The Woltersdorf Tramway (''Woltersdorfer Straßenbahn'') is a

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 ...

tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...

way, located in

Woltersdorf, Brandenburg Woltersdorf is a municipality in the Oder-Spree district in Brandenburg. It is often referred to as "near Berlin" (German: "bei Berlin") or "near Erkner" (German: "bei Erkner") as there are a number of other places bearing the same name in Germany. ...

, near

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. The line is notable for its use of historic vehicles, using 4 wheeled trams, built in the early 1960s. The line was constructed in 1913, to connect Woltersdorf to the Berlin Suburban railways. It is one of the smallest tram operators in Germany, and has not expanded beyond its 1913 route.

Route

The line starts at

Berlin-Rahnsdorf station Rahnsdorf station is a station of the Berlin S-Bahn. It is located in the district of Rahnsdorf in the Berlin district of Treptow-Köpenick. History The station was opened on 15 May 1879. The station was rebuilt to a design by the architec ...

, where it connects with

Berlin S-Bahn The Berlin S-Bahn () is a rapid transit railway system in and around Berlin, the capital city of Germany. It has been in operation under this name since December 1930, having been previously called the special tariff area ''Berliner Stadt-, Ring ...

line S3. It then runs through Köpenick Forest, passing from

into

Brandenburg Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a states of Germany, state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an ar ...

. It then travels along Berliner Strasse, into Woltersdorf. At Thälmanplatz, there is a short spur to the depot. The line then runs to Woltersdorf Hospital, before terminating at Woltersdorf, Schleuse.

Operations

The line operates a 20 minute service, using 2 trams, with an additional tram at peak hours, giving a 10 minute service between Berliner Platz and Rahnsdorf. The company operates from a depot in Woltersdorf, located adjacent to Thälmanplatz tram stop. The company carries out all maintenance work on its vehicles in house, except for electrical components.

Ticketing

The tramway is line 87 in the VBB fare system, and VBB tickets valid in zone C can be used on the tramway.

Vehicles

The tramways service fleet consists of 9 Gotha/LEW vehicles, manufactured between 1957 and 1961. The tramway also maintains a fleet of 5 heritage vehicles, which are used on special occasions. The tramways works fleet consists of a converted Gotha/LEW tram, number 19, which was previously used by the BVG, along with a snowplow. Three

Moderus Gamma The Moderus Gamma is an articulated tram manufactured in Biskupice, Poland, since 2016 by , a subsidiary of transport operator . Planning began in 2008 and the prototype was completed in 2016. Variants Multiple variants of the Gamma tram exist ...

LF 10 AC BD trams are scheduled to be delivered to Woltersdorf from 2023.

References

External links