Tramways in Kraków
Encyclopedia
Tramways in Kraków are a tramway
system in Kraków
, Poland. It is operated since 1882. There are 25 ordinary and 2 supporting lines with a total length of 322 kilometres (200.1 mi). The total system length for the end of 2008 was 86.5 kilometres (53.7 mi), including a 1.4 kilometre (0.869921831309729 mi) tram tunnel with two underground stops.
tracks (900 mm) and ran from the railway station to Podgórski bridge. It was financed, constructed and operated by National Bank of Belgium
. In 1901 the tram network was electrified and the formal opening of the first line took place on 16 March. The new SW1 class cars were produced by Sanocka
Fabryka Wagonów. At the end of 1902, the system consisted of five electrified, narrow gauge lines. However, the network owners were primarily interested in the income generated by the existing lines, not in building new ones, which caused conflicts between them and the city council. The electrification and network extension was forced thanks to the Austro-Hungarian
law changes favourable to the city. It stated that a railroad or a tram line could be operated only by a local company, registered in Austria
. The private owners from Belgium
were forced to create such a company, named Krakowska Spółka Tramwajowa, and transferred the agreement with the city to it. This took place in 1898.
Eventually, Kraków managed to buy 95% of shares of Krakowska Spółka Tramwajowa in 1910. In the same year, the city greatly increased in size by including several neighbouring villages and former military areas. New districts were created and it became clear that the narrow gauge network was not able to cope with the increasing transport needs. It was decided that a new network with standard gauge
tracks will be constructed from scratch. In January 1913 the first standard gauge
line (number 6) was opened, which ran from Zwierzyniecka Street, through Starowiślna to Trzeci Most. It operated SN1 class cars, also produced in Sanok. Before the world war, the new network replaced some of the narrow gauge tracks in the city centre.
The successful transformation allowed to repair the entire rolling stock and extend the network to the new districts, including Os. Oficerskie, Bronowice and Rakowice. The increasing number of cars created a need to build a new tram depot, since the old buildings in Kazimierz district turned out to be too small. In 1928, the city council offered a terrain for the new depot in Podgórze district. The construction began in 1937 and finished a year later. The further plans to extend the network were stopped by the war.
In late 20-ties it became clear that the construction of the new tracks to many districts would take several years. As a temporary solution, KMKE opened a bus communication. The buses were not supposed to compete with trams, and operated only on routes, where the trams were expected to be introduced in the future.
Kraków survived the Nazi Invasion in 1939 relatively undamaged. Due to the confiscation of all the buses and private cars by the army, the tram became the only mean of transport in the occupied city. The new German
government noticed the problem and imported 10 second-hand MAN Tw cars from Nuremberg
and four others from the liquidated network in Eberswalde
. Another movement was the introduction of lines for Germans only.
river, the network was split in two parts between 1945 and 1946. In 1950 and 1952 the tram tracks reached Borek Fałęcki and the new city district, Nowa Huta
, founded four years later together with a steel mill to the east from the city centre. In 1953, a tram ring around the Old Town was finished. It allowed to close down the old, narrow gauge network in 1 January 1954 and remove tracks from the Marketsquare. In the next years, the new tracks were opened mostly in Nowa Huta and Podgórze. In 1969, a new tram depot in Nowa Huta was finished, after four years of construction. The old depot in Kazimierz was abandoned and adapted for other purposes.
After the nationalisation of Polish industry, the new communist government began construction of the national tram cars in Konstal factory, Chorzów
. The first Konstal N cars appeared in Kraków in the late 40-ties. SN1 and even old Tw cars from Nuremberg
(known as SN3 in Kraków) remained in service to the late 60s.
In 1970s, the local authorities began an ambitious project of reorganizing the entire public transport in the city. Some of the goals were:
Due to the lack of funding, very little was actually achieved. Between 1974 and 1990, only a single metro station was finished under the railway station. In 1984, the first network extension to the north took place - the tracks reached the new XXX-Lecia district (currently Krowodrza Górka). Despite the crisis, the authorities decided to close down the tracks to Dworzec Główny Wschód (Railway Station East) as a preparation for the next part of the metro construction. The new balloon loop in Krowodrza Górka was also prepared for the further network extensions, but the actual works never started.
. The first line was accepted to connect Krowodrza Górka in the north, with Kurdwanów in the south of the city, and use the existing tunnel under the railway station. The first stage of the tram tunnel construction took place between 1996 and 1999, from the railway station to Rondo Mogilskie. At the same time, the tram network operator, MPK Kraków, began a process of replacing the old and unreliable Konstal cars. In 1989 it began to buy second-hand T4 cars with B4 trailers from Nuremberg
, and later - GT6. In 1999, it managed to buy the first twelve low-floor Bombardier
NGT6 cars.
