Tram Nijmegen
The Nijmegen tram ran from 1889 to 1955. Since the beginning of the 21st century there have been plans to reactivate the tram in Nijmegen and the surrounding area.
Steam tram and horse tram
The Nijmeegsche Tram Maatschappij (NmTM) was founded on November 23, 1888. Since June 30, 1889, she has operated the narrow-gauge steam and horse trams in Nijmegen. There were lines to Neerbosch, Beek, Berg en Dal and Sint Anna with a total length of 17.8 kilometers. The trams had a gauge of 1067 mm ( Cape gauge ).
The following routes have been opened:
- Neerbosch - Hees - Nijmegen - Ubbergen - Beek, opened on June 30th 1889,
- Nijmegen - Berg en Dal (Hotel), opened on May 10, 1891 and
- Nijmegen - Sint Anna, opened on June 2, 1897.
From January 1, 1913, the Nijmegen - Neerbosch line was operated by the Maas and Waal Stoomtram; on January 1, 1916, this company took over the line as part of the Nijmegen - Wamel line. From 1913 to 1944 it also operated the regional tram line from Venlo to Nijmegen via the Maas-Buurtspoorweg and its branch line to Sint Anna.
From 1909 to 1941 the Betuwsche Stoomtramweg-Maatschappij operated two lines (via Elst and via Bemmel and Huissen) from the flying bridge in Lent and the ferry in Elden.
Electric tram
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The Gemeentetram Nijmegen (GTN) was founded on June 4, 1911. 1911–1912 she took over the NMTM. The Gemeentetram Nijmegen operated electric trams, for which they chose the extraordinary overhead line voltage of 800 volts DC .
The following electric tram lines were opened from June 1911:
- Line 1: Franckenstraat - Keizer-Karel-Platz, inaugurated on June 4, 1911, extended a week later to St. Anna and in 1919 to Hengstdal .
- Line 2: Hunerpark - Beek. It was put into operation on January 1, 1912, and extended to Berg en Dal a year later. In Beek it was possible to change to the tram to Kleve from December 1, 1912 until a few years after the Second World War .
- Line 3: Nijmegen - Korenbeurs - Hees station , opened on June 17, 1922.
- In 1943, there were still amplifier lines with the line numbers 4 and 5 (on lines 1 and 3, respectively).
The tram line to Berg en Dal was characterized by steep slopes and was therefore also known as the Bergspoor (in German: Bergbahn). This was also the steepest tram in the Netherlands. Between the endpoints in Beek and Berg en Dal, the tram had to overcome a large difference in height, which was realized via a loop viaduct. This viaduct, built in 1912, was one of the first concrete structures in the Netherlands.
In 1952, the line 1 was on O bus operation changed. Lines 2 and 3 were closed in 1955. The last trams ran in Nijmegen on November 21, 1955. After that, their services were taken over by omnibuses . The viaduct at Berg en Dal stood until 1969 when it had to be demolished due to its dilapidation. There are no remains of the Nijmegen tram in the cityscape. Only drawings and pictures indicate their former existence.
Reactivation of the tram in Nijmegen
For several years there have been plans for a new operation in Nijmegen in connection with the tram renaissance. A line is planned from Lent via the train station in the city center to Radboud University . In addition, it is investigated whether a tram route to Kleve is possible. However, the plans for the tram are still at an early stage, and the financing and usability of the Waal Bridge are also uncertain. Deutsche Bahn is also planning to reactivate rail traffic between Kleve and Nijmegen, but on the cross-border line on the left Lower Rhine . Radboud University can also be reached from Kleve, as the railway line serves Nijmegen Heyendaal station, in whose catchment area the university is located.
Individual evidence
- ↑ http://www.gemeentetramnijmegen.nl/gtn-einde.html
- ↑ Route at hov.nijmegen.nl. Archived from the original on May 30, 2012 ; accessed on November 1, 2014 .
- ↑ Andreas Gebbink: Good opportunities for the railway line between Kleve and Nijmegen. In: Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung . March 7, 2011, accessed May 31, 2016 . [Good chances for the railway line between Kleve and Nijmegen. Press release from the Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung]
