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Trams in Ulm

Coordinates: 48°24′N 09°59′E / 48.400°N 9.983°E / 48.400; 9.983
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Ulm tramway network
SWU Siemens Combino tram in Ulm, 2006.
Operation
LocaleUlm, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Open1897 (1897)
StatusOperational
Lines2
Operator(s)Stadtwerke Ulm/Neu-Ulm GmbH (SWU)
Infrastructure
Track gauge1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)
Propulsion system(s)Electricity
Stock10 Siemens Combino NGT 6 UL (2003),
18 Siemens Avenio M NGT 6 UL [1]
Statistics
Route length19.1 km (11.9 mi)[2]
Overview
Websitehttp://www.swu-verkehr.de Stadtwerke Ulm/Neu-Ulm GmbH (in German)

The Ulm tramway network (German: Straßenbahnnetz Ulm) is a network of tramways forming part of the public transport system in Ulm, a city in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

Opened in 1897, the network is currently operated by Stadtwerke Ulm/Neu-Ulm GmbH (SWU), and integrated in the Donau-Iller-Nahverkehrsverbund (DING).

History

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The first trams began operation in Ulm on 15 May 1897, running on a ring line linking the main station, Olgastraße, Fraunstraße and Münsterplatz and a second line linking Ulm to the railway station in Neu-Ulm. The trams were originally operated by the privately owned "Ulmer Straßenbahn- und Elektrizitätswerk" until being bought by the city on 1 April 1905. The network was further extended and by 1929 had four lines. Following the Second World War only two of these lines reopened. Following further closures in 1964 only a single 5.6 km long line remained, linking Donauhalle and Söflingen.[3]

Expansion of the network began again in 2007 with the construction of a 4.6 km long extension from Donauhalle to Böfingen, which opened on 21 March 2009.[3] The expansion continued with the opening of the new 9.8 km long line 2 on 8 December 2018, linking Science Park in the north-west of Ulm to Kuhberg in the south-west.[2]

Lines

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Line Route Length Stations Journey time
(in minutes)
1 Söflingen – Böfingen Ostpreußenweg 10.3 km 22 30
2 Kuhberg Schulzentrum – Science Park II 9.8 km 21 28

The two lines share almost a kilometre of track in the city centre between Theater and Ehinger Tor, including the tram stop at the main railway station.[2] Germany's highest tram stop is at Botanischer Garten (Botanical Gardens) on line 2, which is 617 m above sea level.[3]


Rolling stock

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As of 2024, SWU has ten Combino trams and eighteen Avenio M trams, both types designated NGT 6 UL and manufactured by Siemens Mobility.[1] Each tram is named after a well-known person with a connection to Ulm.

Combino trams

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Combino tram outside Ulm Hauptbahnhof.

In 2003, the entire previous fleet of GT4 trams was replaced with eight Combino NGT 6 UL vehicles. Two more trams were delivered in 2008 to serve the extended Line 1. The Combino trams are five-section unidirectional vehicles, 31 m long and 2.4 m wide with 72 seats.[4]

Their fleet numbers and names are:[1]

Number Named after Delivered
41 Albrecht Berblinger March 2003
42 Agathe Streicher April 2003
43 Albert Einstein May 2003
44 Max Eyth June 2003
45 Otl Aicher June 2003
46 Johannes Kepler June 2003
47 Jörg Syrlin July 2003
48 Sophie Scholl July 2003
49 Hans Scholl December 2008
50 Resi Weglein [de] December 2008

Avenio M trams

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Avenio M tram number 67 in Willy-Brandt-Platz.

SWU ordered twelve Avenio M trams in 2015, to be used on the new line 2 when it opened. These also comprise five sections and measure 31 m long and 2.4 m wide.[5] The contract included an option for an additional six vehicles which were ordered in 2020.[6] In 2024 it was announced that all 18 Avenio M trams would be extended with an extra two modules to increase the passenger capacity of each tram from 185 to 256, with the first lengthened tram expected to be in service in 2027.[7]

The fleet numbers and names are:[1]

Number Named after Delivered
51 Inge Aicher-Scholl April 2018
52 Lina Einstein February 2018
53 Anna Essinger April 2018
54 Felix Fabri April 2018
55 Agnes Schultheiß [de] June 2018
56 Hildegard Knef July 2018
57 Conrad Dietrich Magirus August 2018
58 Kurt Schumacher August 2018
59 Heinrich Parler the Elder September 2018
60 Mathilde Planck October 2018
61 "Emmy" (Emilie) Wechßler October 2018
62 Alfred Moos November 2018
63 Johannes Scultetus [de] October 2022
64 Christian Schubart October 2022
65 Heinz Brenner [de] November 2022
66 Barbara Kluntz December 2022
67 Heinrich von Wagner [de] February 2023
68 Ulrich von Ensingen June 2023

See also

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Bibliography

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  • Riechers, Daniel (1997). 100 Jahre Straßenbahn Ulm/Neu-Ulm [100 Years of the Ulm/Neu-Ulm Tramway] (in German). Ulm.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Schwandl, Robert (2012). Schwandl's Tram Atlas Deutschland (in German and English) (3rd ed.). Berlin: Robert Schwandl Verlag. p. 138. ISBN 9783936573336.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Fuhrpark und Vermietung" (in German). Stadtwerke Ulm. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
  2. ^ a b c "Ulm's tramway doubles in size". Tramways & Urban Transit. 2019-01-09. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
  3. ^ a b c Tugemann, Claudia (May 2022). "Bahn für die Spatzen" [Tramway for the Sparrows]. Straßenbahn Magazin (in German). GeraMond. pp. 34–16.
  4. ^ Kochems, Michael (March 2022). "286 Fahrzeuge für sieben deutsche Betriebe" [286 vehicles for seven German operators]. Straßenbahn Magazin (in German). GeraMond. pp. 34–41.
  5. ^ "Siemens completes first Avenio M tram for Ulm". Railway Gazette International. 2017-12-01. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
  6. ^ "Sechs zusätzliche Avenio M bestellt" [Six additional Avenio M ordered]. Straßenbahn Magazin (in German). GeraMond. December 2020. p. 12.
  7. ^ "Siemens Mobility expands Ulm's Avenio trams". Urban Transport Magazine. 2024-05-23. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
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Media related to Trams in Ulm at Wikimedia Commons

48°24′N 09°59′E / 48.400°N 9.983°E / 48.400; 9.983

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