Enthusiast's Guide to Travelling the Railways of Europe

Tram services over obscure routes

Last update for this page: 27 April 2009.

Introduction

Some tram systems advertise their depot workings and enable one to ascertain the regular use by passenger-carrying services of junctions or sections of line that do not otherwise see public service. This occasional series lists such services that have come to notice. While the data for each system is current at the date stated, it is not the intention to endeavour to keep every entry up to date at every service change - the listing serves as a guide for travellers as to the sort of services they can look out for, enabling them to check current published timetable material at their time of travel. To assist in tracing services, the route and/or timetable number for each journey is shown in parentheses, e.g. (1). Days of operation are in English notation (respectively: Su, M, T, W, Th, F, S) - plus "O" for only, "X" for excepted. Su (Sundays) usually includes public holidays in mainland Europe - but check locally.

Listings for other systems throughout the world - in the same format as shown below (please include date of timetable validity) - will always be welcomed by the .

Shortcuts: Europe (Austria - Belgium - Czech Republic - Finland - Germany - Netherlands - Sweden) - North America.

Europe

Austria: Linz: Linz AG

Advertised journeys in timetable dated 5 December 2005

Wildbergstrasse - Sonnensteinstrasse

From Universität (routes 1 and 2): 00:09, 09:14 SSuX, 20:34, 23:57

Rudolfstrasse - Sonnensteinstrasse

From solar City (route 2): 23:35 (= 00:01 from Hauptbahnhof)

Belgium: Bruxelles / Brussel: STIB / MIVB

Advertised journeys in timetable dated 30 October 2006

South-east curve at Buyl
North-east curve at Pr.Elisabeth

Although various depot workings use lines and curves not in public service, none is advertised in the current timetables. Note, however:

Czech Republic: Liberec: DPML

Advertised journeys in timetables as at 24 August 2006

South-west curve and part of depot branch at Rybníček

Depot workings from and to the western (Hanychov) end of routes 2 and 3 (timetables dated 1 July 2006). Times of eastbound services are marked with note R ("runs only to Rybníček stop"); times of westbound services are marked, at Rybníček only, with note T ("departs from stop on Tatranské ulice").

Fügnerova connecting line

Workings to the depot from routes 5 (timetable dated 1 July 2005) and 11 (dated 3 January 2005), as marked with note R ("runs to Rybníček stop"). There are no advertised workings from the depot.

Finland: Helsinki: HKL/HST

Advertised journeys in the public timetable dated 1 June 2008 but note that a revised service operates 30 June to 6 July in consequence of engineering works.

Eira Sairaala - Eira Telakkakatu loop
Kauppatori: west to north curve
Kauppiaankatu - Katajanokan terminaali loop
Vallila - Koskelan halliin (Koskela tram depot)

The depot is at the end of a branch about 1.5 km long off the north end of routes 6 and 8. Trams coming off service to Koskelan halliin show a special yellow destination blind and route letter H, and are shown by note k in timetables for routes 1, 1A, 3B (as from Olympialaituri), 3T (as from Eläintarha), 6 (none at present), 7A (as from Pasila station), 7B (as from Senaatinori) and 8. The journeys are mainly at the end of the day's service, but with additional journeys as the peak services wind down. Trams are not advertised in passenger service from the depot.

Sturenkatu from junction with Mäkelänkatu to Hämeentie

Certain trams to Koskelan halliin also use this route.

Trams from Käpylä Pohjolanaukio and Pasila make a left turn from Mäkelänkatu into Sturenkatu. Those from Eira Telakkakatu (when operated) run along Sturenkatu, crossing over Mäkelänkatu.

Sörnäinen south - west curve, between Hämeentie and Helsingegatan

Temporarily in use from January 2008 to 9 August 2008 by routes 3B and 3T (apart from journeys to Koskelan halliin with note k in timetable) and the Spårakoff pub tram (see below) because of closure for engineering work of line north from Hakaniemi via Kallio Berghäll.

Spårakoff Pub Tram

The Spårakoff Pub Tram operates an anti-clockwise circuit from Mikonkatu (close to the main railway station, on its east side) via Linnanmäki, Ooperatalo, Ylioppilastalo and Kauppatori, during the course of which it uses the following lines which have no other passenger service:

In 2008 the pub tram runs Tuesdays to Saturdays between 20 May and 30 August, departing Mikonkatu at 14:00, 15:00, 17:00, 18:00, 19:00 & 20:00. Departure may be earlier if the tram is full. A different route operates during the engineering works from 30 June to 6 July.

Germany: Bielefeld: moBiel

Advertised journeys in timetable dated 7 October 2007

North-west to south-east curve at Landgericht
South-west curve at Rathaus

Germany: Brandenburg: VBBr

Advertised journeys in timetable dated 12 December 2004

North-west curve at Gördenbrücke
North-west curve at Fouquéstrasse

Germany: Bremen: BSAG

Advertised journeys in timetable dated 8 March 2008

South-west curve Friedrich Ebert Str - Oster Str [- Westerstr.]
North-east - South-east curve at Westerstr.
North-east - South-east curve at Kleinkirchbacher
Hansator - Lloydstr. connecting line
North-west curve at Sielwall
Georg Bitter Str. - Bennigsenstr. connecting line
South-east to south-west curve at Theater am Leibnizplatz
Geschäftsstelle Neustadt

Trams starting or finishing at Geschäftsstelle Neustadt do so at platforms at the entrance to the depot branch (these are city-side of BSAG-Zentrum stops). Such workings are shown in the BSAG timetable - see particularly table 6, but also other tables with journeys noted "bis [to] Geschäftsstelle Neustadt" or "von [from] Geschäftsstelle Neustadt".

