Trams in Sarajevo

Sarajevo tramway network
Sarajevo tramway network
	Sarajevo tram
Overview
Locale	Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Transit type	Tram
Number of lines	6
Number of stations	28
Website	gras.ba
Operation
Began operation	1885 (horse tram); 1895 (electric tram);
Operator(s)	KJKP GRAS Sarajevo
Number of vehicles	95
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Old gauge	760 mm (2 ft 5+15⁄16 in) Bosnian gauge until 1960
Minimum radius of curvature	(?)
System map
System map

Trams in Sarajevo are a part of the public transport system in Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The system is run by KJKP GRAS Sarajevo, which also operates trolleybus and bus routes in the city.

As of 2010, the Sarajevo tram system consists of seven lines,^[1]^[2] running along a single route with a 0.4 kilometres (0.25 mi)-long branch to the city's main railway station (Željeznička Stanica). It primarily serves as an east-west link from the city centre (Baščaršija) to the western suburb of Ilidža.

History

Opened on New Year's Day in 1885,^{[citation needed]} the Sarajevo tramway was the testing line for the tram in Vienna and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and operated by horses. Originally built to 760 mm (2 ft 5+15⁄16 in) Bosnian gauge, the present system was upgraded to 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge in 1960. The trams played a pivotal role in the growth of the city in the 20th century.^[3]

During the Siege of Sarajevo of 1992-1995, trackwork and numerous vehicles were badly damaged. The tram operation stopped on April 15 1992, 9 days after the siege started, and resumed despite the dangers of the ongoing siege on April 15, 1994.^[4] The vehicles are once again operational though marks remain on some vehicles.

System

Trams in Sarajevo

Legend

Hrasnica

under construction

Ilidža 3 4 6

Kasindolska

Energoinvest

Stup

abandoned

Avaz

branch to
Dobrinja

Avaz

Nedžarići 5

Alipašino polje

RTV

Miljacka

Alipašin most

depôt

Otoka

Čengić Vila

Čengić Vila 2

Čengić Vila

Dolac Malta

Socijalno

Pofalići

Univerzitet

Muzeji

Željeznička

stanica

1 4

Tehnička škola

Muzeji

Skenderija 6

Baščaršija 1 2

Baščaršija 3 5

The route lies on the main boulevard of Sarajevo, which is named (from west to east) first Bulevar Meše Selimovića (formerly 6 Proleterske Brigade), from Vila Čengić then Zmaj od Bosne (formerly Vojvode Radomira Putnika). From the district Marijin Dvor it runs a loop in a counter-clockwise direction along the Miljacka river on the street called Obala Kulina bana (formerly: Obala Vojvode Stepe Stepanovića). It proceeds to the terminus Baščaršija. The route then turns back towards Marijin Dvor on the northern parallel road Maršala Tita.

Six routes are presently in operation on the system, often only a specific section of the track. Only Route 3 operates the entire length.

Route 1: Željeznička stanica – Baščaršija
Route 2: Čengić Vila – Baščaršija
Route 3: Ilidža – Baščaršija
Route 4: Ilidža – Željeznička stanica
Route 5: Nedžarići – Baščaršija
Route 6: Ilidža – Skenderija
Route 7: Nedžarići – Skenderija (currently not running)

In the early 1990s, construction work started to expand the tram network from Nedžarići to Dobrinja, which was at the time served by a trolleybus system. Work stopped in 1992 when the siege started, which was also when most of the vehicles and infrastructure was damaged. At Nedžarići, it is possible to see tracks leading towards a planned, but never finished boulevard that would link towards Dobrinja. No work has been done in the said neighborhood to prepare access of trams there due to the start of the war, so these are the only traces of the planned extension.

Rolling stock

In 1958, Sarajevo bought 50 relatively modern PCC streetcars from Washington, renumbered in the 1-50 series. Another 21 more Washington PCCs followed in 1962, numbered 51-71. These 71 PCCs were built between 1941 and 1944 by the St. Louis Car Company. Between 1967 and 1969, 20 of these streetcars were reconstructed into ten articulated cars and renumbered 100-109.

The fleet in use on the network are Tatra K2 articulated trams from the Czech Republic, delivered in the 1970s and early 1980s. Later these trams were joined by more modern vehicles in recent times. In 2008, Amsterdam donated 16 old trams to Sarajevo.

In September 2021, Stadler was awarded a contract to supply 15 Tango NF3 trams to the city.^[5] The first vehicle was unveiled at the 15th Trako International Railway Fair on 20 September 2023.^[6] The first tram arrived in December 2023, while the rest are expected to arrive by the summer of 2024.^[7] An additional 10 new trams were also bought.^[8]

Gallery

Trams stopped running due to heavy snowfall, at Marijin Dvor on February 5, 2012
Tram #300 past Socijalno
Tram #602 past Park
Tram #511 at Holiday Inn
Tram #712 at Holiday Inn
Tram #707 past Univerzitet
Tram #506 at Vijećnica
Trams #805 and #812 at Socijalno
Tram #212 at Holiday Inn
Tram #508 running westbound at Marijin Dvor,
Tram #501 past Park
Tram #261 at Marijin Dvor,
Heavy snowfall on February 3, 2012
Satra III
Refurbished Tatra 3-carriage tram on display
Former Amsterdam tram
Satra II
Tram #713, Line #4, March 12, 2012
Tram #209, Line #3, March 16, 2012
Ilidža tram terminus with #713 ready for departure to the Railroad Station
Tram #501, Line #3, December 14, 2011
Tram #291, Line #1, December 18, 2011
Tram #505, Line #3, January 28, 2012
Tram #802, Line #3, January 5, 2012
Tram #277 leaving the tram depot, September 23, 2011
Tram #231, Line #1, September 24, 2011
Tram #710 Sarajevo (in 2010)
The remains of the planned extension to Dobrinja, in the background are the remains of the Sarajevo Retirement Home, which was very new at the time of the siege