Kaliningrad tram
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| Basic information | |
| Country | Russia |
| city | Kaliningrad |
| opening | 1881 |
| electrification | May 31, 1895 |
| operator | Kaliningrad GorTrans |
| Infrastructure | |
| Route length | 21.5 km |
| Gauge | 1000 mm ( meter gauge ) |
| Stops | 44 |
| business | |
| Lines | 1 |
| vehicles | KT4SU, KT4D , T4SU, T4D |
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The tram in Kaliningrad , the former Koenigsberg , is the westernmost tram in Russia and the only still existing tram in the Kaliningrad Oblast , the northern part of the former East Prussia . It is the oldest electric tram on today's territory of Russia (the tram has been in existence since 1895). Besides the one in Pyatigorsk, the Kaliningrad tram is the only one in Russia in meter gauge .
For decades in the German, Soviet and Russian history of the city, the tram was an important part of urban transport, but is currently no longer of great importance. After the city administration has shut down almost all lines since 1999 and replaced them with buses, only line 5 runs, the future of which and thus that of the tram in Kaliningrad is uncertain.
history
Königsberger Straßenbahn AG
The predecessor of the electric tram in Königsberg was a horse-drawn tram , the first line of which opened on May 26, 1881 from Steindamm / corner Poststraße (today Leninskij pr./ul. Shevtschenko) to Hufen (restaurant “Julchental”, today Central Culture and Recreation Park) has been. The railway depot was located on Heumarkt west of Steindamm, about halfway between Poststrasse and Hansaplatz. From June 5, 1881, a second line ran from Kronenstrasse (today the southernmost section of Leninskij pr.) Through the suburb to the Krämerbrücke. It was extended on May 16, 1882 via Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz (today Leninskij pr./Moskowskij pr.), Gesekusplatz and Steindamm to Steindammer Tor (today Platz des Sieges ) and traveled the existing route between Poststrasse and Steindammer Tor the first line. The third line ran from the Steindammer Tor on June 29, 1881 via Poststrasse, Münzplatz (today ul.Shevtschenko / Proletarskaja ul.), Roßgärter Markt (today ul. Frunze / ul.Shevtschenko) and Königstrasse (ul. Frunze) to the Königstor. Finally, on October 11, 1881, the line to the train stations (Süd- and Ostbahnhof) went into operation, the new line of which branched off from the suburban line and ran through Sattlergasse (ul. Polotkaja). The last line for the time being was opened at the beginning of 1882 and connected Kronenstraße and Königstor via a newly built line from Kaiser-Wilhelm- to Münzplatz through Kant- and Schloßstraße. On this route, lead horses had to be used due to the steep incline. All lines ran every 10 minutes. The horse tram was operated by the Königsberg Horse Railway Company .
The horse tram developed quickly and its network was soon expanded. On November 15, 1886, a new line went into operation from Roßgärter Markt through Hinterroßgarten Street (today Klinitscheskaja ul.) To Roßgärter Tor (today pl. Marschala Wasilewskogo), which was served by the Steindammer Tor line. From June 10, 1887, a new line ran from Kronenstraße to Schützenhaus (Rhesastraße) via Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz, Poststraße, Paradeplatz and Hintertragheim (today ul. Sergeewa). Between the stock exchange and Brodbänkenstrasse, the railway company had built a loop connected on both sides over the Köttel bridge past the town hall. In 1895 there were five horse-drawn tram lines in Königsberg:
- Kronenstrasse - Vorstadt - Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz - Steindammer Tor
- Kronenstraße - Vorstadt - Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz - Paradeplatz - Hintertragheim (today ul.Sergeewa) - Schützenhaus (Rhesastraße)
- Ost- und Südbahnhof - Vorstadt - Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz - Münzplatz - Roßgärter Markt - Königstor
- Steindammer Tor - Münzplatz - Roßgärter Markt - Hinterroßgarten (today Klinitscheskaja ul.) - Roßgärter Tor
- Steindamm / Poststraße - Steindammer Tor - Tiergarten - Julchental / Luisenwahl (today Central Culture and Recreation Park)
The line network was redesigned in the following years, so that after the opening of the extension from Königstor to Kalthof on August 17, 1897, eight lines were in use. In the meantime, the city of Königsberg put the electric tram into operation in 1895. It had no track connection to the existing horse-drawn tram, as it was built in meter gauge , while the horse - drawn tram was standard gauge . For a permit for electrification, the city has now requested that the horse-drawn tram lines be changed to meter gauge. The company refused and so the horse-drawn tram operation initially continued. It was not until 1900 that they were ready to change gauges and on May 11, 1900, the company was able to operate the first meter gauge and electric route. It was the line from Poststrasse to the Hufen (restaurant "Julchental"), which was extended at the same time via Amalienau and Ratshof to Juditten. On the same day, a new line went into operation, which branched off from the Hufen line at Cranzer Bahnhof (later Nordbahnhof) and led via Beethovenstrasse and Hermannsallee (later Hagenstrasse) to Hammer (Luisenallee). Shortly afterwards, the route from Poststrasse to the Schützenhaus was electrified and re-gauged. It was removed from the street Hinter Tragheim and passed through Mittel Tragheim and the Schönstraße. The horse-drawn railway company was renamed Königsberger Straßenbahn AG (KÖSAG) on April 1, 1901 .
