Some think it’s a miracle, some are very critical, but for the vast majority of residents – and probably also for many public transport enthusiasts – it’s probably good news:
The tram in Resita (Reșița), Romania, which was shut down years ago, is running again! And in a modern form, because the unattractive, completely neglected condition of the old tramway was undoubtedly due to its early demise after barely 23 years of operation.
The tram line was built as part of the euphoria surrounding the expansion of electric local transport in the final years of Nicolae Ceaușescu’s regime, which was primarily driven by the endeavour to greatly reduce dependence on imported oil. However, at that time there was a lack of funds to build a truly modern transport system, the infrastructure had been built carelessly and often only provisionally in many places, and there was also a lack of funds and facilities for the necessary maintenance. As early as 1994/95, there was an interruption in operations lasting several months, with German second-hand vehicles replacing most of the Romanian TIMIS trams, which were not at all convincing in terms of quality. Even after that, there was always a lack of will and financial resources to ensure long-term operation – so the last trams ran in August 2011.
For years, the modernisation and reopening of the line had been the subject of dispute, but then the breakthrough finally came, not least thanks to EU funding: the tracks, overhead lines and power supply were completely overhauled and renewed on most of the line, the depot and stops were completely refurbished and 13 low-floor trams were ordered. The Turkish manufacturer Durmazlar supplied the two-section, bidirectional trams to Romania, which are 19 metres long and 2.40 metres wide. The vehicles have been gradually delivered to Romania since mid-2023, and test runs have been taking place for several months.
On 1 December 2024, the first public rides took place along the entire route between the Kaufland and Reșița Montană/Piața Republicii (Republic Square) stops, allowing the citizens of Reșița to test the new trams. Revenue service started on 20 December 2024, providing a 8-minutes headway during most of the day. The route is 9 kilometres long and serves 18 stops. The revival of the refurbished tram is without doubt a success of local perseverance, which is not seen to the same extent everywhere..
https://www.urbanrail.net/eu/ro/resita/resita.htm
Original version published on 14 Dec 2024, updated on:
30.12.2024
