Ä°zmir (Smyrna) is
Turkey's third largest city and most important port in
Anatolia. In the past, Ä°zmir had the second largest tram system in Turkey. Trams operated between 1890 and the early 1960s.
[Ömer Tolga Sümerli]
- The history of Alsancak terminal. The Ä°zmir Municipality has been operating a new, larger tram system in the city since 2017. This new system is integrated with the
Ä°zmir Metro and the regional commuter system,
Ä°ZBAN.
History
The first tram line in Ä°zmir opened in 1890, between
Alsancak Terminal and Pasaport pier, along the Kordon (esplanade), to transport freight.
This line also saw horse-drawn trams carry railway passengers from Pasaport (near the city center), to Alsancak station. In 1901, this line was extended to the newly built
Ä°zmir Clock Tower in
Konak (the city center). The second line to open was in
Karşıyaka
Karşıyaka () is a district of İzmir Province in Turkey. The district extends for twelve kilometres along the northern and eastern coastline of the tip of the Gulf of İzmir. Its centre is at a distance of to the north from the traditional cen ...
, in 1906, from the Karşıyaka pier to the
Karşıyaka railway station. In 1907, two more lines were completed in Karşıyaka: Karşıyaka pier-Alaybey and Karşıyaka pier-Bostanlı.
[Karşıyaka Dergisi]
- A full history of trams in Karşıyaka and planned future lines.
After
World War I (1914–1918), the
Ottoman Empire collapsed and the
Turkish Republic was formed. The trams were electrified in 1927, as well as the opening of the Konak-Reşadiye (Güzelyalı) line. New pink painted trams began service and between 1927 and 1939, İzmir trams were at their peak. With the rise of the automobile, busses were becoming more popular and the inevitable decline of İzmir's trams began. The first lines to be discontinued were the 3 lines in Karşıyaka. On October 1, 1939, the Karşıyaka Municipality took up all tramlines in Karşıyaka.
The Konak-ReÅŸadiye line was abandoned in 1950, leaving the Konak-Alsancak line the last tram line in Ä°zmir. The Alsancak-Pasaport portion was abandoned in 1956 and the last remaining line in Ä°zmir (Konak-Pasaport) was taken up in the early 1960s. Ever since, Ä°zmir has been without tramways. Some tram lines were converted to
trolleybuses.
Today
Tram Ä°zmir
In April 2017, the
Karşıyaka Tram
Karşıyaka Tram ( tr, Karşıyaka Tramvayı) is a urban light rail transit (LRT) system in Karşıyaka district of Izmir, Turkey and is one of the two lines of Tram İzmir. The line with 14 stations began operation in April 2017.
The tram lin ...
went in service on a line of with 14 stations between Alaybey and
MaviÅŸehir Ä°ZBAN.
By March 2018, the -long
Konak Tram
Konak Tram ( tr, Konak Tramvayı) is a urban light rail transit (LRT) system in Konak district of Izmir, Turkey and is one of the two lines of Tram İzmir. The line serves 19 stations and began operating on 24 April 2018.
The tram line runs b ...
line with 19 stations between Fahrettin Altay Square-Konak-
Halkapınar have begun operation.
Nostalgic Tram
The Nostalgic Tram runs between Alsancak Harbor viaducts and Cumhuriyet Square. It began operation on 9 September 2020, with the first nostalgic tram, Boyoz.
The second tram, Çiğdem, started to service on 11 November 2020.
The third tram, Gevrek, is planned to start service soon. All of the trams are rubber-wheeled, and they are the first rubber wheeled trams since 1954.
See also
*
Trolleybuses in Izmir
The Izmir trolleybus system formed part of the public transport network in the city of Izmir, Turkey, from 1954 to 1992.Murray, Alan (2000). ''World Trolleybus Encyclopaedia'', pp. 37, 73, 101 and 103. Yateley, Hampshire, UK: Trolleybooks. . Ope ...
*
Rail transport in Ä°zmir
Rail or rails may refer to:
Rail transport
*Rail transport and related matters
*Rail (rail transport) or railway lines, the running surface of a railway
Arts and media Film
*Rails (film), ''Rails'' (film), a 1929 Italian film by Mario Camerini ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trams in Izmir
Tram transport in Ä°zmir
Rail transport in the Ottoman Empire