After the concession for the horse-drawn tram had expired, the city took over the remaining horse-drawn tram operation on June 18, 1901, with the exception of the lines from Poststrasse to Juditten and the Schützenhaus that had already been re-tracked and electrified. The rest of the horse-drawn tram was then quickly changed by the city. The last time horse trams ran through the streets of Königsberg at the end of 1901. The old horse tram depot at Heumarkt was then closed and a new depot was opened on the route to Hammer at what will later become Hindenburgstrasse. The KÖSAG and its lines did not become the property of the city until April 1, 1909. The routes were integrated into the urban network.
Urban tram until 1922
The opening of the municipal electric tram in Königsberg took place on May 31, 1895. Their first line went from the Pillau station (already demolished in German times, was located on Lizentgrabenstrasse / ul.Mariupolskaja) via Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz, where the horse-drawn tram crossed, to what was then Neuer Markt (on today's Moskowskij-Prospect at the height of the new Pregel Bridge). The power station and the first depot of the electric tram were located here in the Mühlenberg (built over today). The line was extended to Augustastraße (ul. Griga) on June 22, 1895, the terminal point was north of Königstraße (ul. Frunse) on Friedrichstraße. The company operated as the Königsberg municipal electric tram .
From March 6, 1898, the second line ran from Oberlaak (am Volksgarten) over the Schmiedebrücke, Dom, Honigbrücke, Weidendamm, Hohe Brücke, Viehmarkt, Aweider Allee to the slaughterhouse. A second depot was built here on Schönfließer / Aweider Allee. In addition, the route over the wooden bridge and the branch route from the cattle market via Unterhaberberg and Alter Garten (ul.Bagrationa) to the Brandenburg Gate was opened on May 1, 1898, on which two lines, to the Neuer Markt and Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz, ran. On September 15, 1899, the branch line from Sackheimer Strasse to Sackheimer Tor went into operation. On August 8, 1900, the line to the Brandenburg Gate was extended via Berliner Straße (today ul. A. Suworowa) to the Schönbusch brewery (today ul. A. Suworowa / Kamskaja ul.).
There were four electric tram lines in the city in 1899, eight in 1902, eleven in 1904, and by 1927 the number of tram lines had reached fifteen. Each line had its own identification color, line numbers were only introduced in 1910. After the takeover of the KÖSAG horse-drawn railway lines, the gauging and electrification of these lines began immediately. On December 21, 1901, this was completed with the route from Poststrasse via Münzplatz and Königstor to Kalthof.
On June 22, 1902, the municipal tram extended its first line beyond the Pillau station past the Dutch tree to Cosse. In 1905 the new main tram workshop and depot was opened in Cosse. On December 14, 1906, the railway opened a new line from Wrangelturm to Ottokarplatz in Maraunenhof, which was extended on May 14, 1913 to the Maraunenhof terminus on Cranzer Allee. The line to Schönbusch was extended on September 30, 1908 to Ponarth to the station there. In addition to these routes, several connecting routes were created in the old town.
The line from Unterlaak to Oberlaak had already been closed before 1910. With the takeover of KÖSAG in 1909, the city renamed the operation to the Königsberg AG electricity works and tram .
In 1910 the following lines were in operation (still without line numbers):
- green: Cosse - Holländerbaumtor - Lizentbahnhof - Laak - Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz - Münchenhofplatz - Neuer Markt - Sackheimer Tor (every 15 minutes)
- green-white: Lizentbahnhof - Laak - Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz - Münchenhofplatz - Neuer Markt - Augusta- / Friedrichstraße (every 15 minutes)
- white with blue line (light blue-white): Tiergarten - Cranzer Bahnhof - Steindammer Tor - Wrangelstrasse - Mitteltragheim - Münzplatz - Schmiedebrücke - Dom - Honigbrücke - Weidendamm - Viehmarkt - Friedländer Tor - Rosenau / Schlachthof (every 10 minutes)
- white: Amalienau (Korinthenbaum) - Lawsker Allee - Tiergarten - Cranzer Bahnhof - Steindammer Tor - Poststraße - Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz - Vorstadt - Unterhaberberg - Viehmarkt (about every 7 minutes)
- white with red stripes (light white-red): Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz - Vorstadt - Alter Garten - Brandenburg Gate - Nassengärter Gate - Schönbusch - Ponarth, train station (every 10 minutes)
- yellow-red: Hammerweg - Tiergarten - Cranzer Bahnhof - Steindammer Tor - Poststraße - Münzplatz - Roßgärter Markt - Königstor (every 7 minutes)
- blue: Maraunenhof, Ottokarplatz - Wrangelturm - Schützenhaus - Mitteltragheim - Münzplatz (every 20 minutes)
- green-red: main train stations - Bahnhofstraße - Vorstadt - Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz - Poststraße - Paradeplatz - Mitteltragheim - Schützenhaus - Roßgärter Tor - Roßgärter Markt - Neuer Markt - Münchenhofplatz - wooden bridge - Weidendamm - Kaiserbrücke - Annual Market Square - Kaiserstraße - main train stations (ring line in this Direction) (every 7 minutes)
- green with red border (light green-red): ring line in the opposite direction (every 7 minutes)
- yellow: main train stations - Bahnhofstrasse - Vorstadt - Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz - Münzplatz - Roßgärter Markt - Königstor - Kalthof (every 7 minutes)
- blue-yellow: main train stations - Kaiserstraße - Vorstadt - Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz - Poststraße - Steindammer Tor - Cranzer Bahnhof - Samlandbahnhof - Beethovenstraße (ul.Kirowa) - Hermanns- / Luisenallee (every 10 minutes)
- yellow-white: Poststrasse - Steindammer Tor - Cranzer Bahnhof - Tiergarten - Markthalle - Mittelhufen station - Hardershof - Vorderhufen station - Samlandbahnhof - Cranzer Bahnhof - Steindammer Tor - Poststrasse (ring line in both directions, every 20 minutes)
- red: Juditten - Ratshof - Amalienau - Lawsker Allee - Tiergarten - Cranzer Bahnhof - Steindammer Tor - Poststraße (every 20 minutes)
After 1910, a branch was opened from Hufenallee via Claaßstrasse to the cemeteries (near today's children's hospital) and the route to Hermannsallee (later Hagenstrasse) was extended to Hammer. Some routes, namely the cross connection from Tiergarten to Hardershof, the route to the cemeteries, the connection from Poststrasse via Schloßplatz, Cathedral to Honigbrücke and the route in Augustastrasse, were closed again by the early 1920s.
Between the world wars
In 1922 the name of the tram company was again changed, namely to Königsberger Werke und Straßenbahn GmbH . After the line closures mentioned above, the first new lines were built in 1924, namely from Roßgärter Tor to the crematorium (today Mitschurinets-1 cemetery) and from Kalthof to Devau Airport. After these openings the following lines operated:
| line | Routing | Length (km) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Main train stations - Fairgrounds - Weidendamm - Mittelanger - Roßgärter Markt - Roßgärter Tor - Schützenhaus - Mitteltragheim - Paradeplatz - Poststraße - Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz - Vorstadt - main train stations (in both directions) | 7.27 |
| 2 | Main train stations - Vorstadt - Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz - Münzplatz - Roßgärter Markt - Königstor - Kalthof - Devau Airport | 5.55 |
| 3 | Main train stations - Vorstadt - Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz - Poststraße - Steindammer Tor - Cranzer Bahnhof - Samlandbahnhof - Beethovenstraße - Hagenstraße - Hammer | 5.96 |
| 4th | Livestock market - Unterhaberberg - Vorstadt - Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz - Poststrasse - Steindammer Tor - Cranzer Bahnhof - Tiergarten - Lawsker Allee - Amalienau | 6.30 |
| 5 | Slaughterhouse / Rosenau - Friedländer Tor - Livestock Market - Hohe Brücke - Weidendamm - Münchenhofplatz (Depot / E-Werk) | 2.80 |
| 6th | Hammerweg - Tiergarten - Cranzer Bahnhof - Steindammer Tor - Wrangelstraße - Mitteltragheim - Münzplatz - Roßgärter Markt - Königstor | 5.51 |
| 7th | Poststraße - Steindammer Tor - Cranzer Bahnhof - Tiergarten - Amalienau - Ratshof - Juditten | 6.71 |
| 8th | Münzplatz - Mitteltragheim - Schützenhaus - Wrangelturm - Maraunenhof | 4.34 |
| 9 | Lizentbahnhof - Laak - Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz - Münchenhofplatz - Neuer Markt - Sackheimer Tor | 3.74 |
| 10 | Cosse - Lizentbahnhof - Laak - Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz - Münchenhofplatz - Neuer Markt - Sackheimer Tor | 4.54 |
| 11 | Ponarth, train station - Schönbusch - Wet Garden - Brandenburg Gate - Old Garden - Suburb - Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz | 5.50 |
| 12 | Poststraße - Steindammer Tor - Cranzer Bahnhof - Samlandbahnhof - Hardershof | 3.19 |
| 13 | Poststraße - Steindammer Tor - Cranzer Bahnhof - Samlandbahnhof - Beethovenstraße - Hagenstraße / Luisenallee | 3.12 |
| 15th | Roßgärter Market - Roßgärter Tor - Crematorium | 3.31 |
In October 1926, the extension of line 11 to Ponarth-West and the new line from Kronenstrasse via Dirschauer Strasse to Ponarth-Ost were put into operation. The line to Ponarth-Ost was operated by a new line 15, which ran there from Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz. The previous line 15 was replaced by an extension of line 8, which now ran as an almost circular line from Maraunenhof via Münzplatz and Roßgärter Markt to the crematorium (only a few hundred meters from the Maraunenhof terminus).
In autumn 1927, the next two new lines were opened. The route to Hammer was extended to the art academy (today ul.Bassejnaja), and on December 7th, a new route went from Wrangelstrasse through Samitter Allee (today ul.Gorkogo) to Tragheimer Palve (terminus on Fritzener Weg, north of Railway bridge) in operation. Line 13 now went to the Academy of Art, while line 15 was extended to Hagenstrasse / Luisenallee. A new line 14 ran from Tragheimer Palve via Mitteltragheim, Paradeplatz, Poststraße, Cranzer Bahnhof to Hardershof. At the same time, line 4 was extended to Ratshof.
The route of line 5 between Viehmarkt and Lindenstrasse / Kaiserbrücke was shut down in 1928 and line 5 was discontinued. The extended line 4 now ran to the slaughterhouse in Rosenau. In addition to the new lines, large parts of the network had been expanded to double-track by 1938 and some of them were relocated to a separate track next to the road. The route to Hammer was relocated from Hagenstrasse, for example, to the parallel track of the Königsberg – Tilsit railway line , which had been idle since the new stations opened , and which had been introduced into the new northern station. In addition, reversible loops were built in Hammer, Maraunenhof, Königstor, Schlachthof, Ponarth-Ost and Hammerweg.
The network underwent a major redesign on September 19, 1929, when the new Königsberg Central Station was opened south of the suburb. It was connected to the tram network from Kronenstrasse with a four-track loop on both sides. Lines 1, 2 and 3, which had previously ended at the old main train stations, now went to the new main train station, while the old routes through the western Kaiserstraße and Bahnhofstraße to the old stations were shut down at the same time. In order to free the city center of terminals, line 7 was also extended via Paradeplatz and Schützenhaus to Maraunenhof. Line 8 instead ran from Tragheimer Palve via Mitteltragheim, Roßgarten to the crematorium. Line 14 has been discontinued. Line 12 was extended via the suburb to the slaughterhouse, while line 4, which had previously been going there, now also runs to the main station. Line 13 was also taken to the main station. This only ended line 11 in the city center. However, it had a terminal in the old town mountain road, away from the continuous routes. With the opening of the new railway junction, a new station went into operation in Holländerbaum, which replaced the Lizentbahnhof and to which line 9 has now been extended.
In 1930 the new north station went into operation, on the east side of which a three-track turning loop was built, which was also important for special trade fair traffic. In 1931 line 13 was discontinued and instead line 15 was extended to the art academy. Behind the new main train station, on Dirschauer Strasse, a new, spacious tram depot was built by July 1931, the only one that is still used today for trams.
In 1933, the route to Tragheimer Palve was briefly extended to Grünhoffer Weg (now Zeljonaja ul.). In September 1935, Wrangelstrasse was widened and now also got tram tracks between Fließstrasse and Nachtigallenweg. In addition, tracks were installed in a new road breakthrough on the site of the former cuirassier barracks in the northern extension of the Mitteltragheim road. The routes from the government (Mitteltragheim / Schönstrasse) through Schönstrasse and Fließstrasse as well as through Schönstrasse, Rhesastrasse, past the Schützenhaus and through Nachtigallensteig were closed in return. The change resulted in a new redesign of the route network. Line 1 now ran from the main train station via Kaiserstraße, Neuer Markt, Roßgärter Tor and Wrangelstraße to the Nordbahnhof. Line 5 was introduced, which ran from the main train station via Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz, Paradeplatz, Mitteltragheim, Wrangelstrasse to Grünhoffer Weg. Line 8 ran from Ponarth-West via Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz, Münzplatz to the crematorium, line 11 was discontinued.
Shortly afterwards, line 1 was extended to Hardershof and supplemented by a new line 11, which ran from the main train station in the same route to Hagenstrasse / Luisenallee. All lines were now operated every 10 minutes, in the morning until 8 a.m., on Sundays until 12 p.m., every 12 minutes, and every 20 minutes during the night. The trams operated from 5 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. On May 4, 1938, the last new line was opened before the outbreak of war. It connected the terminals Maraunenhof and the crematorium, so that line 8 also went to Maraunenhof. At the same time, lines 3 and 15 swapped their northern terminals, so that the 3 now went to the art academy and the 15 to Hammer.
With these changes, the following line network was in operation on May 4, 1938 (contemporary street renaming is not taken into account here):
| line | Routing | Length (km) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central Station - Fairgrounds - Weidendamm - Mittelanger - Roßgärter Markt - Roßgärter Tor - Wrangelstrasse - Nordbahnhof - Hardershof | 8.08 |
| 2 | Central station - suburb - Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz - Münzplatz - Roßgärter Markt - Königstor - Kalthof - Devau Airport | 5.92 |
| 3 | Central Station - Vorstadt - Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz - Poststrasse - Steindammer Tor - Nordbahnhof - Beethovenstrasse - Hagenstrasse - Hammer - Art Academy | 7.14 |
| 4th | Central Station - Vorstadt - Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz - Poststrasse - Steindammer Tor - Nordbahnhof - Tiergarten - Lawsker Allee - Amalienau - Ratshof | 6.72 |
| 5 | Central station - suburb - Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz - Poststraße - Paradeplatz - Mitteltragheim - Wrangelstraße - Tragheimer Palve - Grünhoffer Weg | 6.12 |
| 6th | Hammerweg - Tiergarten - Nordbahnhof - Steindammer Tor - Wrangelstraße - Mitteltragheim - Münzplatz - Roßgärter Markt - Königstor | 5.57 |
| 7th | Maraunenhof - Wrangelturm - Mitteltragheim - Paradeplatz - Poststraße - Steindammer Tor - Nordbahnhof - Tiergarten - Amalienau - Ratshof - Juditten | 10.72 |
| 8th | Ponarth-West - Ponarth train station - Schönbusch - Brandenburg Gate - Suburb - Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz - Münzplatz - Roßgärter Market - Roßgärter Tor - Crematorium - Maraunenhof | 10.03 |
