Trams in Almaty
, the former capital of Kazakhstan, operated a modest tram network between 1937 and 2015. It was one of the four tramways of Kazakhstan which continuously operated from their opening dates. The network went into decline starting in the late 20th century, with most of its former routes closed by 2010. Operation of the remaining tram network was halted and indefinitely suspended on 31 October 2015.
History
Like other Kazakh towns and cities, Almaty's tram system was also opened directly as an electric tram. It never ran horse or steam trams. Many changes of rolling stock occurred, and recently new modern low floor trams were introduced. The first tram ran here on 1 December 1937.The electric tramway began operation in 1937 with four routes, which included one ring line. The tram network reached at peak ten routes in 1990. The decline of the network began in 2000, when 8 routes were phased out through 2010. Operation on the final two tram routes was indefinitely suspended on 31 October 2015 due to accidents, required network maintenance, and the unprofitability of the tramway.
Tram routes
Previous to 1991, there had been 10 tram routes in operation. But like many Asian cities, most of the routes were closed between 1991 and 2010. Before the indefinite suspension of service in October 2015, there were two remaining operational tram routes:- 4 – Zhetysuyskaya–Aksay
- 6 – Zhetysuyskaya–Orbita