Trams in Saint Petersburg are a major mode of

public transit Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typi ...

in the city of

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

. Saint Petersburg once had the second-largest

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 ...

network Network, networking and networked may refer to: Science and technology * Network theory, the study of graphs as a representation of relations between discrete objects * Network science, an academic field that studies complex networks Mathematic ...

in the

world In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...

, consisting of about of unduplicated

track Track or Tracks may refer to: Routes or imprints * Ancient trackway, any track or trail whose origin is lost in antiquity * Animal track, imprints left on surfaces that an animal walks across * Desire path, a line worn by people taking the shorte ...

in the late 1980s. However, since 1995 the tramway network has declined sharply in size as major portions of track were removed, particularly in the city centre. Saint Petersburg lost its record to

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

. While it still had of length in 2002, by early 2007 the tram network's had declined to just over , and by the 2010s operated on just of network. The system is operated by ''Gorelektrotrans'' (russian: Горэлектротранс), a municipal organization that operates St. Petersburg's 40 tram routes, as well as the city's

trolleybus A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or trol ...

network.

History

Early days

Saint Petersburg saw the arrival of street

rail transport Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...

during the 1860s in form of horse-drawn rail carriages. The first,

freight Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including tran ...

-only street railway track was opened in 1854 to serve one of the industrial city

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separ ...

s. In 1863, three passenger lines in the city centre came into operation. Several private companies were formed, and the horsecar network eventually expanded to 25 routes covering over 100 kilometres of track. Carrying over two million passengers a year, the street rail network in Saint Petersburg proved a successful commercial venture. The first demonstration of an electric tram in Saint Petersburg occurred on August 22, 1880. Fyodor Pirotsky, an

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considerin ...

who demonstrated the tram to the public, hoped that the ''Horsecar Stock Company'', which possessed a

monopoly A monopoly (from Greek language, Greek el, μόνος, mónos, single, alone, label=none and el, πωλεῖν, pōleîn, to sell, label=none), as described by Irving Fisher, is a market with the "absence of competition", creating a situati ...

on all rail transportation in the city, would consider replacing traditional horse-drawn rail carriages with electric-powered ones. Despite the fact that all tests were successful, Pirotsky's proposal was dismissed on the grounds that equipping existing tram tracks for electric traction and purchasing or building compatible tram vehicles would be too expensive. In the winter of 1894, electric tramways came back to Saint Petersburg. This time, however, they ran on tracks over ice (during winter season) covering the

Neva The Neva (russian: Нева́, ) is a river in northwestern Russia flowing from Lake Ladoga through the western part of Leningrad Oblast (historical region of Ingria) to the Neva Bay of the Gulf of Finland. Despite its modest length of , ...

river. An electric

company was formed, and several routes crossing the river in various places began regular operation. Even though the ''Horsecar Stock Company'' still possessed absolute rights on city street railways, and hence filed a

lawsuit - A lawsuit is a proceeding by a party or parties against another in the civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. The term "lawsuit" is used in reference to a civil act ...

against the electric tram operators, it eventually lost the case because the

judge A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...

claimed that the horsecar company's monopolizing agreement with the city did not cover laying tracks on ice.

Beginning of service

On September 3, 1902, the contract between the city administration and the horsecar company expired and the entire horsecar street rail system, including track, carriages, horses, maintenance buildings and other equipment, became property of the city of Saint Petersburg - on the condition that the city would pay for the takeover over the period of 12 years. Immediately following this, Saint Petersburg began planning out the future electric tramway network, which was due to replace the ageing horsecar one. A number of issues had to be resolved; in particular, the

narrow-gauge A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, smaller structu ...

horsecar tracks were to be replaced by the heavy rail-grade ones; the network had to be electrified, and new depots suitable for electric trams had to be constructed. The project was delegated to the American

Westinghouse Electric Corporation The Westinghouse Electric Corporation was an American manufacturing company founded in 1886 by George Westinghouse. It was originally named "Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company" and was renamed "Westinghouse Electric Corporation" in ...

. On September 29, 1907, the electric tramway network opened in Saint Petersburg.

World War II and Soviet era

During 1918–1921 development of the Petrograd tram network stalled due to the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...

. In 1921 the tram deal was eventually improved and new lines were constructed. In 1922 the last line was electrified and tram movement was re-established in the old city center. The tram network then further developed as the first automated needles appeared, three tram parks and a few substations were built. Among the passenger lines, the city had cargo and service tram lines; every big company had its branch from the main tram lines. However, from 1936, the development of Leningrad trams practically stopped due to the introduction of the trolleybus.

Post-Soviet Era

Following the demise of the Soviet Union, the public transportation in Saint Petersburg has been continuously underfunded, resulting in poor maintenance and an unreliable service. A lot of existing tramway track has been demolished, and this trend continues up until today, which upsets both passengers and public transit enthusiasts. There are currently no officially proclaimed plans to abandon the network completely, although mass track removals, which started in 2000, still continue. On the other hand, two new branch lines were opened in 1999 to connect recent residential developments in the northwest (Dolgoe Ozero, Komendantsky Aerodrom, Lakhtinsky Razliv) to the newly opened

Staraya Derevnya Staraya Derevnya (russian: Старая Деревня) (literally translate - Old Village) is a station on the Frunzensko-Primorskaya Line Line 5 of the Saint Petersburg Metro, also known as ''Frunzensko-Primorskaya Line'' (russian: Фру́� ...

station on the

Saint Petersburg Metro The Saint Petersburg Metro (russian: links=no, Петербургский метрополитен, Peterburgskiy metropoliten) is a rapid transit system in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Construction began in early 1941, but was put on hold due to Wor ...