North-east curve at Domsheide
South-west curve at Domsheide
South-west curve at Hauptbahnhof
Southeast - southwest curve at Haferkamp
Northwest - southwest curve at Am Brill
Burgerpark branch
Doventor - Doventor-Steinweg via D.V.Büren Str. connecting line

Seasonal Sunday historic tram routes operate only on dates advertised: route 15 on second Sunday of month, route 16 on fourth Sunday of month.
Route 15 departs Hauptbahnhof (outside Mercure hotel) at 10:30, 14:00, 15:30.
Route 16 departs Hauptbahnhof (outside Mercure hotel) every 30 minutes from 10:30 to 16:00.

Germany: Düsseldorf: Rheinbahn

Advertised journeys in timetable dated 12 June 2005

Rheinbahnhaus turning circle (route U74)
Sportpark Nord/Europaplatz loop (route U78)
Polizeipräsidium (clockwise) loop
Südfriedhof turning circle (route 709)
Jan-Wellem-Platz northern platform loop [platforms 7 and 8]
  1. Anti-clockwise circuit through platform 7 (outward non-stop via platform 3): route 711 between 07:54 SSuX and 10:04 SSuX and again between 15:35 SSuX and 17:35 SSuX
  2. Platform 8 to west curve: departures from platform 8 at 04:44 SuX (712), 05:04 SuX (712), 05:25 SO (712), 05:34 SSuX (712), 06:04 SSuX (712), 06:34 SSuX (712), 08:40 SuO (712), 17:12 Sch (713), 17:22 Sch (713), 17:32 Sch (713), 17:42 Sch (713) [0722 Sch, 07:32 Sch and 07:42 Sch route 713 workings from Holthausen may arrive via this curve]. Sch denotes school-days only
  3. Platform 7 to west curve: route 715 departures from platform 7 at 05:11 SSuX, 05:31 SSuX, 05:38 SO, 05:51 SSuX, 05:58 SO, 06:11 SSuX, 06:18 SO, 06:38 SO, 06:58 SO, 19:46 SSuX, 20:08 SuX, 20:28 SSuX, 20:48 SSuX
Bruchstrasse (anti-clockwise) loop (routes 716 and 719)
Flingern S-Bahnhof east to south curve (route 716)
Auf'm Hennekamp northeast to southeast curve

Germany: Frankfurt am Main: VGF

Advertised journeys in timetable dated 12 December 2004

Southeast - southwest curve at Hauptbahnhof Südseite
Daimlerstrasse to Johanna Tesch Platz
Southeast to southwest curve at Saalburg/Wittelsbacherallee
Rebstöcker Strasse - Galluswarte
Turning circles at Zoo and at Festhalle/Messe

Germany: Halberstadt: HVG

Advertised journeys in timetable dated 26 August 2007

Klus branch (Herbingstrasse west junction - Klus - Herbingstrasse east junction)
Friedhof terminus

Netherlands: Amsterdam: GVB

Timetables dated 14 December 2008

Although various depot workings use lines and curves not in public service, none is advertised in the current timetables.

On Koninginnedag (celebration of the Queen's birthday, a public holiday, 30 April) there are no trams in the inner area of the city, so amended and special services operate, including the use of curves not otherwise regularly used in public service. Details obtainable locally in April.

Netherlands: Den Haag: HTM

Timetables dated 14 December 2008

Although various depot workings use lines and curves not in public service, none is advertised in the current timetables. Note, however, that route 10 - portions of which are not duplicated by other routes - runs only Mondays to Fridays peak hours (until ca.09:00 and from ca.15:00 to ca.19:00).

Netherlands: Rotterdam: RET

Timetables dated 28 August 2006

Although various depot workings use lines and curves not in public service, none is advertised in the current timetables and such workings have been observed as "not in service".

Sweden: Göteborg: GS

Advertised journeys in timetable dated 15 August 2005

Järntorget  South-west curve

Depot workings to Vagnhallen Majorna with note m on route 1:

Depot workings from or to Vagnhallen Majorna with note b or e on route 6:

Marklandsgatan West curve

[note: workings use platforms F or G at Marklandsgatan]

Depot workings from or to Vagnhallen Majorna with note c on route 1 or with note b on route 7:

Unadvertised workings Tynnered Opaltorget - Vagnhallen Majorna after evening peak SSuX on routes 1 and 7

Workings from Högsbotorp Axel Dahlströms Torg with note d on route 3:

Workings to Högsbotorp Axel Dahlströms Torg with note a on route 3 [note that return journeys do not use this route]:

Centralstationen inner (clockwise) turning circle via stop E
Centralstationen outer (anti-clockwise) turning circle via stop F

Used by arriving routes 13 and 14, to stop F to wait time; departing workings run empty between stops F and B (but have been known to take passengers....).

Centralstationen North-east curve

Workings from Centralstationen stop D with note a on route 5 or with notes a or b on route 6:

Workings to Centralstationen with note d on routes 5, 6 and 10:

Grönsakstorget South-west curve

Depot workings from Vagnhallen Majorna with note a on route 10:

North America

See EGTRE - Rest of the World.

This document is part of the Enthusiast's Guide to Travelling the Railways of Europe.

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