The New Athens Tram
In
1882, Athens started a tram system with 16 small vehicles pulled
by, in total, 800 horses. These first lines connected the center
of Athens with its suburbs Ambelokipi, Patissia and Omonia square
with Syntagma, Gazi and Kerameikos. Five years later, the coal
tram of Faliro connected Academia with New and Old Faliro on
the coast.
By
1909 the tram network had 257 vehicles, 150 with an engine and
107 wagons. They all were made in Belgium, had electricity and
lights as well as innovative seats for 16 people and there was
room for another 14 standing. In October of 1940, the Athens
trams participated in the mobilization for World War II. After
the occupation, the fall of the Athens center tram system sets
in and the last tram rings its bell for the very last time in
October 1960. Only one tram line keeps operating (Perama to
Piraeus) till 1977. In 52 years, the Athens tram system carried
3 billion passengers.
“There
is nothing new under the sun”, Shakespeare once wrote.
On 19 July 2004 the Tram A.E. started operating a brand new
tram system in Athens. 35 Hypermodern trams transport passengers
on four different lines:
