About Development – Tbilisi Trams
In 2004 the Tbilisi electric tram network celebrated its 100-year anniversary but just two years later it was closed due to its declining popularity and the prohibitive cost of overhaul.
The story of the tramway began in 1883 with the first horse-drawn tramcar. These were replaced in 1904 by an electrified tramway line.
One of the first electric trams
This beautiful old Tbilisi tramcar has been restored and is used as a cafe
By the close of the Soviet era Tbilisi had more than 100 kilometers of line and about 300 tramcars.
You can see what is was like to ride on a Tbilisi tram in this YouTube video
In 2010 the Mayor of Tbilisi signed contracts with French company Systra for a feasibility study to re-introduce trams to Tbilisi. Reporting in April 2012 Systra propose an initial 14 km long connecting the city centre to Saburtalo (universities) district. It is hoped that the line will open in 2014.
It is expected that the new tram line will serve 100,000 passengers daily with a travel time of 34 minutes in each direction.
The initial line linking the city centre with the Saburtalo university district via Rustaveli Avenue.
In the longer term there are plans for other lines to the airport in the south and to the densely populated areas to the north of the city (Digomi and Gldani).
The re-introduction of trams is very good news for the city. A tramway uses road area eight times more economical than auto transport and because trams use a special line on the road they are faster.
Tbilisi has a responsibility to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by 20 percent by 2020. The tram line will play a significant role in this.
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Looks like on the map that it will connect Rustaveli Avenue to Saburtalo via Vake. Am I reading the map correctly? That would be brilliant!
I believe it will. I’m looking forward to seeing trams in the city again.
How cool! Here in the US some cities have trams. In New Orleans and San Francisco they’re called street cars and are for tourists as much as anyone.
I have seen the San Francisco street cars in movies Rumpy – they go up and down very steep hills!
Over here we have more trains and subways than trams. In the very populated cities (NY, D.C.) the trains run fairly often, in the smaller cities though the schedules are limited. It looks like the new tram system will help a lot of people and perhaps even reduce travel costs!
As far as I can tell here the travel costs aren’t reduced by train travel so therefore I wonder, why bother? LOL
I know what you mean about the cost of train travel Jodi – it’s reasonable here in Georgia but hugely expensive in the U.K.
How cool! True history being revived!! YAY!!!
I thought you would like this Chuck!
Nice YouTube film about this tramway
Yes 🙂