TECO Line Streetcar System

TECO Line Streetcar System
Car 430 (replica of a Birney Safety Car ) in Ybor City
Basic information
Country	United States
city	Tampa
opening	October 19, 2002
operator	Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART)
Infrastructure
Route length	4.35 km
Gauge	1435 mm ( standard gauge )
Power system	600 V direct current over catenary
Stops	11
Depots	1
business
Lines	1
Clock in the peak hours	20 min
vehicles	11
Routing in 2005

The TECO Line Streetcar System is a predominantly tourist tram in Tampa and the only tram operator in the US state of Florida . But it also plays a role as a mode of transport for local public transport .

prehistory

Electric trams have existed in Tampa since the late 19th century. The first routes were built in 1892, and in 1926 the number of journeys reached its peak with almost 24 million passengers. Individual Birney Safety Car vehicles and laterally open Breezer summer railcars were used. On the night of August 3rd to 4th, 1946, the trams were shut down.

history

In the depot: modern vehicles and (right) the historic 163 multiple unit

The current tram route was opened on October 19, 2002. The operator is Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART), which belongs to the City of Tampa and is managed by Tampa Historic Streetcar Inc.

The only extension of the route took place in 2010. The previously 3.86 kilometers long route was extended from the downtown end point Dick Greco Plaza (until 2008 Southern Transportation Plaza) by 0.54 kilometers to Whiting Station. The opening took place on December 19, 2010.

route

The route is identical to the only line that runs on it. It connects the city center (Downtown) and the residential and entertainment district to the east of it, the Channel District, with the former working-class district of Ybor City. Endpoints are Whiting Station in the southwest and Centennial Park in the northeast, there are single-track stump ends .

The route is single-track, with diversions at several stations and a double-lane island along Channelside Drive . The depot is not far from the Cadrecha Plaza station in Ybor City, its apron is crossed by the track. South of the depot, the line crosses a railroad track at the same level .

vehicles

The company has nine replicas of the Birney Safety Car, which are slightly larger than the existing original vehicle No. 163. The numbering starts with 428 and thus follows the numbers of the previous company. These are handicapped accessible, air-conditioned bi-directional vehicles with a capacity of 44 seats and 30 standing places. There is also a replica of a Breezer summer multiple unit with 78 seats and 10 standing places. All replicas come from the Gomaco Trolley Company .

Car 163 is a restored original railcar of the Tampa & Ybor City Street Railway Society, which ran in Tampa between 1923 and 1946. It belongs to the two-axle Birney Safety Cars of the first type, is smaller than the replicas and the only drivable original tram vehicle in Florida. The four-axle car 402 is being refurbished; this vehicle, which had also previously run in Tampa, is the only remaining (of five) of the longest type.

technology

The vehicles are supplied with direct current of 600 volts via an overhead line . In contrast to what is common nowadays, the current - historically - is taken from the catenary via pantographs . The railcars have a power pole for each direction of travel, the rear one is used to draw power, the front one is removed from the contact wire. At the end stops, the power poles for changing the direction of travel must be removed or attached.

outlook

For years, the railway was threatened with employment. The City of Tampa had set up a fund to finance it, which was supposed to secure operations until 2025. However, the funds were already exhausted in 2014. In addition, the number of passengers fell by almost 35 percent between 2003 and 2012.

In the event of a shutdown, the city would have had to repay approximately $ 31 million in public funds received to the State of Florida. In mid-June 2018, the Florida Department of Transportation announced that it would guarantee a loan of $ 2,670,000 to HART to enable free use of the tram for the next three years. In order to better develop the inner city area, the city of Tampa is planning to extend the route by 2 kilometers in the medium term.