Tianjin
Tianjin is a direct-administered municipality in North China, northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the National Central City, nine national central cities, with a total population of 13,866,009 inhabitants at the time of the ...
, a major port and industrial center in China. Tianjin once had a standard steel-wheeled tramway network. But the original tram service was completely stopped in 1973. In 2006, tram service returned to Tianjin in the form of the
TEDA Modern Guided Rail Tram.
History
Tianjin was the first city to have its own citywide tram system (operated by Municipal Corporation) in China. It was the second electric tramway of
mainland China
"Mainland China", also referred to as "the Chinese mainland", is a Geopolitics, geopolitical term defined as the territory under direct administration of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the aftermath of the Chinese Civil War. In addit ...
, third if the at the time British colonized
Hong Kong
Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
was counted and is one of the oldest tram networks in Asia. It was built by Belgian interests during the foreign concession period in 1901, and recognized by the Chinese authorities in 1904. Electric trams were put in place on 16 February 1906. The first line was long and single track and was double tracked in 1907. A second line opened in 1908. Routes were gradually added, reaching five lines by 1918 and peaking in 1946 with eight lines.
Buses were introduced by the municipality in 1932. But from the mid-1950s, traffic congestion on the tram network grew rapidly with the increasing number of private cars. From 1964 to 1973, Tianjin gradually demolished all its tram lines.
Timeline
* 1906 – Electric tram started running from 16 January.
* 1933 – Tram service expanded to 14.4 km.
* 1972 – The last tram ran.
* 2006 – Tram returned as modern rubber tired system in
TEDA area of Tianjin.
Tram routes
Beside electric trams, a horse tramway was also constructed, which connected the city with a large arsenal to the east.
Fleet
When first tram opened, all stocks were open type. There were only minimal roof, mostly top opened. Around 1930, newer stocks arrived. Windows added, and a more closed trailer was introduced especially in the peak hours.
See also
*
TEDA Modern Guided Rail Tram – The first rubber tired tram in Asia
*
Zhangjiang Tram
Zhangjiang Tram was a tram network operating in Shanghai that utilised a Translohr system. Shanghai originally had a steel wheeled electric tramway network in its urban center. Routes expanded gradually and reached largest extent in 1925 wit ...
, rubber tired tram of Shanghai (similar to Tianjin's current system)
*
Tianjin Metro
The Tianjin Metro or Tianjin Rail Transit is the rapid transit system in the city of Tianjin, which was the second city in mainland China after Beijing to operate a subway system (the Beijing Subway opened in 1971). First opened in 1984, the ...
*
Dalian tram
*
Hong Kong tram
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trams In Tianjin
Tianjin
Tianjin is a direct-administered municipality in North China, northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the National Central City, nine national central cities, with a total population of 13,866,009 inhabitants at the time of the ...
Transport in Tianjin