. Following a change in 'Gorelectrotrans' management in September 2005, more than 20 additional km of unduplicated track was removed, including not only centrally located lines, but also a 3 km section in a suburban residential area. This removal seriously affected the system's logistical capabilities. There is a strong lobby for more removals from the road construction administration, which believes that decreasing tram traffic will give more freedom to automobile traffic.

Current operations

, 41 tramway routes currently operate in Saint Petersburg. About one third of the tracks are operated with frequencies of 10 minutes and lower. Other sections are operated with frequencies of up to 30 minutes. The remaining lines through the city center have been more or less abandoned, carrying no passengers. Also, the fleet is still decreasing in size; by the autumn of 2006 there were about 950 cars, operating from 5 depots, most of which were the older four-axle type. About half the fleet is out-of-date, with new cars limited to 30 each year.

Rolling stock

Most of the tramway vehicles currently in use on the network were built locally by the PTMF, which was affiliated with the tramway system. Tram vehicles of the following series are currently in operation: * LM-68M (ЛМ-68М) — four-axle, three-door single cars, manufactured 1973 through 1988 by PTMF. *

LVS-86 LVS-86 is a model of tramcar developed at the Leningrad Tram Manufacturing Plant in the former Soviet Union. LVS stands for "Leningrad-made articulated tram" in Russian, and 86 refers to the model year. The design was based on the LVS-80 tramca ...

(ЛВС-86) and ''LVS-86M'' — six-axle, four-door articulated cars, manufactured 1987–1997 by PTMF. ''M'' designates the refurbished, modernized LVS-86 cars in use since 2003. *

LVS-97 LVS-97 (71-147) is a Russian-made six axle tram. LVS denotes «Ленинградский Вагон Сочленёный» (Leningradski Vagon Sochlenyeni) which is an articulated tramcar, made in St. Petersburg. It was produced at the Petersb ...

(ЛВС-97) — six-axle articulated cars, manufactured by PTMF since 1997. * LM-99 (ЛМ-99) — four-axle single cars, manufactured by PTMF since 1999. * LVS-2005 (ЛВС-2005) — six-axle articulated cars, manufactured by PTMF since 2005. * LM-2008 (ЛМ-2008) — four-axle cars, manufactured by PTMF since 2008. Former tram models include the '' LM-33 (ЛМ-33)'', '' LM-47 (ЛМ-47)'', and ''

LM-57 The LM-57 (Russian ''ЛМ-57'') is the Soviet motor four-axle tramcar. First prototype of this vehicle was built in 1957 (hence the 57 in the name) at the Leningrad Wagon Repair Plant (VARZ, ВАРЗ, Ленинградский Вагонорем� ...

(ЛМ-57)''. The ''KTM-5M3'' series, which was produced in the town of

Ust-Katav Ust-Katav (russian: Усть-Ката́в) is a town in Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Yuryuzan River. Population: Administrative and municipal status Within the framework of administrative divisions, it is, together with ten rural ...

Chelyabinsk Oblast Chelyabinsk Oblast (russian: Челя́бинская о́бласть, ''Chelyabinskaya oblast'') is a federal subject (an oblast) of Russia in the Ural Mountains region, on the border of Europe and Asia. Its administrative center is the ...

, Russia, was used in Saint Petersburg until 18 September 2007. PTMF is no longer in business. As a result, the system has since acquired some batches of cars from other builders to determine what will be best for fleet replacement in an ongoing basis. Between in 1907 and late 1960s, the Saint Petersburg tramway network operated

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

-built

Brush A brush is a common tool with bristles, wire or other filaments. It generally consists of a handle or block to which filaments are affixed in either a parallel or perpendicular orientation, depending on the way the brush is to be gripped durin ...

tram engines. Several cars of this series, as well as other model types built by PTMF but no longer in operation, are kept in working condition in a museum; all types of cars that ever operated in Saint Petersburg were demonstrated during a

parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of s ...

in 1997, on the occasion of the 90th

anniversary An anniversary is the date on which an event took place or an institution was founded in a previous year, and may also refer to the commemoration or celebration of that event. The word was first used for Catholic feasts to commemorate saints ...

of the tramway network. In 2006, a tram route number 0 was operated with museumcars by Retro Tram. The historical rolling stock was stored in the former Depot No. 2 on

Vasilyevsky island Vasilyevsky Island (russian: Васи́льевский о́стров, Vasilyevsky Ostrov, V.O.) is an island in St. Petersburg, Russia, bordered by the Bolshaya Neva and Malaya Neva Rivers (in the delta of the Neva River) in the south a ...

; however, this depot was closed for passenger services on January, 2007.

Today in the museum

Museum offers the exhibition of the retro-transport to visit. Anyone can rent tramway or trolleybus by contacting the partner-compan
Event-TRAM.ru
They offer organized excursions and private events in different languages.

References

External links

Events in TRAMways (rent a tramway) – official website

Заказ событий в ТРАМвае – official website

Gorelektrotrans – official website

ПЕТЕРБУРЖЦЫ - ЗА ОБЩЕСТВЕННЫЙ ТРАНСПОРТ ГОРОД ДЛЯ ЛЮДЕЙ ИЛИ ГОРОД ДЛЯ АВТОМОБИЛЕЙ? БУДУЩЕЕ ЗАВИСИТ ОТ ТЕБЯ (Petersburgers - For Public Transport CITY FOR PEOPLE OR TOWN CAR? Future Depends on You)

History, photos and much more about Petersburg tramways

Tram Travels: Gorelektrotrans

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tramways In Saint Petersburg Transport in Saint Petersburg Electric railways in Russia 1907 establishments in the Russian Empire Petersburg