Trams in Shenyang
 Shenyang Trams in the 1930s | |||||||||
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Shenyang, People's Republic of China  | ||||||||
| Open | 15 August 2013 | ||||||||
| Lines | 3 | ||||||||
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| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge | ||||||||
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Shenyang, a major industrial city on the Hun River in northeast China has returned its tramway as a modern tram system.
Shenyang once had a standard steel wheeled tramway network. Unlike other Chinese towns & cities, Shenyang's tram system was not opened directly as an electric tram. The tram service was completely stopped in 1973. Tram returned in Shenyang in 2013.
History
A horse tramway was opened at Shenyang in 1907, and later the it was planned for electrification. The Japanese started electrification in March 1924, and finally electric tramway opened in Oct. 1925. From Huai door to Taiqinggong to a small west gate of the first line and opened to traffic. In November 1925, a small tram to the west gate of the opening section of the West Tower. In 1926 Sino-Japanese joint venture opened tram traffic, starting at Mukden railway station, the west end is a small door . From 1920s to 1945 accounting period ended, a total of six Shenyang tram routes was in operation.
After 1945 defeat of Japan , the country's total bipartisan see-saw fighting in Shenyang, trams run under severe impact. Civil war during the period January 12, 1946, causing the city's power supply cut off, and the tram service was suspended. In October 5, 1947, the urban power shortage, two main tram routes in East & West was suspended again. In November 1948, the KMT in Shenyang defeat, in the city days started aircraft bombing, strafing, resulting in Shenyang full 24.6 kilometers of tram 6 again outage. The PLA Shenyang Military Control Commission tissue repair Special City, November 6, 1948 Great East Gate to Shenyang station line was opened; In December 12, 1948, six routes was fully recovered.
People's Republic of China after the establishment of Shenyang has 170 trams, ranking first in the country. But a ddition of the war damage, traffic congestion also grew rapidly. Starting of bus & taxi service grew very rapidly. The number of private cars also increased very much, and especially many streets, which were ideal for tram, now started occupying by motor vehicles. Tramcars were not modernized for many decades, and basically the 1930's electric cars were still running in the 1970’s. On that time buses and trolleybuses started faster & smoother journey with modern buses, whereas trams were still slower, single coach and many backdated features like trolley pole etc., so looked outdated. Under maintenance of tracks caused some derailments and bumpy rides, which were not liked by commuters. Due to the wars between China & Japan, reconstruction of Shenyang became urgent, and for this program, many streets were necessary for widening. The transport authority thought that a slow tram transport with fast bus transport on middle of a wide road will cause many problems for smoother city transportation. The tramway had little comfort and was slow because it was caught in the traffic jam caused by the cars, rickshaws etc. The tracks were also outdated, noisy and in the middle of the street. Cars had to pass the tramway on the right, causing danger for the pedestrians boarding and alighting the tramway. By justifying all ways, transport department decided to close the tram network and replace it with trolleybus service
With the emergence of the first trolleybus line in Shenyang, the development of the tram gradually gave way to the trolleybus. August 1, 1974, Shenyang station to Taiqinggong tram lines were removed, Shenyang original tram system bid farewell to the stage of history.
After closing tram network in early '70, people of Shenyang thought the only unfashioned obstacle of smooth city traveling has removed, and the city can move faster than before, but it proved false some years later. Uncontrolled increasing of petrol vehicles like bus, taxicab, and private car started chocking the streets of Shenyang. Like most Asian countries, China suffered by many problems of developing countries, including pollution, traffic jam, illegal migration, low literacy and booming increasing of population etc. Increasing population started increasing urbanization of Shenyang, and it started increasing motor vehicles, which started increasing air & sound pollution, traffic jam & smog. From starting '80, all this problems started and at mid '90, inhabitants of Shenyang realized that non-controlling of motor vehicles & closure of tram was a great mistake. Although trolleybus is anslo a coppution free transportation, maintenance of that system was even higher than tram, because it run on rubber tyre, which damages faster than iron wheel. Many cities around the world like Tunis, Algiers, Oran, Sydney, Buenos Aires, Pyongyang, Dublin, Edinburgh, Athens, Bergen etc. also understood that error, and like them, two Chinese cities Tianjin & Shanghai also returned tram. Mainly looking Tianjin & Shanghai, Shenyang also planned for return of tram.
Downtown Shenyang was then so overcrowded by motor vehicles around 2000, so opening a tramway system were not possible there, so transport authority decided to construct it in the south of Hun He, which is in souther side of the main city. in 2011.
Past in a nutshell
- 1925 - Electric tram started running from 15th March.
- 1945 - Total six routes opened as a maximum extension of the network.
- 1974- The last tram ran.
- 2013 - Tram returned as modern system.
Fleet
Shenyang's tram was one of the modern tram in Asia. There were two closed type coaches. Electricity were drawn by bow collectors. However, after that tramway had very little upgrade and basically the 1930's electric cars were still running in the 1970's. These vehicles looked outdated compared to the new cars and buses that were then on the streets. That was one of the strong reasons of closure of the system.
Depots & termini
Huai door, Taiqinggong , West Gate Mukden Railway Station was some of the termini.
Alignment
All tram routes were on unreserved tracks and middle of the roads. Tramcars were caught in the traffic jam caused by the cars. The tracks were also outdated, noisy and in the middle of the street. Cars had to pass the tramway on the right, causing danger for the pedestrians boarding and alighting the tramway. Those were one of the strong reasons of closure of the system.
See also
Shenyang Tram - The second generation tram in Shenyang
Shen Fu Intercity Railway
Anren Tram
Qingdao Tram
Suzhou Tram
Tianjin Modern Tram - rubber tired tram of Tianjin
Shanghai Modern Tram - rubber tired tram of Shanghai
References
- ↑ "Shenyang Tramway". Railway-Technology. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
External links
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