Zhangjiang Tram
Encyclopedia
ZhangJiang Tram is Shanghai's streetcar system, utilizing the French Raul company's Translohr
tram system. It is a rubber-tired tram system, second both in China and Asia.
Shanghai once had a standard steel wheeled tramway network
, which used electric trams. Routes were built step by step, and it reached its largest extent in 1925 with 328 tramcars. Tram service was completely stopped in 1975. Tram service returned to Shanghai in 2009. Commercial service started in 2010. Unlike the standard tramway, it chose a modern rubber-tired system.
ZhangJiang Tram started construction on December 23, 2007. Construction was originally planned to be completed on December 2008, but this was delayed a year, until December 31, 2009 when it was opened to traffic. Passenger operations started on January 1, 2010. Zhangjiang Tram runs from Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park Station
of Shanghai Metro Line 2
to Heqing Town. Now the 10-km-long 1st phase, which runs from Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park Station to Jinqiu Road is running, and has 15 stops, two of which are interchanges to Shanghai Metro Line 2 (Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, the current terminal of the line and Jinke Road
station). The next phase of the project is the Zhangjiang tram division multiple-phase construction, a project in the east Greenfield Road, from Zu Chong Zhi Road (Shanghai Metro Line 2 Zhangjiang Hi-tech station), west to Osmanthus Road Autumn Road, which covers a distance of about 10 km, with a total of 15 stops, 1 depot. It will be followed by the Tang Zhen-Qing direction of extension.
, taxi
, and private car choked the streets of Shanghai. Like most Asian countries, China suffered many problems of developing countries, including pollution, traffic jams, illegal migration
, low literacy
and booming population. Increasing population increased urbanization of Shanghai, and which increased the number of motor vehicles, which started increasing air & noise pollution
, traffic jams and smog. City traffic became slower than it was prior to the closure of the trams. It became increasingly clear through the 1980s and 1990s that closing the tram lines and the lack of control over city traffic was a grave error. Many cities around the world like Tunis
, Sydney, Buenos Aires
, Pyongyang
and others had also recognized that error and like them, another Chinese city Tianjin
also brought back it's tram lines. Observing what had happened in Tianjin, Shanghai also planned the return of tram.
Understanding the great mistake of former tram closure, the government worked to decrease pollution as soon as possible. Following the example of other cities around the world, Shanghai authorities planned to reinstate tram service in Shanghai. The number of cars & buses in downtown Shanghai had increased to the point that running tram lines in that area was no longer possible. Keeping this in mind, the transport authority decided to construct lines in the Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, on the eastern side of the main city. Shanghai's transport authority at last decided to open a separate, modern, high speed, rubber tired tram.
The line is operated by Pudong, Shanghai Modern Rail Transportation Co., Ltd.. The tram lines started running in Shanghai in 2010.
The new system was built in Zhangjiang Town, because it is a planned area, and commuting between neighborhoods of the town has always been difficult. The Translohr tram way is constructed in Zhangjiang Town which is in the heartland area of Pudong (east shore of Huangpu River
) New District. Due to Economic-Technological Development Area ordinances, sound pollution must be kept to a minimum in this area. Traditional steel wheeled trams generate lots of vibration and sound during their journey. Rubber tires on the trams reduce vibration, and as a result noise, substantially. Additionally, the Zhangjiang Town roads are very hilly, and rubber tired trams can climb steeper grades than traditional trams easily. Another advantage is that rubber tired trams don't require tracks, as steel wheeled cars do, so there is less disturbance of underground networks like power cables, phone lines, and sewer/water mains.
. 9 trams of three cars that are low floor, fully air conditioned, and can operate at high speeds.
Translohr
Translohr is a guided bus system manufactured by Lohr Industrie of France. It is used in Clermont-Ferrand, Tianjin, Padua and in the mainland Mestre district of Venice in Italy. Translohr runs on rubber tires and is guided by a single central rail....
tram system. It is a rubber-tired tram system, second both in China and Asia.
Shanghai once had a standard steel wheeled tramway network
Trams in Shanghai
Trams in Shanghai first started operating in 1908, as a steel wheeled electric system, but had been discontinued by the mid-1970s.In 2010, trams were reintroduced to Shanghai, in the form of a modern rubber tired tram system.-History:...