| 9 | Bf. Holländerbaum - Laak - Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz - Münchenhofplatz - Neuer Markt - Sackheimer Tor | 3.74 |
| 10 | Cosse - Bf. Holländerbaum - Laak - Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz - Münchenhofplatz - Neuer Markt - Sackheimer Tor | 4.57 |
| 11 | Central Station - Fairgrounds - Weidendamm - Mittelanger - Roßgärter Markt - Roßgärter Tor - Wrangelstrasse - Nordbahnhof - Beethovenstrasse - Hagenstrasse / Luisenallee | 7.62 |
| 12 | Rosenau / Schlachthof - Friedländer Tor - Livestock Market - Unterhaberberg - Vorstadt - Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz - Poststrasse - Steindammer Tor - Nordbahnhof - Hardershof | 7.57 |
| 15th | Ponarth-Ost - Dirschauer Straße - (main station) - Vorstadt - Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz - Poststraße - Steindammer Tor - Nordbahnhof - Beethovenstraße - Hagenstraße - Hammer (- Kunstakademie) (in the morning and evening as line 3/15 over the main station loop and up to art academy) |
8.64 |
In World War II
After the start of the war in 1939, some restrictions came into effect. In the same year, lines 6 and 11 were discontinued without replacement. Almost all of the routes on both lines were also used by other lines, so that only the route from Mitteltragheim to Münzplatz was temporarily out of service. The operational lines in rush hour traffic on lines 9 and 12 also disappeared. The sequence of trains was increased all day to a 12-minute interval. Lines 9 and 10 were linked to form line 9/10, only every third car went to Cosse. However, the 9/10 line was the only one that stayed at the 10-minute basic cycle. The link between lines 3 and 15, which previously only existed at the edge of the day, has now also been introduced all day. The restrictions were lifted again in the course of 1940, only the train sequence (except for lines 9 and 10) remained at 12 minutes and line 11 no longer ended at the main station, but at Münchenhofplatz.
From 1941, some lines operated on the edge of the day on shortened routes and then with a changed line number. Line 4 was extended to Juditten and line 7 ended in Ratshof instead. It did not run in the outskirts of the day, instead line 17 ran from the north station to Maraunenhof. Lines 1 and 5 also no longer ran on the edge of the day. They were replaced by lines 21 and 25. The 21 ran from the Nordbahnhof to the main train station on route 1, while the 25 commuted between the stock exchange loop (bypassing the street via Börsenstrasse, Körtebrücke, town hall and Brodbänkenstrasse) and Grünhoffer Weg.
Königsberg was spared from bombing raids until the north (north of Wrangelstrasse) of the city on August 26, 1941 and the entire old town on the night of August 29 to 30, and the tram lines in the area were damaged or destroyed. After the first attack, the network was fully operational again on August 29th; after the second, it took until September 1st before operations could be resumed on some outer sections. Starting from the Nordbahnhof, these were lines 4 to Juditten, 12 to Hardershof and 15 to the Art Academy. In the south, from the intersection of Alter Garten / Vorstadt, lines 8 went to Ponarth-West, 12 to Rosenau and 15 to Ponarth-Ost. From September 5th, line 7 from Ratshof via Wrangelstraße to Maraunenhof and line 25 from Wrangelstraße to Grünhoffer Weg could run again in the north. On September 7th, lines 12 and 15 again ran into the city center for the first time after the route in Steindamm to Poststrasse had been prepared. Continuous operation with five lines via Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz to the suburb was resumed on September 11th. Lines 3 and 4 then went to the main station, lines 12 and 15 on their traditional routes and line 8 in the north to the north station. The other lines remained out of service until the end of the war.
In January 1945 the tram traffic in Königsberg was stopped due to the war events. The bombing raids and the storming of the city had caused great damage to the tram: four of the five depots and a large part of the rolling stock were destroyed.
Development 1945 to 1994
The new Soviet rulers wanted a quick resumption of tram operations. On November 7, 1946, traffic on a trunk network was resumed, initially from Laak (with an operating route to the Cosse depot) via Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz and Nordbahnhof to Hufenallee. The route was extended to Juditten on November 24th. In the summer of 1947, the network consisted of three lines that turned in Laak via the city-block bypass. Line 1 went from there via Steindamm to Juditten, line 3 in the direction of Hardershof (initially not to the terminus) and line 2 went via Münchenhofplatz and Weidendamm to Kaiserbrücke. Line 2 also ran from the Dirschauer Strasse depot to the cattle market. The lines that ended in Laak were used by the Cosse depot. In August, line 2 was able to run continuously from Laak via Weidendamm to Dirschauer Straße, after a new line was built from Kaiserbrücke to Viehmarkt over Hohe Brücke, which had already existed until 1928. On September 15, line 4 was added, which ran from Laak via Münzplatz, Roßgärter Markt to the Königstor. From October 1st, line 5 ran from Laak via Weidendamm to the slaughterhouse. On November 7th, line 3 was extended to the theater in Hardershof, and it wasn't until 1960 that the previous terminal was reached again. 129 restored trams were used on this network (for comparison: 251 trams were in use in Königsberg in 1939).
In the meantime, other routes had also been reopened, so that the tram routes from German times - with some modifications - were essentially used until the very recent past, even if the individual routes were changed.
