2.11.1 Description
Use of a combination of heavy rail track and urban tram track to allow trams to link major interchanges to city centres.
“TramTrain operation involves both track-sharing light rail/heavy rail and dual- or multi-mode operation (Heavy rail voltage / Light rail voltage). The track-sharing sections may also include main line heavy rail infrastructure. Usually infrastructure (tracks and stations) is owned by the railway infrastructure owners (DB Netz, RFF, Prorail, Network Rail etc.) and track access and station use charges apply for the light rail operator. TrainTram-operation is reversing the tram-train idea; direct access from the region to city centres is not achieved by bringing the tramway out onto the railway, but by bringing heavy rail vehicles onto the urban tramway or onto a tramway-like alignment. The heavy rail vehicles being used under urban conditions follow tramway regulations”26.
In the rest of this sub section TT is used as a generic term for both systems,
2.11.2 Problems Addressed
Need for interchange between light and heavy rail systems to achieve effective link from interchange to city centre.
2.11.3 Applicability
TramTrain systems will normally be considered where both a heavy and a light rail systems already exist and where high acceptance of public transport use justifies the considerable costs in combining the two.
TrainTram systems are more likely to be considered where there is currently only heavy rail crossing or entering a city and only buses are available within the city. This then provides a chance, in particular where existing rolling stock is anyhow due for renewal to choose replacement trains which are suitable for operation within the city.
In both cases opportunities are best where main railway stations are located not in the actual city centre, so that a necessary change from train to urban transport would apply for most passengers.
2.11.4 Performance
Cost According to HiTRANS27, the costs for a new TT system are very similar to those for new trams (see section 2.7.4).
For the costs of converting an existing tram and train system into TT, no published concrete information was found yet. The two main components that will determine the costs are any differences in gauge, electric system (low vs high voltage) and the need for new vehicles. In the case of Karlsruhe the gauge of tram and train had always been the same so that this aspect has been straightforward; while in the planned system for Braunschweig a three rail system needs to be introduced. The high voltage railway electrics can only be used in urban areas where they can be installed so that there is no danger of accidents for pedestrians or residents. In Chemnitz, this problem was circumvented by using diesel trains.
Technical feasibility The technical problems can be solved.
Financial feasibility As for trams, any new system is highly unlikely to ever pay for itself. The viability of a conversion project depends on the complexity of the conversion and the question whether trams and train in the existing system would be anyhow up for replacement, so that this does not has to count as a direct cost of the conversion.
Organisational/legal feasibility The organisational and regulatory problems were one of the main reasons (other than cost) that so many projects never went beyond the stage of a feasibility study28. Acceptance by users User acceptance is high.
Other aspects of political acceptability TT links are still rare enough to be regarded as innovative. Their political acceptability is generally high and also the general public tends to welcome TT developments.
Impact on users’ door to door travel time There will always be a reduction in travel time and, unless the train services operate with an unusually high frequency, or tram and train arrivals and departures are well coordinated, the average time gain is likely to be more than 10 minutes.
27 HiTRANS (2005) Public transport – mode options and technical solutions. Best practice guide 4. County of
Rogaland, Norway
Impact on users’ door to door travel cost Unlikely to have a major impact.0.
Initial impact on comfort or convenience If there is no longer a need for an interchange, this would improve the convenience for users.
Users’ safety Travel by trams and trains is safer than travel by private car. Personal security No particular impact is expected.
Access for people with reduced mobility No specific impact – except that, for people with a physical handicap that prevents them from driving a car, an attractive public transport system will improve their access - providing that the system is geared up for their needs. As TT tends to lead to fewer interchanges this will tend to improve accessibility for people with reduced mobility.
2.11.5 Other Impacts
Increased directness will attract some former car users and lead to a mode shift and reduction of congestion and GHG emissions.
TT links from an airport or other major transport interchange to the downtown tend to give a good impression to new arrivals – and hence help project a progressive image for the city concerned.
2.11.6 Examples
The first and still best known system exists in Karlsruhe, but this and many variants of the original system have been introduced for instance in Saarbrücken, Heilbronn, Kassel, Chemnitz and Geneva and a host of further systems are under consideration or already under construction. In Mannheim the Stadtbahnlinie 5, which connects Mannheim with some villages in the countryside and also with Heidelberg, provides a tramtrain link to the airport29.