, which used electric trams. Routes were built step by step, and it reached its largest extent in 1925 with 328 tramcars. Tram service was completely stopped in 1975. Tram service returned to Shanghai in 2009. Commercial service started in 2010. Unlike the standard tramway, it chose a modern rubber-tired system.
ZhangJiang Tram started construction on December 23, 2007. Construction was originally planned to be completed on December 2008, but this was delayed a year, until December 31, 2009 when it was opened to traffic. Passenger operations started on January 1, 2010. Zhangjiang Tram runs from Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park Station
Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park (Shanghai Metro)
Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park is the name of a station on Line 2 of the Shanghai Metro. The station had been the line's eastern terminus for more than 9 years, before the extension to Guanglan Road entered operation....
of Shanghai Metro Line 2
Shanghai Metro Line 2
Line 2 forms the east-west axis of the Shanghai metro network, intersecting with the north-south axis Line 1 at People's Square. With a length of nearly 64 km, it is the longest line in the metro system. Line 2 runs from Xujing East in the west to Pudong International Airport in the east,...
to Heqing Town. Now the 10-km-long 1st phase, which runs from Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park Station to Jinqiu Road is running, and has 15 stops, two of which are interchanges to Shanghai Metro Line 2 (Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, the current terminal of the line and Jinke Road
Jinke Road (Shanghai Metro)
Jinke Road is the name of a station on Line 2 of the Shanghai Metro. Located along Zuchongzhi Road, the station is located between the Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park station and the Guanglan Road station...
station). The next phase of the project is the Zhangjiang tram division multiple-phase construction, a project in the east Greenfield Road, from Zu Chong Zhi Road (Shanghai Metro Line 2 Zhangjiang Hi-tech station), west to Osmanthus Road Autumn Road, which covers a distance of about 10 km, with a total of 15 stops, 1 depot. It will be followed by the Tang Zhen-Qing direction of extension.
History
After the tram network closed in the 1970s, people of Shanghai thought the only unfashionable obstacle of smooth city travelling had been removed, allowing the city can move faster than before, but it proved false some years later. Uncontrolled increase of the number of petrol vehicles like busBus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
, taxi
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
, and private car choked the streets of Shanghai. Like most Asian countries, China suffered many problems of developing countries, including pollution, traffic jams, illegal migration
Human migration
Human migration is physical movement by humans from one area to another, sometimes over long distances or in large groups. Historically this movement was nomadic, often causing significant conflict with the indigenous population and their displacement or cultural assimilation. Only a few nomadic...
, low literacy
Literacy
Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
and booming population. Increasing population increased urbanization of Shanghai, and which increased the number of motor vehicles, which started increasing air & noise pollution
Noise pollution
Noise pollution is excessive, displeasing human, animal or machine-created environmental noise that disrupts the activity or balance of human or animal life...
, traffic jams and smog. City traffic became slower than it was prior to the closure of the trams. It became increasingly clear through the 1980s and 1990s that closing the tram lines and the lack of control over city traffic was a grave error. Many cities around the world like Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
, Sydney, Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
and others had also recognized that error and like them, another Chinese city Tianjin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
also brought back it's tram lines. Observing what had happened in Tianjin, Shanghai also planned the return of tram.
Understanding the great mistake of former tram closure, the government worked to decrease pollution as soon as possible. Following the example of other cities around the world, Shanghai authorities planned to reinstate tram service in Shanghai. The number of cars & buses in downtown Shanghai had increased to the point that running tram lines in that area was no longer possible. Keeping this in mind, the transport authority decided to construct lines in the Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, on the eastern side of the main city. Shanghai's transport authority at last decided to open a separate, modern, high speed, rubber tired tram.
The line is operated by Pudong, Shanghai Modern Rail Transportation Co., Ltd.. The tram lines started running in Shanghai in 2010.
The new system was built in Zhangjiang Town, because it is a planned area, and commuting between neighborhoods of the town has always been difficult. The Translohr tram way is constructed in Zhangjiang Town which is in the heartland area of Pudong (east shore of Huangpu River
Huangpu River
The Huangpu River is a -long river in China flowing through Shanghai...
