Douai tram

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Tram on Rue de Bellain (around 1915)

For decades, the former Douai tram was the public transport system in this northern French city, which had around 36,000 inhabitants before the First World War.

history

In 1898 the “Compagnie des tramways électriques de Douai” opened a standard-gauge electric tram. The network consisted of two routes that crossed at the Place d'Armes (parade ground).

A line opened on October 30, 1898 ran from the Dorignies district in the north along the Scarpe Canal towards the city center, where it passed the Esplanade to the Marché aux Poissons (fish market) and now headed east across the Place d'Armes and the Porte de Valenciennes was running. Via Dechy the railway reached Guesnain , where the depot was located, and ended in the commune of Sin-le-Noble to the south of it ; there was - as in Dorignies - a station on the Lille - Douai - Cambrai railway .

With the opening of the following lines on August 29, 1899, the network of around 21 kilometers was completed: From Guesnain, the existing line via Lewarde and Auberchicourt was extended to Aniche station, which is on the Somain - Cambrai railway line . Within the city, a short line connected Douai station with Place l'Hériller . This connection was shut down again after a relatively short time.

Around 1930, operations on the Guesnain - Aniche section also ended, so that only the first line opened, Dorignies - Sin-le-Noble, remained. It was operated until 1950. Buses then took over the operation.

The vehicle fleet consisted of 21 two-axle railcars and 9 sidecars. The railcars, which were mounted on Fives-Lille bogies, had 40 seats.

literature

  • Jean Robert: Histoire des Transports dans les Villes de France. Self-published, Neuilly-sur-Seine 1974.

Web links

Commons : Tram Douai  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e René Courant: Le temps des tramways . Éditions du Cabri, Menton 1982, ISBN 2-903310-22-X , p. 47 .