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news for year 2005

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14.12.2005: Website update: Zürich, a city and its trams

This website has got a Christmas treat for you!

Zürich, a city and its trams, an article by the author of this website has been made available online today. It was first published in Tramways and Urban Transit in April and May of this year. The article presents an overview of the Zürich tram system, presenting past, present and future of the network, rolling stock and other developments.

The online version of the article has 29 illustrations, all but one of which have not featured on this webiste before. Click here and enjoy!

12.12.2005: Timetable switch

Yesterday's timetable switch brings only minor changes to tram operations. The most notable being that route 10 is now worked exclusively by Sänftes (Low floor Tram 2000s). The additional vehicle capacity is permitting peak headways to be stretched from 5 to 6 minutes. According to VBZ, this still results in net route capacity improvements (*).

VBZ

* presumably measured in comparison to the solo Tram 2000s that worked this route from 1994 until the recent transfer of P16s from route 6 — themselves since displaced by ongoing Sänfte deliveries. Now the only route to see P16s in regular action is route 5.

02.12.2005: Sänfte deliveries complete

Seen yesterday evening at HB on route 10: 2120 with a low-floor centre section.

This concludes the Tram-2000 low-floor rebuilding programme. The scheme, designed to improve accesibility while at the same time increasing capacity involved adding centre sections to the Tram-2000 cars of the third batch (2099-121, delivered in 1991-2). A prototype centre-section was built by VBZ's own workshops using a high proportion of Tram 2000 parts from stock. This was fitted to 2113 and has been in service in this form since 25.10.2001. Experience with this led to the decison to order 22 identical units. The body sections were built by WinPro in the former SLM works in Winterthur and the bogies by Alstom in the former SIG works in Neuhausen. The first such rebuild (2118) entered service on 06.05.2004, with eleven being in service by the end of 2004 and the remaining twelve following in the course of this year.

In order of entry into service (with links to news items — yes, this website reported them all), the Sänftes are:

(year 2001):
2113.
(year 2004):
2118, 2116, 2117, 2109, 2100, 2104, 2107, 2102, 2108, 2114.
(year 2005):
2111, 2110, 2103, 2101, 2105, 2121, 2112, 2119, 2099, 2106, 2115, 2120.

Sänfte means sedan chair, presumably on account of the way the low floor section is carried between the two high floor sections.

02.12.2005: New S-Bahn train presented

The first of the new generation of S-Bahn units is being presented at Zürich HB today. Siemens is suppling 35 of these four-car double deck trains.

20 Minuten

01.12.2005: 30% more passengers on night lines

Passenger numbers on ZVV's night lines are up by 30% compared to 2004. The resulting improved cashflow is permitting services to be expanded further from the coming timetable change (11th December).

20 Minuten

30.11.2005: E-tram: Cargotram goes electronic

Cargotram Zürich From 23rd January, Zürich's popular Cargo-Tram will be supplemented by E-tram. E-tram will collect unwanted electrical and electronic appliances from the same nine pick-up points as Cargotram but on different days. Both Cargo-Tram and E-tram serve every point once a month.

Tagi and ERZ

Cargo-Tram was introduced in April 2003 to collect bulky domestic waste items from the neighbourhoods of Zürich. By creatively converting surplus tram vehicles, the innovation could be realised at low cost and in a short time. The tram stops for four hours on sidings at terminii, depot approaches and other tracks that do not see intensive use — during which time local residents leave their rubbish. The only track that had to be purpose-built was the siding into the Werdhölzli recycling centre. The service has proved very popular and the initial four destinations have been expanded to nine. Many other cities have shown interest in this project and may seek to emulate it.

29.11.2005: Zürich trolleybus numbering

The website, Obus 269, of Jürgen Lehmann explains that Zürich's new Hess / Kiepe trolleybuses will be numbered 144-59 (for the single articulated variety) and 160-76 (for the double-articulated). The numbering thus follows on from the second batch of ... (more)

28.11.2005: Cargotram for Amsterdam?

The popularity of the cargo tram is growing! The city of Amsterdam is looking into the possibility of using trams to deliver goods within the city. A study by the consortium City Cargo Nederland supports the viability of the ... (more)

28.11.2005: Narrow gauge by Bombardier?

An article in the December issue of Schweizer Eisenbahn Revue suggests that Bombardier is no longer content with abandoning the Swiss narrow gauge market to its competitor, Stadler, and will seek to return in this sector.

24.11.2005: Basel: Adios Combino (for a while)

The definite modification programme for Basel's Combino type trams has begun. Yesterday evening, the first of these left Basel for Siemens' Krefeld works where all European trams of this type will be treated. The modifications include strengthening of the ... (more)

24.11.2005: Industry lethargic on Basel tram order

BVB and BLT have expressed disappointment over the lack of interest in tendering for the next tram generation. Only two companies, Bombardier and Stadler, have returned offers. This is especially remarkable as 55 trams is a large order by ... (more)

17.11.2005: Last days for London's Routemaster

(This announcement may be slightly off-topic, but no apology is offerered other than that the Routemaster is one of the most high-profile and significant bus designs of history) The days of Routemasters on regular heavy-duty bus services are coming to ... (more)

15.11.2005: Fondue tram

Zürich's popular fondue restaurant tram is back! It runs on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 26th October to 25th February departing Bellevue at 17:45 and 20:30. In December and January it will additionally run on Mondays.

VBZ