In 1999 the first network extension since 1984 took place. The tracks reached Kurdwanów district, forming the first part of the Kraków Fast Tram network. The local authorities began a huge programme of tram infrastructure modernization. Between 2000 and 2010, nearly a quarter of the network went under a general reconstruction. In 2006 and 2007, Dworzec Towarowy was connected with an existing network through a new link on Pawia Street and the total network length reached 84 kilometres (52.2 mi). On 11 December 2008, the 1.4 kilometre (0.869921831309729 mi)-long tram tunnel was eventually opened after 34 years of construction. Next day, the first fast tram line 50 began to operate.
Today, the tram network consists of 86.5 kilometres (53.7 mi) of double track.
s at nearly all termini.
In the past, Kraków network had some termini with simple stub-ends operated by double-ended cars (i.e. a narrow gauge terminus near the main railway station). After the war, they have been abandoned in favour of balloon loops, as the deliveries of single-ended trams proceeded. However, MPK bought recently a small fleet of second-hand double-ended cars from Nuremberg
and Düsseldorf
which are used during reconstructions and partial openings of unfinished network extensions. The first temporary stub-end appeared in 2006 on Politechnika stop, when the new tracks on Pawia street had not been connected yet to Dworzec Towarowy loop.
Small stub-end also exists on Krowodrza Górka, Bronowice Male and Salwator (end stops) but they are used as a track for defected and replacement cars, while double-ended trams use the balloon loop.
The last tram depot was reconstructed in 2008 and serves as a tram museum.
In addition to the ordinary lines, there are two 'fast tram lines' that move exclusively on the fast tram tracks:
The first fast tram line was opened on 12 January 2008, however it is not fully finished yet. Due to the missing tracks through Płaszów, it temporarily uses the link through Kazimierz and Podgórze districts, and short pieces of track are not separated from other traffic. Except that, the link is connected to the traffic light control system and passenger information system.
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
system in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, Poland. It is operated since 1882. There are 25 ordinary and 2 supporting lines with a total length of 322 kilometres (200.1 mi). The total system length for the end of 2008 was 86.5 kilometres (53.7 mi), including a 1.4 kilometre (0.869921831309729 mi) tram tunnel with two underground stops.
Origins
The first horse tram, 2.8 kilometres (1.7 mi) line was opened in 1882. It used narrow gaugeNarrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
tracks (900 mm) and ran from the railway station to Podgórski bridge. It was financed, constructed and operated by National Bank of Belgium
National Bank of Belgium
The National Bank of Belgium has been the central bank of Belgium since 1850...
. In 1901 the tram network was electrified and the formal opening of the first line took place on 16 March. The new SW1 class cars were produced by Sanocka
Sanok
Sanok is a town in south-eastern Poland with 39,110 inhabitants, as of 2 June 2009. It's the capital of Sanok County in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship. Previously, it was in the Krosno Voivodeship and in the Ruthenian Voivodeship , which was part of the Lesser Poland province...
Fabryka Wagonów. At the end of 1902, the system consisted of five electrified, narrow gauge lines. However, the network owners were primarily interested in the income generated by the existing lines, not in building new ones, which caused conflicts between them and the city council. The electrification and network extension was forced thanks to the Austro-Hungarian
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
law changes favourable to the city. It stated that a railroad or a tram line could be operated only by a local company, registered in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. The private owners from Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
were forced to create such a company, named Krakowska Spółka Tramwajowa, and transferred the agreement with the city to it. This took place in 1898.
Eventually, Kraków managed to buy 95% of shares of Krakowska Spółka Tramwajowa in 1910. In the same year, the city greatly increased in size by including several neighbouring villages and former military areas. New districts were created and it became clear that the narrow gauge network was not able to cope with the increasing transport needs. It was decided that a new network with standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
tracks will be constructed from scratch. In January 1913 the first standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
line (number 6) was opened, which ran from Zwierzyniecka Street, through Starowiślna to Trzeci Most. It operated SN1 class cars, also produced in Sanok. Before the world war, the new network replaced some of the narrow gauge tracks in the city centre.
