Trams in The Hague
The Hague Tram is a tram network forming part of the public transport system in and around the city of The Hague in South Holland, Netherlands.
Opened in 1864, as of 2018 the network has twelve tram lines, three of which were built to light rail standards and operate under the RandstadRail brand. The network has 117 kilometres of rails and 241 stops. The network is owned by the Municipality of The Hague and operated by HTM Personenvervoer since 2002 HTM is the successor of N.V. Gemengd Bedrijf Haagsche Tramweg-Maatschappij and before that N.V. HTM Personenvervoer.
The network serves six municipalities outside of The Hague: Rijswijk, Leidschendam-Voorburg, Delft, Pijnacker-Nootdorp, Zoetermeer, and Westland.
History
Horse-drawn trams
On 21 March 1864, the Dutch Tramway Company was founded in The Hague, inaugurating the first tram network in the Netherlands. The first lines in The Hague were horse-drawn. By 1880, the system had expanded, featuring trams with only a single horse, transporting passengers to destinations like Javastraat and Frederikstraat.In the first half of the 1880s, steam trams appeared and rapidly replaced the horse-drawn lines, especially in longer services. One of these was the line between The Hague and Delft in July 1887, which is still in service today and extended to Scheveningen Noord. On 17 May 1887, the NV Haagsche Tramweg-Maatschappij was formed after acquiring the Belgian company Société Anonyme des Tramways de La Haye, marking the birth of HTM.
Electric trams
Electric trams powered by batteries functioned in passenger service from 1890 to 1904.In August 1904, the first electrified line went into service; this is now part of line 9 between Plein and Scheveningen Kurhaus. Most of this line is still part of the line between Vrederust and Scheveningen Noord. Due to numerous technical problems, the battery tram had to give way to the electric longline tram.
By 1915, Scheveningen had become a popular destination for summer beachgoers, leading to long queues at the stop in front of the Kurhaus at the end of the day. In 1916, when many men were deployed to military service during World War I, female conductors appeared on trams.
The system expanded throughout the 1920s. By 1926, HTM operated 16 tram lines, and the population of The Hague was nearly 410,000. The tram system facilitated over 53 million tram and bus trips annually. However, the economic downturn following the 1929 stock market crash resulted in reduced passenger numbers and fewer ambitions for further expansions. In 1927 a former branch line from the HIJSM was transferred to the HTM and electrified. The former exclusive alignement was taken over and resulted in the need to buy tramcars with a higher topspeed compared to the existing trams: the serie 800.
In response to the declining number of passengers during the economic crisis, the 1930s saw the introduction of one-man trams. These were more economical and increasingly replaced the larger trams with trailers. In the 1940s, ridership surged, rising from 60 million in 1940 to 138 million in 1943.
Post-WW2 developments
After World War II, HTM began buying more modern trams to compete with the growing use of private cars, most notably the U.S. designed PCC-car. In the 1960s, ticket stamping machines were introduced, and advertising on trams helped generate additional revenue. In 1963 suggestions from Friedrich Lehner were first carried out : light occupied tram lines were replaced by buses, and HTM purchased 330 buses to serve this purpose.Grade separated infrastructure
A proposal by Friedrich Lehner from 1964, was formalised in 1969, in a document called Nota Openbaar Vervoer 1969. This memorandum contained plans for a new Central Station, urban rail transit to satellite town Zoetermeer and a proposal including a combination of new tunnels and viaducts to improve tram operations, described as 'semi-metro'. In 1973, The Hague's new Central Station was opened, to accommodate the growing number of passengers. The new station would get new elevated tram tracks with platforms above the station concourse in 1976.In 2004, the construction of a tram tunnel under the city centre, around the intersection of Spui, Kalvermarkt and Grote Marktstraat, was completed to address congestion. In 2006, the RandstadRail network and brand was introduced, connecting The Hague with the Zoetermeer and Rotterdam regions. The tram-train lines to Zoetermeer for the RandstadRail project opened on 29 October 2006 and on 20 October 2007 respectively, including the addition of Beatrixkwartier station.
New lines
In 1983, for the first time since WW2, a new tramline was opened: Line 2. At the same time the tram network is restructured: Line 1 from Delft to The Hague city centre was extended to Scheveningen and Line 12 and Line 16 were connected to form a ring line in the city centre.In addition, the Sijtwendetunnel, featuring one underground station Oosteinde, was opened in 2010 exclusively for a new Line 19.