Only in the former city center, which was completely destroyed during the Second World War, have some lines been repealed or relocated. The tracks over the former parade ground were removed without replacement. The route in Steindamm (today Leninski Prospect ) and to Tragheimer Palve were restored, but at least in 1960 they were temporarily not used. The former terminals Cosse and Sackheimer Tor could also not be reached again by tram. From the route of the previous line 10, only the section from the approach to the main workshop in Cosse to the east to the Neuer Markt was rebuilt.
Only a few significant extensions of the tram network took place after the war. Before 1950, the connection between the previous terminals Ponarth-West and Ponarth-Ost and, in the 1950s, the branch from Contiener Weg (then Transportnaja ul.) To the Jantar shipyard (formerly Schichau shipyard) went into operation. Thus, the following line network was operated in May 1960 (today's place names, German place names in brackets):
| line | Routing |
|---|---|
| 1 | Lesnaja Alleja (Juditten) - Kalinin Cultural Park (Ratshof) - North Railway Station - ul.Chernyachovskogo (Wrangelstrasse) - ul.Tälmanna (Herzog-Albrecht-Allee) - Maraunenhof |
| 2 | Kalinin Culture Park (Ratshof) - North Railway Station - Chernyakhovskogo ul. (Wrangelstrasse) - Proletarskaya ul. (Mitteltragheim) - Shevchenko ul. (Münzplatz / Poststrasse) - Zentralnaja pl. (Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz) - Leninskij pr. (Kneiphöfsche Langgasse, Vorstadt, Kronenstrasse) - Kijewskaja ul. (Dirschauer Strasse) - Ponarth - Transportnaja ul. - Jantar-Werft (Schichau-Werft) |
| 4th | Kalinin Cultural Park (Ratshof) - North Railway Station - Chernyakhovskogo ul. (Wrangel Street) - pl. Marshal Vasilevskogo (Roßgärter Gate) - Klinicheskaya ul. (Back Garden) - ul. Frunze (Koenigstrasse) - ul.Jurija Gagarina (Labiauer Strasse) - Devau Airport |
| 5 | Theater (Hardershof) - Sovetsky pr. (Fuchsberger Allee) - Nordbahnhof - ul.Chernyachovskogo (Wrangelstrasse) - pl. Marschala Wasilewskogo (Roßgärter Tor) - Klinitscheskaja ul. (Hinterroßgarten) - Oktyabrskaya ul. (Lindenstrasse, Weidendamm) - ul.Dzerzhinskogo (Friedländer Torplatz) - Alleja Smelych (Aweider Allee) - Meat Combine (slaughterhouse) |
| 6th | Basseynaya ul. (Art Academy) - ul.Kirowa (Beethoven Street) - North Railway Station |
| 8th | Main workshop Cosse (in Magnitnaja ul.) - ul. Prawaja Nabereschnaja (Holsteiner Damm) - Moskowskij pr. (Unterlaak, Old Town Long Lane) - Zentralnaja pl. (Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz) - Oktjabrskaja ul. (Lindenstraße, Weidendamm) - ul.Dzerschinskogo (Friedländer Torplatz) - Alleja Smelych (Aweider Allee) - Meat Combine (slaughterhouse) |
| 9 | ul.Tälmanna (Maraunenhof) - ul.Aleksandra Newskogo (Cranzer Allee) - pl. Marshal Vasilevskogo (Roßgärter Gate) - Klinitscheskaja ul. (Rear Roßgarten) - ul.Shevchenko (Münzplatz / Poststrasse) - Leninsky pr. (Kneiphöfsche Langgasse, Vorstadt) - ul.Bagrationa (Old Garden) - ul.A. Suworowa (Berliner Strasse) - Transportnaja ul. - Jantar shipyard |
| 10 | Meat Combine (slaughterhouse) - Alleja Smelych (Aweider Allee) - ul.Dzerschinskogo (Friedländer Torplatz) - ul.Bagrationa (Unterhaberberg) - Leninskij pr. (Kronenstrasse) - Kijewskaja ul. (Dirschauer Strasse) - Kinoteatr Rodina (Ponarth-Ost) |
In August 1970, the line through ul. Kirowa was shut down and instead a new line was opened in the eastern extension of the railroad on the former Tilsit railway line to the Sovetsky prospect, which was used by the railways in the direction of Hammer. In the meantime, due to the reconstruction of the junction at Zentralplatz (formerly Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz), the regular service to the main Cosse workshop had been discontinued, so that only workshop trips took place here. Therefore, the line was rebuilt in July 1972. The second track was removed and the line was relocated to ul. Generala Butkowa and Moskowskij prospekt and no longer used ul. Mariupolskaja (Lizentgrabenstrasse), as the winding town through Laak was to be demolished. The streets of this through-town were then partially built over. Further corrections to the route were necessary due to the swiveling of the Steindamm street (today the northern section of Lenin Prospect ) in the area of the former castle and the construction of the high bridge over the island of Kneiphof, which was completed on November 5, 1972. At the same time, the route through the former Mitteltragheim road has now been closed.