Interwar and World War II period
In 1918, Poland gained independence from Germany, Austria and Russia. Kraków became one of the major cities of the newly formed country. One of the remnants from the Austrian regime was left-hand traffic. In the tram network, it was eventually abandoned in 1925. In addition to that, the supply limitations in the war period and the lack of qualified engineers caused great damage to the rolling stock quality. Unstable country economy made almost impossible to improve the situation in the first years of Polish independence. Eventually, the city government managed to establish a new tram company, Krakowska Miejska Kolej Elektryczna between 1924 and 1929.The successful transformation allowed to repair the entire rolling stock and extend the network to the new districts, including Os. Oficerskie, Bronowice and Rakowice. The increasing number of cars created a need to build a new tram depot, since the old buildings in Kazimierz district turned out to be too small. In 1928, the city council offered a terrain for the new depot in Podgórze district. The construction began in 1937 and finished a year later. The further plans to extend the network were stopped by the war.
In late 20-ties it became clear that the construction of the new tracks to many districts would take several years. As a temporary solution, KMKE opened a bus communication. The buses were not supposed to compete with trams, and operated only on routes, where the trams were expected to be introduced in the future.
Kraków survived the Nazi Invasion in 1939 relatively undamaged. Due to the confiscation of all the buses and private cars by the army, the tram became the only mean of transport in the occupied city. The new German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
government noticed the problem and imported 10 second-hand MAN Tw cars from Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
and four others from the liquidated network in Eberswalde
Eberswalde
Eberswalde is a major town and the administrative seat of the district Barnim in the German Federal State of Brandenburg, about 50 km northeast of Berlin. Population 42144 , geographical location . The town is often called Waldstadt , because of the large forests around it, including the...
. Another movement was the introduction of lines for Germans only.
Post-war period
After the war, Kraków tram network suffered from the lack of tram cars. Furthermore, due to destruction of bridges on VistulaVistula
The Vistula is the longest and the most important river in Poland, at 1,047 km in length. The watershed area of the Vistula is , of which lies within Poland ....
river, the network was split in two parts between 1945 and 1946. In 1950 and 1952 the tram tracks reached Borek Fałęcki and the new city district, Nowa Huta
Nowa Huta
Nowa Huta - is the easternmost district of Kraków, Poland, . With more than 200,000 inhabitants it is one of the most populous areas of the city.- History :...
, founded four years later together with a steel mill to the east from the city centre. In 1953, a tram ring around the Old Town was finished. It allowed to close down the old, narrow gauge network in 1 January 1954 and remove tracks from the Marketsquare. In the next years, the new tracks were opened mostly in Nowa Huta and Podgórze. In 1969, a new tram depot in Nowa Huta was finished, after four years of construction. The old depot in Kazimierz was abandoned and adapted for other purposes.
After the nationalisation of Polish industry, the new communist government began construction of the national tram cars in Konstal factory, Chorzów
Chorzów
Chorzów is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. Chorzów is one of the central districts of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union - a metropolis with a population of 2 million...
. The first Konstal N cars appeared in Kraków in the late 40-ties. SN1 and even old Tw cars from Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
(known as SN3 in Kraków) remained in service to the late 60s.
In 1970s, the local authorities began an ambitious project of reorganizing the entire public transport in the city. Some of the goals were:
- Building a Metro (rapid transit) line from Bronowice to Nowa Huta.
- Rebuilding the main railway station to Kraków Communication Centre with integrated railway, bus, metro and tram services.
- Closing some tram tracks in the city centre.
- Building new tram tracks to the outer districts and a new tram depot.
Due to the lack of funding, very little was actually achieved. Between 1974 and 1990, only a single metro station was finished under the railway station. In 1984, the first network extension to the north took place - the tracks reached the new XXX-Lecia district (currently Krowodrza Górka). Despite the crisis, the authorities decided to close down the tracks to Dworzec Główny Wschód (Railway Station East) as a preparation for the next part of the metro construction. The new balloon loop in Krowodrza Górka was also prepared for the further network extensions, but the actual works never started.
Present times
The government and economy changes caused the old plans to be abandoned. In 1994, the new authorities decided not to continue the metro line construction in favour of a fast tramFast tram
Fast tram is a type of LRT, which is a tram system with high velocities. The Belgian Premetro and German Stadtbahn are two of types of fast trams....
. The first line was accepted to connect Krowodrza Górka in the north, with Kurdwanów in the south of the city, and use the existing tunnel under the railway station. The first stage of the tram tunnel construction took place between 1996 and 1999, from the railway station to Rondo Mogilskie. At the same time, the tram network operator, MPK Kraków, began a process of replacing the old and unreliable Konstal cars. In 1989 it began to buy second-hand T4 cars with B4 trailers from Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
, and later - GT6. In 1999, it managed to buy the first twelve low-floor Bombardier
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
NGT6 cars.
