Zhangjiang Tram
Zhangjiang Tram was a rubber-tyred tram line operating in Shanghai that utilised a Translohr system. Shanghai originally had a steel wheeled electric tramway network in its urban center. Routes expanded gradually and reached largest extent in 1925 with 328 tramcars; this tram system shut down in 1975. Tram service returned to Shanghai with the opening of a rubber tired Translohr line in the suburban Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park in 2010. It is the second rubber-tired tram system in both China and Asia, the first being TEDA tram in Tianjin.
Zhangjiang Tram started construction on December 23, 2007. Construction was originally planned to be completed in December 2008, but this was delayed a year, until December 31, 2009 when it was opened to traffic. Passenger operations started on December 31, 2009. Zhangjiang Tram runs for from Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park Station of the Shanghai Metro Line 2 to Heqing Town with 15 stops. The total investment of the Zhangjiang tram project is about 800 million yuan.
Zhangjiang tram was planned to be built in phases. Only the first phase was constructed and ran from Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park Station on Shanghai Metro Line 2 in the west, to Zhangdong Road Jinqiu Road Station in the east, which covers a distance of, with a total of 15 stops, 1 depot. Initial plans included a next phase which is an extension to Tangzhen and a third phase to Heqing Town, reaching a scale of more than by 2010. Due to successive years of losses, the Zhangjiang Tram originally planned extensions are temporarily put on hold. Zhangjiang Tram has an annual loss of more than 20 million yuan. This is because the passenger flow is unbalanced during the day, which is generally unsatisfactory; and the maintenance cost of vehicles is extremely high, as most parts are imported. For this reason, the supply of some parts has been stopped, making the vehicle unable to operate normally.
There were also possible plans to build tram projects in Lujiazui and Sanlin areas, which also have not been materialized.
Ultimately, although spare parts procurement was an issue, the system closed mainly due to the overwhelming saturation of the Zhangjiang area with other, faster rail transit systems, such as Line 2, 11 (Shanghai Metro)|11], 13 (Shanghai Metro)|13] and 16 (Shanghai Metro)|16]. After closure, the route was largely replaced by Pudong route 112 bus services. It was the second modern tram system in China to close, after the Zhuhai Tram in January 22, 2021.
History
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 tramway is constructed in Zhangjiang Town which is in the heartland area of Pudong New Area. Due to Economic-Technological Development Area ordinances, sound pollution must be kept to a minimum in this area. Traditional steel-wheeled trams generate much 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 more easily climb steeper grades than traditional trams. 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 and water mains.Timeline:
- 2007 – Construction of rubber tired tram started.
- 2009 – Test runs occurred.
- 2010 – Commercial services began.
- 2023 – Service closed.
Practical Info
- Tickets: There was a single fare of 2 Yuan. It accepted the Shanghai Public Transport Card, the transfer discount policy for Shanghai public transport service was applicable.
- Total length:.
- Opened: December 31, 2009.
- Operating hours: 5:45 am to 11 pm.
- Frequency: 15 minutes.
- Operate on a "Request stop" mode. If a passenger requested a stop, a green light was illuminated and the doors opened at the next stop. If no stop was requested, the doors remained closed.
- The existing traffic light system in the area was transformed into a tram signal priority system.
- The maximum speed of the vehicles was, but due to the lack of dedicated lanes separate from other road users, the speed was set at.
- Alignment: on unreserved tracks and in the middle of the road. Because of the rubber tires, it was not possible to lay track in grass, as the trams could only run on concrete or paved roads.