Trams in Sofia

Sofia tramway network
Operation
Locale Sofia, Bulgaria
Open 1 January 1901
Status In operation
Lines 14[1]
Owner(s) Capital (Sofia) municipality
Operator(s) Sofia Public Electrical Transport Company JSC
Infrastructure
Track gauge 1,009 mm (3 ft 3 2332 in) and
1,435 mm (4 ft 8 12 in)[2]
Stock 176[2]
Statistics
Track length (single) 308 km (191 mi)[2]
Route length ~154 km (96 mi)
Stops 165[1]

The Sofia tram network is a main public transportation facility in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. It began operation on January 1, 1901.[2] As of 2006, the tram system included approximately 308 kilometres (191 miles)[2] of narrow and standard gauge one-way track.[2] Most of the track is narrow gauge (1,009 mm (3 ft 3 2332 in)), with standard gauge (1,435 mm (4 ft 8 12 in)) used on lines 20, 22 and 23 and accounting for approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) of the system's track length.[2]

History

On 1 December 1898 the capital municipality gave concessions for building tram lines to French and Belgian companies. Construction took place for a little more than a year and the first tram line was inaugurated on 1 January 1901. Initially the population was served by 25 motor cars and 10 trailers which covered six lines with total length of 23 kilometres (14 mi) and gauge of 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 38 in) metre gauge.[2]

The network in 1909

In the period between 1901 and 1931 large numbers of motor cars and trailers were purchased from different European manufacturers. In 1931 Bulgaria started building their own carriages under the supervision of the engineer Teodosiy Kardalev. These were known as Kardalev's carriages. In 1936 the first Bulgarian motor cars were produced under the brand DTO (Дирекция на трамваите и осветлението - Direktsia na tramvaite i osvetlenieto: Department for trams and lighting, owned by Sofia municipality). Initially old frames were used for the production.[3]

In 1934 the first large tram depot was built in the Krasno selo district. In 1951 there was constructed a factory to build newer model tram cars. This tram manufacturer (known as Трамваен завод - Tramvaen zavod: Tram plant) was named "Трамкар" (Tramkar: Tram car) in 1990 and was a registered company Tramkar till 2008. Through 1959 it produced 155 DTO and Republika motors, which were the first fully Bulgarian-built trams. The last tram, T8M-900 was delivered in 1991 and is still in use.[2] Since then the factory has been used to repair and renovate old trams.

Sofia's first standard gauge tram line was opened in 1987. Until that time all lines were nominally metre gauge, but actually constructed to a width of 1,009 mm (3 ft 3 2332 in). Eight years later, in 1995, the second standard gauge line was finished. No other tram lines have been built since then, as Sofia has focused its efforts on the construction of its metro system.[2]

Tram lines

Sofia tramway network
1 Ivan Vazov - NDK - Macedonia sq. - Central station - Kn. M. Luiza Metro Station
3 Zaharna Fabrika - Konstantin Velichkov Metro Station - Central station - Orlandovtsi
4 Nikola Petkov - Macedonia sq. - Central station - Orlandovtsi
5 Knyazhevo - Krasno selo - Macedonia sq. - Sadebna palata
6 Lozenets - NDK - Macedonia sq. - Central station - Beli Dunav Metro Station - Obelya
7 Borovo - NDK - Macedonia sq. - Central station - Han Kubrat Metro Station
8 Lyulin-5 - Vardar Metro Station - Macedonia sq. - Sadebna palata
10 Zapaden Park - Macedonia sq. - James Bourchier Metro Station - Hladilnika
11 Nikola Petkov - Konstantin Velichkov Metro Station - Iliyantsi
12 Iliyantsi - Central station - St. Nedelya sq. - Journalist sq.
18 Orlandovtsi - Central station - St. Nedelya sq. - Journalist sq.
20 Iskar Depot - Poduyane station - Central Sofia Market Hall - Opalchenska Metro Station
22 East station - Poduyane station - Konstantin Velichkov Metro Station - Krasna polyana Depot
23 Mladezhki theater - Poduyane station - Iskarsko Shose - Obikolna Street
  1,009 mm (3 ft 3 2332 in) metre gauge (nominally)
  1,435 mm (4 ft 8 12 in) standard gauge

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Route network of tram lines of Sofia's public transportation" (PDF). Sofia Urban Mobility Center. 2013. Retrieved 2013-09-10.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Urban transport - History of Sofia Trams". Sofia Urban Mobility Center. 2013. Retrieved 2013-09-10.
  3. History of the Sofia tram, Georgi Aleksandrov, retrieved on 2009-10-04.

External links

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