Second longest tramway in the world?

[Comstock]

It's surprisingly difficult to find a list of the world's longest tramways. Wikipedia suggests the Belgium coastal tramway is the world's longest, but it gives no indication of the second, third etc longest......

 

[30907]

Defining longest is difficult, as most networks are multiple-route rather than A to B like Kusttram. The Silesian interurbans are a likely candidate at 50km according to Wikipedia.

 

[theageofthetra]

When they open later this year the extensions on Denvers system could bring it into contention.

 

[Mojo]

I thought that the Tramway in Melbourne, Australia was the longest in the world? They have around 250km of double track.

 

[jopsuk]

Defining longest is difficult, as most networks are multiple-route rather than A to B like Kusttram. The Silesian interurbans are a likely candidate at 50km according to Wikipedia.

Even on complex systems, "route kilometres" should be easy to define, as should be "longest single service". Perhaps someone could carry out the research to put together such lists on Wikipedia? The Melbourne article already has:

It is the largest urban tramway network in the world,[3] ahead of the networks in St. Petersburg (205 km), Amsterdam and Upper Silesia (both 200 km), Berlin (190 km), Moscow (181 km) and Vienna (172 km).[4]

 

[edwin_m]

Some of the Karlsruhe tram-train routes exceed 100km, mostly on heavy rail track though.

 

[Comstock]

Some of the Karlsruhe tram-train routes exceed 100km, mostly on heavy rail track though.

Perhaps that is the biggest problem, defining what constitutes a tram and what isn't.

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

Don't take Wiki's word for it.
Chech LRTA or another source.
Anyone could easily make Blackpool the longest to get tourists etc.
There was over a year when Hong Kong was claimed to be the only double deck tramway before the current version.

 

[Gordon]

Defining the longest tram route is easy. A "tram route" is the normal UK term for a single part of a tramway network, usually defined by a number. In other words, you get on at one terminus of eg 'Route 6' and stay on the same tram and go all the way to the other terminus of 'route 6'.

Thanks to long interconnecting networks and through working there were once some very long single tram journeys possible in Britain, and indeed Blackpool is still pretty long end to end.

I'm fairly confident Kussttram is the longest now. In the communist era Silesian routes were very long but I can't honestly remember if they were single tram journeys.

In recent years Basel has entered the fray in long tram routes, with BLT route 10 now running Dornach - Basel City - Rodersdorf. this is 26km long.



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[WatcherZero]

Kassel for example is 184km long but has only 28 vehicles.

Surprisingly Manchester has something like the fifth or sixth largest fleet in Europe according to Tranways and Urban Transit while being only about 20th in tramway length.

 

[30907]

Defining the longest tram route is easy. A "tram route" is the normal UK term for a single part of a tramway network, usually defined by a number. In other words, you get on at one terminus of eg 'Route 6' and stay on the same tram and go all the way to the other terminus of 'route 6'.

I'm fairly confident Kussttram is the longest now. In the communist era Silesian routes were very long but I can't honestly remember if they were single tram journeys.

On that definition you are correct. The 50km figure I mentioned seems to be between the two extremities, and the longest actual route is only 22.4km, so not spectacularly long..

 

[Gordon]

Surprisingly Manchester has something like the fifth or sixth largest fleet in Europe

That can't be correct surely?

Just thinking very quickly, Zurich, Basel and fairly obviously Wien came straight to mind, and grabbing a nearby Swiss/Austrian tram atlas confirmed it, all three have bigger fleets than Manchester, and that's just two small countries. There are large fleets in Milano, Torino, Roma, many German cities , Warsaw etc


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[Taunton]

The longest continuous old-time tramway in Britain was from Liverpool right through to Stockport and Hyde. There was no single through service but a number of overlapping ones of the different operators. Stockport once borrowed a Liverpool vehicle and that was indeed driven all the way across and back.

 

[Stonesourscotty]

As some say the tram train routes can't be included can the 96 route in Melbourne be included and the 109 as from my eyes they look like converted train routes like the Bury/Altrincham lines

 

[iainbhx]

As some say the tram train routes can't be included can the 96 route in Melbourne be included and the 109 as from my eyes they look like converted train routes like the Bury/Altrincham lines

Only a short part of the 96 is the old St Kilda Railway line. Most of it is street running. It's a nice run out to a lovely place.

 

[radamfi]

In recent years Basel has entered the fray in long tram routes, with BLT route 10 now running Dornach - Basel City - Rodersdorf. this is 26km long.

I went on that line the other day. The odd thing is, it is shown on the SBB map as a railway

https://www.sbb.ch/content/sbb/en/d...oadList/geltungsbereich_.spooler.download.pdf

I had a 3 day Swiss Pass so I was going out of my way to use lines not valid on Interrail as the Swiss Pass is £50 more expensive. I didn't realise it was a tram until I saw it wasn't on the departure boards at Basel SBB. It was well worth the trip as it goes well into the countryside. Another curiosity is that the penultimate stop is in France, and then it goes back into Switzerland for the last stop at Rodersdorf.

 

[30907]

Shown as railway on the S and W atlas, and was built as such though IIRC it ran into the city centre overy tram lines from the beginning (though i don't think across the city as today).
Having the status of a railway (at both ends) presumably affects the legislation it has to adhere to - that's the case in Germany anyway.

 

[Gordon]

I went on that line the other day. The odd thing is, it is shown on the SBB map as a railway
I didn't realise it was a tram until I saw it wasn't on the departure boards at Basel SBB. .

The Basel - Rodersdorf line was built as a light railway, the Birsigtalbahn. The Basel - Aesch/Dornach routes were also built as 'railways' (The Birseckbahn). Hence their appearance on the SBB map.

Incidentally I don't agree that tram-trains should not be included in the 'longest tram route' discussion.

There has always been a problem worldwide with the definition/parameters of tramways versus light railways versus interurbans etc. How light is light, how heavy is heavy etc. Many urban systems (including Glasgow) have/had extensive reserved track with railway like features. Many sections of the already discussed Kusttram are also on reserved formation.

The received wisdom on this has changed over the years, and the technological coming together of light railway and tramway technology and vehicles in the last 25 years or so has further changed things.

The result in the 21st century (that I think most experts in the field would agree with) is that any route operated with a tram-like vehicle which includes a section of city street track, or city centre reserved track would be included in a list of 'tram' routes. Croydon and Manchester have sections of former heavy rail alignment but they are most definitely trams.
Bern route 6 to Worb Dorf now encompasses street tramway and what was the VBW - an 'interurban light railway' (but which used to run part way into the city on tram tracks even with the original 'heavier' light railway stock).

Incidentally Basel tram route 14 to Pratteln was also originally built as a 'railway' but has long since been considered a tramway - a typical example of the conundrum...

Shown as railway on the S and W atlas, and was built as such though IIRC it ran into the city centre overy tram lines from the beginning .

No, the Birsigtalbahn (BTB) terminated at a station at Heuwaage. It was linked up to the tram network in 1986 as part of the program to 'tramify' the BTB, at which time the light railway type vehicles were sold to the AOMC at Aigle



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