) New District. Due to Economic-Technological Development Area ordinances, sound pollution must be kept to a minimum in this area. Traditional steel wheeled trams generate lots of vibration and sound during their journey. Rubber tires on the trams reduce vibration, and as a result noise, substantially. Additionally, the Zhangjiang Town roads are very hilly, and rubber tired trams can climb steeper grades than traditional trams easily. Another advantage is that rubber tired trams don't require tracks, as steel wheeled cars do, so there is less disturbance of underground networks like power cables, phone lines, and sewer/water mains.
Past in a nutshell
- 1975 – The last standard tram ran.
- 2007 – Construction of rubber tired tram started.
- 2009 – Test runs occurred.
- 2010 – Commercial services opened.
Tram routes
The modern tram runs from Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park to Heqing Town.- 张江地铁站 (Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park StationZhangjiang Hi-Tech Park (Shanghai Metro)Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park is the name of a station on Line 2 of the Shanghai Metro. The station had been the line's eastern terminus for more than 9 years, before the extension to Guanglan Road entered operation....
) - 碧波路高科路站 (Bibo Road Gaoke Road Station)
- 华佗路达尔文路站 (Huatuo Road Daerwen Road Station)
- 华佗路科苑路站 (Huatuo Road Keyuan Road Station)
- 蔡伦路金科路站 (Cailun Road Jinke Road Station)
- 蔡伦路哈雷路站 (Cailun Road Halei Road Station)
- 哥白尼路李冰路站 (Gebaini Road Libing Road Station)
- 紫薇路高斯路站 (Ziwei Road Gaosi Road Station)
- 高斯路张江路站 (Gaosi Road Zhangjiang Road Station)
- 张江中学站 (Zhangjiang Middle School Station)
- 广兰路祖冲之路站 (Guanglan Road Zuchongzhi Road Station)
- 广兰路丹桂路站 (Guanglan Road Dangui Road Station)
- 丹桂路青桐路站 (Dangui Road Qingtong Road Station)
- 丹桂路张东路站 (Dangui Road Zhangdong Road Station)
- 张东路金秋路站 (Zhangdong Road Jinqiu Road Station)
Practical Info
- Total length – 10 km.
- Opened – January 1, 2010.
- Operating hours – 5:45 am to 11 pm.
- Frequency – 3 minutes.
Fleet
Rolling stocks are TranslohrTranslohr
Translohr is a guided bus system manufactured by Lohr Industrie of France. It is used in Clermont-Ferrand, Tianjin, Padua and in the mainland Mestre district of Venice in Italy. Translohr runs on rubber tires and is guided by a single central rail....
. 9 trams of three cars that are low floor, fully air conditioned, and can operate at high speeds.
Features
Most of Zhangjiang tram lines are along the centre of the roads. Other parts of the stations are situated at the intersection on both sides of the one-way side-type platform, while the two terminals have a bilateral platform. Zhangjiang streetcar doors adopted a "need to open" mode; if a stop is requested by a passenger, a green light is illuminated and the doors open at the next stop, while if no stop is requestion, the doors remain closed.Alignment
The modern tram routes completely run on unreserved tracks & middle of the road. Due to rubber tire, it is not possible to lay track on grass, as the trams can only run on concrete roads. All stops has island platforms.See also
- Public transport in ShanghaiPublic transport in ShanghaiShanghai has an extensive public transport system, largely based on buses, trolley buses, taxis, and a rapidly expanding metro system. All of these public transport tools can be accessed using the Shanghai Public Transportation Card, which uses radio frequencies so the card does not have to...
- Trams in ShanghaiTrams in ShanghaiTrams in Shanghai first started operating in 1908, as a steel wheeled electric system, but had been discontinued by the mid-1970s.In 2010, trams were reintroduced to Shanghai, in the form of a modern rubber tired tram system.-History:...
– the first generation tramway network - Trolleybuses in ShanghaiTrolleybuses in ShanghaiThe Shanghai trolleybus system serves the city of Shanghai, in the People's Republic of China. Of more than 300 trolleybus systems in operation worldwide , the Shanghai system is the oldest...
- Shanghai MetroShanghai MetroThe Shanghai Metro is the urban rapid transit system of China's largest city, Shanghai. The system incorporates both subway and light rail lines. It opened in 1995, making Shanghai the third city in Mainland China, after Beijing and Tianjin, to have a rapid transit system...