In 1999 the first network extension since 1984 took place. The tracks reached Kurdwanów district, forming the first part of the Kraków Fast Tram network. The local authorities began a huge programme of tram infrastructure modernization. Between 2000 and 2010, nearly a quarter of the network went under a general reconstruction. In 2006 and 2007, Dworzec Towarowy was connected with an existing network through a new link on Pawia Street and the total network length reached 84 kilometres (52.2 mi). On 11 December 2008, the 1.4 kilometre (0.869921831309729 mi)-long tram tunnel was eventually opened after 34 years of construction. Next day, the first fast tram line 50 began to operate.
Future
Tramway is the primary form of public transport in Kraków. Many further network extensions are planned for the future. In 2010, the construction of the new link to Płaszów district began, and another one to Ruczaj is planned to start in 2010 or 2011. Other existing tracks are going to be updated to the fast tram standards.Infrastructure
Termini
Since the network is designed to be operated by single-ended trams, it has balloon loopBalloon loop
A balloon loop or turning loop allows a rail vehicle or train to reverse direction without having to shunt or even stop. Balloon loops can be useful for passenger trains and unit freight trains, such as coal trains....
s at nearly all termini.
Balloon loops
There are currently 23 balloon loops in Kraków.| Name | Opened in | Number of tracks | Other infrastructure | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bieńczyce | 1966 | 2 | - | Unused |
| Bieżanów Nowy | 1978 | 2 | Siding | 3, 9, 13, 23, 51 |
| Borek Fałęcki | 1950 | 3 | Passing loop Passing loop A passing loop is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at a station, where trains or trams in opposing directions can pass each other. Trains/trams in the same direction can also overtake, providing that the signalling arrangement allows it... for incoming trams |
8, 19, 22, 23, 40 |
| Bronowice | 1937 | 2 | - | 14, 20 |
| Bronowice Małe | 1975 | 2 | Siding | 4, 8, 13, 24 |
| Cichy Kącik | 1902* | 2 | Siding | 0, 15, 18 |
| Cmentarz Rakowicki | 1934 | 1 | - | 2 |
| Dajwór | 1953 | 1 (2) | Passing loop Passing loop A passing loop is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at a station, where trains or trams in opposing directions can pass each other. Trains/trams in the same direction can also overtake, providing that the signalling arrangement allows it... , wye (to Św. Wawrzyńca depot) |
0 (touristic line) |
| Dąbie | 1968 | 2 | - | Unused |
| Dworzec Towarowy | 1907 | 2 | Pass-by loop | 51 |
| Kopiec Wandy | 1977 | 2 | Part of the multilevel track crossing | 17 |
| Krowodrza Górka | 1984 | 3 | Extra stub-end | 3, 5, 7, 19, 50 |
| Kurdwanów | 2000 | 2 | - | 6, 7, 24, 50 |
| Łagiewniki | 1938 | 3 | Pass-by loop | 10, 11, 18 |
| Mały Płaszów | 2010 | 2 | - | 11, 20 |
| Mistrzejowice | 1974 | 2 | Siding | 9, 14, 16 |
| Osiedle Piastów | 1976 | 2 | Siding | 10, 17, 21, 40 |
| Pleszów | 1962 | 2 | Siding | 15, 21 |
| Prokocim | 1965 | 2 | - | Unused |
| Salwator | 1917 | 2 | Siding | 1, 2, 6 |
| Walcownia | 1955 | 2 | Siding | 16, 22 |
| Wieczysta | 1964 | 2 | Siding | Unused |
| Wzgórza Krzesławickie | 1968 | 2 | Siding | 1, 4, 5 |
- - moved to the current location in 1954.
Other termini
On Dworcowa street, there is located a double track wye which is occasionally used as an emergency terminus (usually when tracks to Kurdwanów and Bieżanów Nowy are blocked or they are cut off from the rest of the network for a longer time). A junction to Św. Wawrzyńca depot on Dajwór street sometimes serves as a wye, too.In the past, Kraków network had some termini with simple stub-ends operated by double-ended cars (i.e. a narrow gauge terminus near the main railway station). After the war, they have been abandoned in favour of balloon loops, as the deliveries of single-ended trams proceeded. However, MPK bought recently a small fleet of second-hand double-ended cars from Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
and Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
which are used during reconstructions and partial openings of unfinished network extensions. The first temporary stub-end appeared in 2006 on Politechnika stop, when the new tracks on Pawia street had not been connected yet to Dworzec Towarowy loop.
Small stub-end also exists on Krowodrza Górka, Bronowice Male and Salwator (end stops) but they are used as a track for defected and replacement cars, while double-ended trams use the balloon loop.
Tram depots
There are three tram depots in Kraków:- Zajezdnia Podgórze (opened in 1938)
- Zajezdnia Nowa Huta (opened in 1969)
- Zajezdnia Św. Wawrzyńca (opened in 1882, reopened in 2009)
The last tram depot was reconstructed in 2008 and serves as a tram museum.
Kraków Fast Tram
Kraków Fast Tram (pl. Krakowski Szybki Tramwaj) is a developing fast tram network in Kraków. It consists of several modernized exclusive tram tracks with absolute priority on crossings, and an underground, 1.4 kilometre (0.869921831309729 mi)-long tunnel under the railway station with two underground stops. Contrary to many light rail systems, fast tram is not created by certain lines - the tracks are a part of the existing network and are used by ordinary lines, which benefit from moving through a fast tram link. The stops at the fast tram tracks are equipped with an electronic passenger information system showing the real times of the tram arrival. Since 2010, the system is going to be installed on classic tram links, too.In addition to the ordinary lines, there are two 'fast tram lines' that move exclusively on the fast tram tracks:
- 50 - Krowodrza Górka - Kurdwanów
- 51 - Dworzec Towarowy - Bieżanów Nowy (supporting line, tracks to Bieżanów are not equipped with a passenger information system).
The first fast tram line was opened on 12 January 2008, however it is not fully finished yet. Due to the missing tracks through Płaszów, it temporarily uses the link through Kazimierz and Podgórze districts, and short pieces of track are not separated from other traffic. Except that, the link is connected to the traffic light control system and passenger information system.
Rolling stock
Since 1989, MPK Kraków replaces the Polish rolling stock produced in Konstal with new, modern low floor cars and second-hand trams imported from Germany and Austria.| Image | Tram Car Type | Amount | Introduced in | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bombardier NGT6 | 50 cars | 2000 | Bombardier NGT6 cars are low-floor trams bought since 2000. There have been three deliveries so far: 12 cars in 2000, 14 cars in 2003 and 24 cars between 2007 and 2008. The trams have an electronic passenger information system. | |
| Konstal 105Na Konstal 105Na The Konstal 105Na are a class of Polish trams manufactured from 1979 to 1992 in workshops Konstal Chorzow, Poland. The narrow-gauge version is designed as 805Na... |
194 cars | 1979 | Produced between 1979 and 1992. It is 13.5 metres (44.3 ft)-long and can form longer trains (theoretically up to 5 cars, in practice the 2- and 3-car trains are operated). Due to the unreliability and the poor technical design, it is slowly replaced by second-hand trams from Germany. | |
| MAN GT6 | 21 cars | 1994 | Produced between 1962 and 1966 for various German cities. Kraków was buying GT6 cars from Nuremberg Nuremberg Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664... between 1994 and 2004. Between 1994 and 2009, some of them were operated with B4 trailers. |
|
| E1 | 67 (43 with C3 trailers) | 2004 | Produced between 1966 and 1976. Imported from Vienna Vienna Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre... since 2004. Some cars have got a partial electronic passenger information system. |
|
| MAN N8S-NF | 8+1 | 2006 | These cars were produced between 1976 and 1977. In early 90s, they were added a low-floor section . Since 2006, they are imported from Nuremberg Nuremberg Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664... . One of cars is a former narrow gauge M8S from Essen Essen - Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of... , bought initially for replacement parts, but later adapted to a standard gauge. It does not have a low-floor section. During the modernization, they have got an electronic passenger information system. |
|
| Düwag GT8S | 28 | 2009 | Produced between 1973 and 1975 for Düsseldorf Düsseldorf Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the... , Germany. In September 2009 MPK Kraków bought one of the cars for testing, and decided to import next 27 cars of this class. During the modernization, they were equipped with an electronic passenger information system. In the near future, they are planned to get a low-floor module. It is worth noting that the cars retained their own rolling stock numbers from Düsseldorf. |
|
| EU8N | 1 | 2008 (2010) | In 2008, MPK Kraków imported 25 E6+C6 trams from Vienna Vienna Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre... . Except one of them for a short period of time, they never appeared in a normal service, because they had to go through a general reconstruction. Using spare parts from the unnecessary C6 trailers, Autosan company produced a new low-floor module which was installed between the two sections of E6. The final assembly took place in MPK Kraków, where the trams got a new look. The new trams were given EU8N symbol. The internal equipment includes electronic passenger information system and air conditioning. The first EU8N appeared in service on 2 July 2010. |
External links
- MPK Kraków, tram network operator website (PL)
- ZIKiT Kraków, the infrastructure owner website (PL)