On July 6, 1973, the Hardershof line was extended a few hundred meters to the west to a new terminal at ul. Marschala Borsowa, where a prefabricated housing estate had been built. The tram route from Roßgärter Tor to ul. Frunse (formerly Königstrasse) was moved on August 16, 1974 from the streets Vorder- and Hinterroßgarten to the newly created Strasse des 9.April to the east (corresponds roughly to the course of Altroßgärter Predigerstrasse, Kalthöfischer and Jägerhofstrasse). The old line was not closed until November 13, 1974. From September 1, 1975, the railways also used the southern extension of Straße des April 9 to the level of the Neuer Markt and the Moskowskij prospekt to the west as far as the former Münchenhofplatz. The section from Neuer Markt to Münchenhofplatz had been used until 1944 and was part of Königsberg's first electric tram line. At the same time, the route through the Mittelanger was closed.
From December 6, 1994, the lines crossed the High Bridge through Bolshaya Pesochnaja ul., As a new, higher-lying bridge was put into operation. The following lines now operated:
| line | Routing |
|---|---|
| 1 | ZBS-2 (Juditten) - st. Oktyabrskaya (Ratshof) - North Railway Station - Chernyachovskogo ul. (Wrangelstrasse) - Thälmanna ul. (Herzog-Albrecht-Allee) - Maraunenhof |
| 2 | ul. Bassejnaja (Art Academy) - Sovetskij prospekt (Fuchsberger Allee) - North Railway Station - Leninsky pr. (Steindamm, Kneiphöfsche Langgasse, Vorstadt, Kronenstrasse) - Kijewskaja ul. (Dirschauer Strasse) - Ponarth - Transportnaja ul. - Jantar-Werke (Schichau shipyard) |
| 4th | st. Oktyabrskaya (Council Court) - North Railway Station - Chernyakhovskogo ul. (Wrangel Street) - pl. Marshala Vasilevskogo (Roßgärter Gate) - ul. 9 Aprelja - ul.Frunze (Koenigstrasse) - ul.Jurija Gagarina (Labiauer Strasse) - ul.Orudijnaja (Devau) |
| 5 | ul.Marshala Borsowa (Hardershof-West) - Sovetsky pr. (Fuchsberger Allee) - Nordbahnhof - ul.Chernyachovskogo (Wrangelstrasse) - pl. Marshala Vasilevskogo (Roßgärter Gate) - ul. 9 Aprelja - Moskowskij pr. (Lutherstrasse) - Oktjabrskaja ul. (Lindenstrasse, Weidendamm) - ul.Dzerschinskogo (Friedländer Torplatz) - Alleja Smelych (Aweider Allee) - Meat Combine (slaughterhouse) |
| 6th | Baseynaya ul. (Art Academy) - Sovetsky pr. (Fuchsberger Allee) - Nordbahnhof - ul.Chernyachowskogo (Wrangelstrasse) - ul.Gorkogo (Samitter Allee) - Zeljonaja ul. (Grünhoffer Weg) |
| 7th | Meat Combine (slaughterhouse) - Alleja Smelych (Aweider Allee) - ul.Dzerschinskogo (Friedländer Torplatz) - ul.Bagrationa (Unterhaberberg) - Leninskij pr. (Kronenstrasse) - Kijewskaja ul. (Dirschauer Strasse) - Ponarth - Transportnaja ul. - Jantar-Werke (Schichau shipyard) |
| 8th | ul.Tälmanna (Maraunenhof) - ul.Aleksandra Newskogo (Cranzer Allee) - pl. Marshala Vasilevskogo (Roßgärter Gate) - ul. 9 Aprelja - Moskowskij pr. (Lutherstrasse) - Oktjabrskaja ul. (Lindenstrasse, Weidendamm) - Bolshaya Pesochnaja ul. - ul.Bagrationa (Unterhaberberg) - Leninsky pr. (Kronenstrasse) - Kijewskaja ul. (Dirschauer Strasse) - Ponarth - Gagarin Park |
| 9 | ul.Orudijnaja (Devau) - ul.Jurija Gagarina (Labiauer street) - ul.Frunze (Koenigstrasse) - ul. 9 Aprelja - Moskowskij pr. (Lutherstrasse) - Oktjabrskaja ul. (Lindenstrasse, Weidendamm) - Bolschaja Pesotschnaja ul. - ul.Bagrationa (Unterhaberberg, Alter Garten) - ul.A. Suvorowa (Berliner Strasse) - Transportnaja ul. - Jantar-Werke (Schichau shipyard) |
| 10 | Zeljonaja ul. (Grünhoffer Weg) - ul.Gorkogo (Samitter Allee) - ul.Chernyakhovskogo (Wrangelstrasse) - pl. Marshal Vasilevskogo (Roßgärter Gate) - ul. 9 Aprelja - ul.Shevchenko (Münzplatz / Poststrasse) - Leninsky pr. (Kneiphöfsche Langgasse, Vorstadt, Kronenstrasse) - Südbahnhof |
Development since 1994
In contrast to other cities in Russia, the tram in Kaliningrad survived the Russian economic crisis of the 1990s without losses. There was no closure of the route, and although the fleet was not renewed, at least a general overhaul of the old vehicles took place.
From June 1997 a total of 30 Tatra multiple units were taken over by the Halle (Saale) tram . These were railcars 94, 98, 968, 969, 970, 973, 974, 976, 978, 982, 989, 1007, 1022, 1023, 1029, 1033, 1034, 1038, 1045, 1049, 1053, 1060, 1061, 1063, 1074, 1082, 1090, 1091, 1092 and 1097.
