In Turkey, the past three decades have witnessed a veritable boom in the introduction of new tramway and light rail systems. One of the first cities to (re)introduce urban rail transport was Antalya, a Mediterranean city with a population of around 1.3 million.
While a modern low-floor light rail network has been under development since 2009, an earlier 4.4 km single-track tramway line between Müze and Zerdalilik had already been opened on 27 March 1999. The tram links the Archaeological Museum (Müze) in the west with the eastern district of Zerdalilik. It runs directly past the historic city centre of Kaleiçi, Hadrian’s Gate and Karaalioğlu Park.
The line was operated exclusively by four-axle articulated tram sets consisting of a motor car and trailer, acquired second-hand from Nuremberg. Built by MAN and Düwag between 1959 and 1964, these vehicles had been withdrawn in Germany following the arrival of the first generation of low-floor trams. As part of the twinning agreement between the cities of Nuremberg and Antalya, they were presented to the Turkish city as a gift in the late 1990s.
In Antalya, the historic tramcars were renumbered simply from 1 to 6, with the odd numbers assigned to the motor cars and the even numbers to the trailers. As the trailers normally remained permanently coupled to the same motor car in everyday service, three fixed sets were formed:
- Set 1: Motor car 1 (ex Nuremberg 213) + Trailer 2 (ex Nuremberg 1553)
- Set 2: Motor car 3 (ex Nuremberg 255) + Trailer 4 (ex Nuremberg 1534)
- Set 3: Motor car 5 (ex Nuremberg 212) + Trailer 6 (ex Nuremberg 1586)
Normally, two sets operated the service at an approximately 30-minute interval, while the third remained available as a reserve. The line soon established itself not only as a useful urban transport service but also as a tourist attraction, not least because of its distinctly historic appearance, especially when compared with the modern low-floor vehicles operating on Antalya’s three other light rail lines.
Temporary suspension of the line
On 17 July 2026, operation of the T2 Nostalgia Tram between Müze and Zerdalilik was suspended temporarily. The decision followed several technical failures and a number of incidents involving the former Nuremberg tramcars, which are now more than 65 years old. According to the municipal authorities, the suspension was introduced solely in the interests of passenger safety and to allow a comprehensive technical inspection of the vehicles. During the interruption, replacement bus service NT07 was introduced.
The suspension gave rise to considerable public debate in Antalya. Initial media reports suggested that the historic line was to be closed permanently, partly because of alleged vibration damage to buildings along the route. As a result, numerous local residents and community representatives protested against the possible loss of one of the city’s best-known landmarks. However, the municipal authorities firmly rejected these reports, stating that neither the line nor its infrastructure was to be abandoned. Instead, they emphasised that operations had merely been suspended pending the completion of technical investigations and that parts of the infrastructure would also be renewed. A period of approximately two years has since been mentioned for the completion of these works. The argument that the tramway causes damaging vibrations appears rather unconvincing, given that far larger numbers of heavy lorries and buses pass close to the same buildings every day.
Whether the line will return to service after the works have been completed will depend on funding and on decisions taken by the municipal authorities. At present, however, there is no official decision to abandon the route permanently.
