The
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
city of
Parla
Parla () is a municipality in the Community of Madrid, Spain. It is located in the southern part of the region, approximately 20 km from the capital, Madrid.
History
Origins
Earliest evidence of human occupation includes stone tools m ...
has a circular tram line which provides transportation within the city as well as to the rest of the
metropolitan area
A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...
. This network is
standard gauge
A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), International gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge and European gauge in Europe, and SGR in Ea ...
which facilitates compatibility and vehicle interchangeability with other lines built or planned in the Community of Madrid. The main shareholder of the company is
Globalvia
Globalvia is a Spanish multinational transport infrastructure company that operates in 11 countries across three continents. In June 2022, Globalvia in partnership with Kinetic Group launched a take over bid for the British bus and rail operator ...
(a Spanish private infrastructure company) with 85%, and then CCM with 15%.
The tram is integrated in the
Metro Ligero
The Metro Ligero (; "Light Metro") is a light rail system in Madrid, Spain. It has three lines, totaling , and 37 stations.
Lines Line ML-1
Line ML-1 opened between Pinar de Chamartín and Las Tablas on 24 May 2007, with and nine stations, f ...
system as ''ML Line 4''.
Project
This is a project promoted by the local administration of Parla. Opened on 6 May 2007 (Phase I), and 8 September 2007 (Phase II), can be the journey between the stations Plaza de Toros to Parla Industrial City until completion of the works of the station North Parla (which is still to be opened and will house a railway interchange with
Cercanías Madrid
Cercanías Madrid is the commuter rail service that serves Madrid, the capital of Spain, and its metropolitan area. It is operated by Cercanías Renfe, the commuter rail division of Renfe, the former monopoly of rail services in Spain. Its to ...
).
It consists of a circular line of 15 stations with stops every 500 meters, a total length of 8.3 km (similar to the
Montpellier tramway
The Montpellier tramway (french: Tramway de Montpellier) is a four-line tramway system in the city of Montpellier in Occitania, Occitanie, France. The tramway is owned by the Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole, and is operated by the Transpor ...
). It connects the city center with new urban developments (Parla Este among them) and points of interest in the city such as the Commissioner of Police, health and cultural centers, shopping centers, etc. There is a connection with the Parla station of
Cercanías Madrid
Cercanías Madrid is the commuter rail service that serves Madrid, the capital of Spain, and its metropolitan area. It is operated by Cercanías Renfe, the commuter rail division of Renfe, the former monopoly of rail services in Spain. Its to ...
located in downtown Parla and in future with a new station in the north of the city.
Along with the construction of the tram, there have been "park and ride" facilities built throughout the city to promote the use of public transport.
Extensions
There were planned to eventually build two more lines, also circular.
*"Line 2" would run to PAU-5, located on the banks of the A-42, to aid in the development of the Parla industrial park.
*"Line 3" would serve the future developments of southern Parla and the hospital and the new commuter train station to be located in the south of the city.
However, given the financial crisis facing the city there are many questions about the economic feasibility of extending the system. So far as January 2020, Parla Tram remains with their single line.
Ticketing
![Billete tranvia parla, Madrid, Spain](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Billete_tranvia_parla%2C_Madrid%2C_Spain._2007.jpg)
The ticket price is similar to urban bus lines in the city. Madrid regional travel passes are valid (at least B2 zone).
Capacity
Parla Tram uses the
Alstom Citadis
The Alstom Citadis is a family of low-floor trams and light rail vehicles built by Alstom. , over 2,300 Citadis trams have been sold and 1,800 tramways are in revenue service throughout the world, with operations in all six inhabited continents ...
302, with a maximum capacity of 220 passengers, being the same amount as three buses. This model is the same used in
Trambaix
The Trambaix () is one of Barcelona's three tram systems. It is operated by TRAMMET connecting the Baix Llobregat area with the city of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It opened to the public on 5 April 2004 after a weekend when the tram could be ...
and
Trambesòs
Trambesòs () is a tram– light rail system in the Spanish autonomous community of Catalonia that links the Barcelona district of Sant Martí with Badalona and Sant Adrià de Besòs. Its name comes from the union of the words "tram", an abbre ...
in
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
,
Tenerife Tram
Tenerife Tram ( es, Tranvía de Tenerife) is a light rail or tram service located on the island of Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands in Spain. It is operated by Metropolitano de Tenerife, a limited company now 100% owned by Cabildo de Tenerife. ...
, Murcia Tram and
Metro Ligero de Madrid
The Metro Ligero (; "Light Metro") is a light rail system in Madrid, Spain. It has three lines, totaling , and 37 stations.
Lines Line ML-1
Line ML-1 opened between Pinar de Chamartín and Las Tablas on 24 May 2007, with and nine stations, fi ...
.
Criticism
![Tranvía de Parla (7191912234)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Tranv%C3%ADa_de_Parla_%287191912234%29.jpg)
During the first year of operation the tram recorded 2,350,000 passengers and 3,800,000 passengers in the second, coming in 2011 to 5,000,000 passengers, with a weekday average utilization of nearly 20,000 passengers. The satisfaction rate in the survey conducted in 2012 was an 8.64 out of 10.
The project has been criticized, because Parla remains a dormitory community of Madrid, and most workers commute to work in neighboring towns due to the small industrial base offered by the city, so improved external connections are critical. Also the current alignment does not connect to key parts of the city such as La Laguna or the South Hospital, these neighborhoods would be connected through future line extensions.
Advocates argue that, thanks to the tram, all of Parla is connected to the trains that provide transit to the capital and to allow greater ease in internal displacement that encourages trade, industry and urban tertiary consolidation.
Critics assert that Parla does not have the critical mass of citizens to justify a streetcar system, stating that it instead could have solved mobility needs with other means of transport like the bus. Its proponents argue that the huge demand that occurs during rush hour, with figures in the environment of the 2,000 passengers an hour, they need a way to transport larger capacity than the bus but less than that a suburban railway line would have.
See also
*
Light rail
*
Transportation in Spain
Transport in Spain is characterised by an extensive network of roads, railways (including the world's second longest high speed rail network), rapid transit, air routes, and ports. Its geographic location makes it an important link between Eu ...
References
External links
Official Website
{{Rail transport in Spain
Tram transport in Spain
Parla
Parla () is a municipality in the Community of Madrid, Spain. It is located in the southern part of the region, approximately 20 km from the capital, Madrid.
History
Origins
Earliest evidence of human occupation includes stone tools m ...
Standard gauge railways in Spain
Parla