Since the beginning of the 21st century, a plan has begun to remove the tram from the streets of Kaliningrad. At the same time, the rail network was renovated on some sections. The Kaliningrad General Plan envisaged the development of the tram for the future. So the future of the Kaliningrad tram is ambiguous. The thinning of the route network began in 1999 when route 7 was closed, but this measure still managed without the route being closed. A new line 3 from Ratshof via Ponarth to the Jantar shipyard served as a replacement from around 2001, and was discontinued in 2004 when the line between Contiener Weg and Ponarth-West was closed. In 2001, line 10 was discontinued, so that only line 6 went to the former Grünhoffer Weg. The route from Lenin Prospect via Münzplatz to Roßgärter Markt was then closed.
In 2005 the line from Roßgärter Tor (pl.Marshala Wasilewskogo) to Maraunenhof (line 8) was closed, followed on February 27, 2006 by the line to Grünhoffer Weg (Zeljonaja ul.) (Line 6) and on April 1, 2006 from the route to Hardershof (line 5). Also in 2006 the short section from Hammerteich to ul. Bassejnaja (line 2) and the section from Ratshof to Juditten (line 1) were closed. In 2008 the line from Roßgärter Markt to Devau was finally closed (lines 4 and 9). In 2009, the main railway workshop was relocated to the Dirschauer Straße depot, so that the long, single-track line from Moscow Prospect via Laak to Cosse could also be closed.
In 2010, the route followed from the Alten Garten via the Brandenburg Gate to the Jantar shipyard (line 9), the routes from the depot in Lenin Prospect (formerly Dirschauer Strasse) to Ponarth (lines 2 and 8) and from Siegesplatz via Lenin Prospect to Unterhaberberg (Line 2) and in 2012 the route from Nordbahnhof to Ratshof, as well as from Wrangelstrasse to Maraunenhof (both Line 1). As a replacement for the discontinued Line 2, Line 3 was set up from Hammer to the Südbahnhof via Roßgarten. After these closures, only the route from Hammer via Nordbahnhof, Roßgärter Tor, Straße des 9 April, Hohe Brücke to the slaughterhouse and the branch to the Südbahnhof was in operation. The section in Oktjabrskaja ul. (Formerly Lindenstrasse) and over the High Bridge was extensively renovated from 2006 to 2010. Line 3 was also discontinued on June 25, 2015, so that currently (2020) only line 5 will run. The route to the southern station is no longer used in regular traffic, but continues to be used as a service line to the only tram depot at ul.Kievskaja .
Line network
After the closure of most lines after 1999, only line 5 is still running.
| line | Routing |
|---|---|
| 5 | ul.Bassejnaja (Hammer) - Sovetskij prospekt (Fuchsberger Allee) - North Railway Station - ul. Chernjachowskogo (Wrangelstrasse) - pl. Marshala Vasilevskogo (Roßgärter Gate) - ul. 9 Aprelja - Moskowskij pr. (Lutherstrasse) - Oktjabrskaja ul. (Lindenstrasse, Weidendamm) - ul.Dzerschinskogo (Friedländer Torplatz) - Alleja Smelych (Aweider Allee) - Meat Combine (slaughterhouse) |
Vehicle fleet
In the former Königsberg tram cars from local production were used; they were supplied by the local wagon factory in Steinfurt. The motors with an output of 60 kW and the electrical equipment came from Siemens . These cars were initially used after the Second World War, but were soon replaced by trams from GDR productions. Later in Kaliningrad, as almost everywhere in the former Eastern Bloc, trams from the company ČKD Tatra were used. Today the fleet consists exclusively of products from this Czechoslovak manufacturer ( KT4SU, KT4D , T4SU, T4D ). In 1995 two trams from Mannheim , which were already 32 years old at the time, were bought. However, they were only used until 1999, as spare parts were no longer available for them. One of them has meanwhile been converted into a party car.
The renewal of the Kaliningrad tram fleet is hampered by the narrow gauge of the tracks and the narrow dimensions of the car bodies (the maximum width of the tram is 2.20 m, in other cities of Russia 2.50 m). In Russia, trams are not made for this lane and in such dimensions. In December 2012, the Polish manufacturer PESA presented the SWING prototype for Kaliningrad. This car was first tested on the Toruń Tramway before it was transported to Kaliningrad on December 18, 2012. It is to be used there for six months, after which a decision is to be made on the procurement of 40 low-floor trams.
literature
- Henrik Karl Nielsen: Kaliningrad (Königsberg Pr.) - city traffic, cityscape and trams , Europublishers, Copenhagen 2008, ISBN 978-87-90528-21-8 .
- Siegfried Bufe: Tramways in East and West Prussia , Bufe-Fachbuch-Verlag, Munich 1992, ISBN 3-922138-29-2 .
Web links
- Website on the history and current situation of urban traffic in Kaliningrad (German)
- Website with numerous current and historical route network maps (Russian)
- Website with numerous photos of the line operations at public-transport.net
Individual evidence
- ↑ Timetable of May 4, 1938.
- ↑ Karl-Heinz Koch: Königsberger Bürgerbrief . Trams for Koenigsberg / Kaliningrad. Ed .: City community Königsberg in the East Prussia Landsmannschaft . tape 55 . Duisburg 2000, p. 78 .
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