Future plans
Infrastructure upgrades
New trams will replace GTL trams on lines 1, 6 and 12, necessitating adjustments to tram tracks and stops. These modifications involve realigning tracks, adjusting corners, and lengthening tram stops to accommodate the new trams and ensure accessibility. Lines 1 and 16 have already been upgraded for similar reasons.Vlietlijn
A proposed new tram connection, the Vlietlijn, aims to connect Den Haag Centraal via the Binckhorstlaan with Voorburg, Rijswijk, and Delft, running parallel to existing train track, to reduce traffic congestion from new housing and business developments in the area.Zuidwestlandcorridor
There are proposals to improve accessibility from The Hague Zuidwest to the city centre and Zoetermeer. With options exploring adaptation to existing infrastructure, such as the tram tunnel and railway at Leidschenveen, where RandstadRail lines 3 & 4, and Rotterdam Metro line E stop. The infrastructure limits the possibility of increasing tram frequency.Infrastructure
The tracks are standard gauge, measuring 1,435 mm, and are electrified using a 600 V DC catenary system, with some sections also capable of operating at 750 V DC for tram-train vehicles. The network's maintenance facilities are located at Lijsterbesstraat, Scheveningen, and Zichtenburg.The city centre tunnel for trams, measuring, was opened in March 2004. The tunnel forms the western section of a grade-separated section.
To the east, the tunnel connects to an elevated viaduct, which was opened in 1976 and includes stops at Centraal Station and Ternoot. This viaduct also features the Viaduct through Beatrixkwartier for RandstadRail trams, linking to the former Hofpleinlijn near Den Haag Laan van NOI railway station. RandstadRail lines 3, 4, and 34 use this connection. East of Laan van NOI, they share tracks and stations with Rotterdam Metro line E as far as Leidschendam-Voorburg, before diverging onto the former Zoetermeer Stadslijn towards Zoetermeer.
Rolling stock
As of 2024, the HTM tram fleet consists of approximately 200 trams of three types, with a further model set to enter service in 2026.GTL8
GTL8 trams are eight-axle, three-section articulated trams with a red-and-beige livery. They are uni-directional with a cab at only one end. The 147 trams were built by La Brugeoise et Nivelles in Bruges, Belgium in two generations. About 55 remain in revenue service.The first generation, GTL8-I, consists of 100 trams delivered from 1981-1984, while the second generation, GTL8-II, includes 47 trams delivered from 1992-1993.
These trams operate on tram lines 1, 6, and 12, serving Den Haag, Rijswijk, Voorburg, Leidschendam, and Delft. The GTL8 trams have relatively narrow entrances with steps, making them less accessible for passengers with reduced mobility. They are gradually being phased out alongside the introduction the new Stadler TINA trams.
One GTL8-I tram has been converted into a moving restaurant tram, and features a dining interior, kitchen, and a toilet.
Avenio
Avenio trams are four-section, 100% low-floor trams with a red-and-white R-net livery. They are bi-directional with cabs on both ends. 70 trams were built by Siemens Mobility in Germany, with 40 ordered in 2011, 20 in 2014, and another 10 in 2017.Built from 2014 onwards, they have been in service since 2015, gradually replacing older GTL8 trams. These trams operate on lines 2, 9, 11, 15, 16, and 17. Since 2023, their livery has been updated from grey-red to white-red to improve their visibility. The Avenio trams feature wide, level boarding doors, dedicated spaces for wheelchairs and pushchairs, and digital information screens.
RegioCitadis
RegioCitadis trams are three-section, 70% low-floor light rail/tram-train vehicles with dual-voltage capabilities. They have a blue-and-white RandstadRail livery and are bi-directional. 72 trams were built by Alstom in Salzgitter, Germany, with 54 entering service in 2006-2007 and a further 18 in 2011.They operate on RandstadRail lines 3, 4, and 34 between The Hague and Zoetermeer, as well as on lines 2 and 19 when used as city trams. These trams have five wide, low-entry doors and offer space for bicycles outside of peak hours. They are used as tram-trains on the lines to Zoetermeer and are also used on line 19 between Leidschendam and Delft.
TINA
In 2026, the Stadler Rail TINA tram is planned to begin service, replacing the aging GTL8 fleet. 62 trams have been ordered, with an additional six funded by the Metropoolregio Rotterdam Den Haag. The TINA trams will be fully low-floor, with step-free access. Public consultations in 2023 contributed to their interior design. The first TINA trams are being manufactured in Środa Wielkopolska, Poland.Lines
Line 3
- Operated as RandstadRail; tram-train
Line 17
Line 19
- Operated with RandstadRail tram-trains or, occasionally, with Avenio urban trams. Plans for extending the route of tram 19 to TU Delft campus exist, but have been postponed due to necessary infrastructure upgrades. Its temporary terminal is located on a third track at Delft railway station.
Line 34
- Operated as RandstadRail, line 34 is a weekday tram that combines routes 3 and 4. Introduced in 2020, it runs only during rush hours. Line 34 operates every 10 minutes with single vehicles and does not run during the summer holidays.
Preservation
A number of trams from the city are preserved in the city's transport museum, the, situated in the old Frans Halsstraat tram depot, by the Wouwermanstraat stop on tram lines 9, 11 and 12.Additionally, the city's PCC car 1147 is preserved in the UK's National Tramway Museum, where it is displayed to illustrate the evolution of tram car design around the world.