Trams in Nordhausen
The Nordhausen tramway network (German: Straßenbahnnetz Nordhausen) is a network of tramways forming part of the public transport system in Nordhausen, a city in the federal state of Thuringia, Germany.
Nordhausen tramway network | |||
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Operation | |||
Locale | Nordhausen, Thuringia, Germany | ||
Open | 1900 | ||
Status | Operational | ||
Lines | 3 | ||
Operator(s) | Stadtwerke Nordhausen | ||
Infrastructure | |||
Track gauge | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) metre gauge | ||
Propulsion system(s) | Electricity | ||
Stock | 17 | ||
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Website | Stadtwerke Nordhausen (in German) |
Opened in 1900, the network is currently operated by Stadtwerke Nordhausen, and has three lines, including one linking Nordhausen with nearby Ilfeld, running as a tram-train on the tracks belonging to the Harz Narrow Gauge Railways.
Tram-train
Nordhausen also practices a unique model of tram-train operation, in which dual-power railcars operate using electric power in the town, and change to diesel-electric to operate on the Harzer Schmalspurbahn (HSB) line to Ilfield.
On HSB’s centenary in September 1999, HSB and Stadtwerke Nordhausen signed a declaration of intent for the development, and work began in 2002. A track was built connecting the Bahnhofsvorplatz tram stop along Oskar-Cohn-Straße to the Harzquerbahn sidings at Nordhausen Nord station.
Since the HSB is not electrified, new dual-power vehicles had to be procured. On 3 June 2000, as part of the centenary celebrations of the Nordhausen tram, the first such vehicle was presented. Dubbed the Twino, it was a GT4 railcar fitted with a five-cylinder passenger car diesel engine, and was used for practical testing of dual-power operation. The municipal utilities bought three DuoCombino trams, fitted with BMW M67 3.9-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engines.
On 1 May 2004, route 10 was launched. It follows the course of route 1 from the Südharz Klinikum hospital through Nordhausen town centre to the station forecourt, and then along the Harzquerbahn track to Ilfeld Neanderklinik, a distance of 11.4 km
Lines
Since 2004, Nordhausen has had the following three tram lines:
Line | Route | Headway |
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1 | Krankenhaus – Rathaus/Kornmarkt – Bahnhofsplatz | Mon.-Fri.: 10 min Sat.-Sun., holidays: 20 min |
2 | Parkallee – Landratsamt – Rathaus/Kornmarkt – Nordhausen Ost | Mon.-Fri.: 10 min Sat.-Sun., holidays: 20 min |
10 | Krankenhaus – Rathaus/Kornmarkt – Bahnhofsplatz – Niedersachswerfen Ost – Ilfeld Neanderklinik | Mon.-Fri.: 60 min Sat.-Sun., holidays: 120 min |
References
- Bauer, Gerhard; Kuschinski, Norbert (1994). Die Straßenbahnen in Ostdeutschland [The Tramways in East Germany]. Band 2: Sachsen-Anhalt, Thüringen [Volume 2: Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia]. Aachen, Germany: Schweers + Wall. ISBN 392167980X. (in German)
- Schwandl, Robert (2012). Schwandl's Tram Atlas Deutschland (in German and English) (3rd ed.). Berlin: Robert Schwandl Verlag. ISBN 9783936573336.
External links
Media related to Trams in Nordhausen at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website
- Nordhausen database / photo gallery and Nordhausen tram list at Urban Electric Transit – in various languages, including English.
- Nordhausen database / photo gallery at Phototrans – in various languages, including English.