Trams in Sarajevo - Misplaced Pages

Sarajevo tramway network

Sarajevo tram

Overview

Locale

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Transit type

Tram

Number of lines

Number of stations

Website

gras.ba

Operation

Began operation

1885 (horse tram)
1895 (electric tram)

Operator(s)

KJKP GRAS Sarajevo

Number of vehicles

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

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, 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, 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.

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

System

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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.

Seven 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

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. The first vehicle was unveiled at the 15th Trako International Railway Fair on 20 September 2023. The first tram arrived in December 2023, while the rest are expected to arrive by the summer of 2024. An additional 10 new trams were also bought.

Gallery

Tram #009, May 19, 2024
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

Trams in Sarajevo map
Trams in Sarajevo map
The unofficial Sarajevo tram network map

References

Footnotes

^ "Tramvaj" [Tramway] (in Bosnian). KJKP GRAS d.o.o. 2015. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
"KJKP GRAS d.o.o." KJKP GRAS d.o.o. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
"Neven Anđelić: O mitu da je Sarajevo imalo prvi tramvaj u Evropi". Radio Sarajevo. 25 September 2010. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
"GRAS Sarajevo". Retrieved 8 January 2020.
"Sarajevo orders first new trams in decades". Railway Gazette International. 2 September 2021.
"New-build tram for Sarajevo unveiled". Railway Gazette International. 20 September 2023.
B.R. (14 December 2023). "U Sarajevo došao prvi od 15 novih tramvaja, nakon testiranja bit će pušten u redovan saobraćaj" (in Bosnian). Klix.ba. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
"Ministar Šteta objasnio kako će funkcionisati noćni javni prijevoz u Sarajevu". hocu.ba (in Bosnian). 25 December 2023. Retrieved 25 December 2023.

Bibliography

Jan Čihák: Sarajevo Trams and Trolleybuses, ISBN 978-3-9503304-2-7, bahnmedien.at, Vienna/Austria

External links

Sarajevo

History of Sarajevo

Coat of arms of Sarajevo

Municipalities

City proper	Centar Novi Grad Novo Sarajevo Stari Grad
Urban area	Ilidža Vogošća Istočna Ilidža Istočno Novo Sarajevo Istočni Stari Grad
Metro area	Hadžići Ilijaš Trnovo FBiH RS Pale Sokolac Breza Kiseljak Kreševo Visoko

Neighborhoods

Buildings and
landmarks

Places of worship

Muslim	Ali Pasha's Emperor's Ferhat-Pasha's Gazi Husrev-Bey's Istiqlal King Fahd's Hadžijska
Catholic	Sarajevo Cathedral St. Anthony's St. Joseph's
Orthodox	Serbian Orthodox Cathedral Sarajevo Old Orthodox Church Church of the Holy Transfiguration
Jewish	Sarajevo Synagogue Sarajevo Haggadah

Culture

Galleries and
museums

Education

Public	University of Sarajevo Academy of Fine Arts Academy of Performing Arts Faculty of Electrical Engineering Faculty of Political Science Faculty of Law Music Academy
Private	International Burch University International University of Sarajevo Sarajevo School of Science and Technology

Sports venues

Stadiums	Koševo Stadium Grbavica Stadium Otoka Stadium
Indoor arenas	Skenderija Hall Zetra Olympic Hall

Transport

Streets

Events

Category

Categories: