Ring highway in Englischer Garten, the same grassroot movement group proposed a tram tunnel as the most optimal solution, citing the 1926 article in ''Bayerischen Umschau''. The €45 million tram tunnel is gaining traction as most favoured option for several reasons. The tram tunnel along with forthcoming Mittleren Ring tunnel would reunite the northern and southern Englischer Garten once again. The tunnel moves the tram and bus traffic underground, removing the noise and congestion. Without the traffic on the thoroughfare, the safety of pedestrians and cyclists is enhanced. As to reduce the construction cost by making tunnels lower in height, the overhead lines would not be installed in the tunnel. The trams would switch to battery power during the travel through tunnel before switching back to the overhead lines outside the park.


Further extensions

* Line 18: Extension to Blumenau in the West * Line 19: Extension to the Michaelibad in the east * Hauptbahnhof-Silberhornstraße: Like bus line 58 * Südtangente: From the Aidenbachstraße or the Waldfriedhof, the planned Westtangente via Harras, Brudermühlstraße and Candidplatz could be connected with the line 25 at the
Tegernseer Landstraße The Tegernseer Landstraße (nicknamed TeLa) is a street in the Obergiesing borough of Munich, Germany, which runs in a southeastern direction and is a total of 4.6 kilometers long. It begins in the north as a straight extension of the Regerstraße ...
and on line 17 at the Giesing station. * Line 19: Extension in the east to Trudering, from there possibly to Haar. * The line 17 south of Stadelheimer, Nauplia and Seybothstraße could be used instead of U-Bahn line U1 from Mangfallplatz to Krankenhaus Harlaching or the Großhesseloherbrücke. Since this route is currently served (2016) by a bus in the 20-minute clock is sufficiently unlikely. * From the route to St. Emmeram to one of the S-Bahn stations or . * Alte Messe – Nordbad: New route from the Schwanthalerhöhe station via Heimeran- and Schwanthalerstraße to the main station, where the route could be linked to the planning of Hauptbahnhof-Silberhornstraße. The route continues northwards through the Seidl and Schleissheimer Straße to the turning wye at the Nordbad. * From Munich Moosach station to Moosach or from the Westfriedhof to Untermenzing station * Line 23: Extension to the south to the planned north-tangente at the Giselastraße. From there, the line could be taken to the Elisabethplatz and further towards the city center. * An extension of the tram from St. Emmeram to
Unterföhring Unterföhring is a Municipalities of Germany, municipality in Upper Bavaria. It lies adjacent to the northeast side of Munich, and is one of the nearest suburbs to Munich's Marienplatz, central district. History Before the establishment of Munich ...
is unlikely because of the nature of the bridge which would be used over the Foehringer Ring and the narrow road in Unterföhring. * Olympia-Einkaufszentrum – St. Emmeram: New tangent in the north of Munich (like bus line 50) * Ostbahnhof- Neuperlach: Like bus line 55


References


External links


MVG web site (German language)

MVG web site (English language subset)
{{Coord, 48.1484, N, 11.4616, E, source:wikidata, display=title Munich
Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
Rail transport in Munich Transport in Munich
Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
750 V DC railway electrification