Trams in Budapest
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Budapest tramway network | |||||||||||||||||
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The Budapest tramway network (Hungarian: Budapest villamoshálózata) is a vital part of the public transport system in Budapest, the capital city of Hungary.
In operation since 1866, the network is presently one of world's largest tram networks, at about 196 km (122 mi) in total length. As of 2012[update], it was composed of 31 normal lines and the Budapest Cog-wheel Railway, operated by the BKV (Budapesti Közlekedési Válalat, Budapest Transport Limited).
History
The early days
The first horse-tram line in Budapest was inaugurated on 30 July 1866 between Újpest-Városkapu and Kálvin tér, through Váci út. Thereafter, the Count Sándor Károlyi founded the PKVT (Pesti Közúti Vaspálya Társaság, Pest Road Rail Company).
By 1885, Budapest had 15 horsecar lines but since it was obvious that the technology was obsolete, Mór Balázs suggested that a new, electric tram system should be introduced. It was Gábor Baross, then secretary of state at the Ministry of Communitiy Service and Transportation who authorised the construction of the first test tram line between Nyugati pályaudvar and Király utca. Balázs teamed up with Siemens & Halske and Lindheim és Társa and formed a new corporation: BVV (Budapesti Városi Vasút, Budapest City Trains). The construction works (carried out by Siemens & Halske) started on October 1, 1887 and the line was opened on November 28, 1887. The track gauge of this first line was 1000 millimeters and electricity was supplied to the cars from below to avoid cables hanging across the street.[1]
The second step in the expansion of the system were two standard gauge lines: on July 20, 1889 the second line, which spanned from Egyetem tér to Fiumei út via Kálvin tér, was opened[2]. It was designed so that in case of a power failure steam engines could tow the carriages. The third line, also standard gauge, was opened on September 10, 1889 and ran from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences to Andrássy út[3].
Even though not a tram line per se, the first underground line in Continental Europe, the Millenium Underground Railway must also be noted. It was built using a cut-and-cover method between 1894 and 1896 and was first named FJFVV (Ferenc József Földalatti Villamos Vasút, Franz Joseph Underground Electric Railway) after emperor Franz Joseph. It used electric cars from the very beginning.[1]
In the first years, tram had no numbers but coloured circular signals instead, for example, a simple red, green, blue or black disk; a red disk with a vertical white stripe or a cross; a white disk with a green 8-pointed green star, etc. This, of course, quickly became very cumbersome so around 1900, when there were already 30 lines, each line got a number – BVV, which was renamed to BVVV (Budapesti Villamos Városi Vasút, Budapest Electric City Trains) got the even numbers; odd numbers were assigned to a rival transport company, BKVT (Budapesti Közúti Vaspálya Társaság, Budapest Road Rail Company).[1]
The dynamically growing network brought new companies: two of them served Újpest, the northern part of Pest, one Pestszentlőrinc, which then was a separate town, and one the southern part of Buda and the then-separate village Budafok. These companies were joined together in 1923 by the name BSZKRT (Budapest Székesfővárosi Közlekedési Rt., Budapest Capital Transport Co.). It was during 1939-1944 that the most tram lines (66) existed in the city.[1]
System
Disappeared lines
Number of the line | Termini | Inauguration and disappearance |
---|---|---|
5 | Flórián tér - Hévízi úti lakótelep | 1950 - 1974 |
7 | Óbudai kocsiszín - Margit híd, budai hídfő | 1946 - 1961 |
7i | Fóti út - Rákospalota, Kossuth utca | ca. 1970 |
8 | Újpesti piac - Megyeri út | 1955 - 1980 |
9 | Batthyány tér - Budafok, Városház tér | 1920 - 1986 |
9A | Móricz Zsigmond körtér - Albertfalva kitérő | 1961 - 1972 |
10 | Rákospalota, Kossuth utca - Megyeri csárda | 1954 - 1985 |
11 | Margit híd, budai hídfő - Bécsi út | 1950 - 1981 |
13 | Örs vezér tere - Gubacsi út | 1955 - 2001 |
15 | Jászai Mari tér - Újpesti vasúti híd | 1940 - 1977 |
15A | Jászai Mari tér - Váci út | 1963 - 1977 |
20 | Ganz gyár - Ferenc körút | until 1977 |
22 | Nagyvásártelep - Boráros tér | 1932 - 1970 |
23 | Baross tér (Festetics György utca) - Ferenc körút | 1952 - 2000 |
25 | Állatkert - Thököly út | 1920 - 1972 |
26 | Rókus kórház - Eskü tér | 1910 - 1944 |
26A | Kőrösi Csoma út - Orczy tér | 1942 - 1956 |
See also
{{{inline}}}
- BKV
- Budapest Castle Hill Funicular
- Budapest Cog-wheel Railway
- Budapest Metro
- List of town tramway systems in Europe
External links
Media related to Trams in Budapest at Wikimedia Commons
References
- ^ a b c d Legát, Tibor (2010). "Bevezető [Introduction]". Számos villamos [Numbered tram]. Budapest: Jószöveg. pp. 6–12. ISBN 978-615-5009-15-0.
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