Copenhagen tramway network | |||
---|---|---|---|
Operation | |||
Locale | Copenhagen, Denmark | ||
Open | 1863 | ||
Close | 1972 | ||
Status | Closed | ||
Routes | 18 [1] | ||
Operator(s) | Københavns Sporveje (KS) from 1911 (merged into Hovedstadsområdets Trafikselskab (HT) in 1974) | ||
Infrastructure | |||
Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge | ||
Statistics | |||
Route length | 99.8 km (62.0 mi) (at peak) [1] | ||
|
The Copenhagen tram system was a tramway network in service from 22 October 1863 - 22 April 1972 in and around Copenhagen, Denmark. [2] [3] The first lines were horse-drawn trams which were replaced in the 1880s by steam-powered tramways. In the 1890s electrical trams were introduced. The trams were operated by a number of private companies until 1911 when the city took over the operation of most of the system, followed by a full take-over some years later.
The system was closed on April 22, 1972, at a time when streetcar systems across Europe and North America were being closed because they were not seen as a modern transportation solution and they were largely replaced by buses and private cars. Copenhagen also had an expanding commuter rail service, the S-train, which had expanded greatly over the preceding decades.
Teddy Østerlin Koch[ who? ] has since argued that the removal of the trams was a mistake, as modernised trams were more economical than reported in the city's evaluations of the time, and that an updated tram system would have been cheaper, more timely, better for the environment, and more effective at transporting large volumes of passengers than the solutions eventually implemented: building a Copenhagen metro (opened 30 years after closure of tram system) and expanding the bus network. [4]
After a 40-year absence, plans are now underway to build a new light rail line in Copenhagen between Lundtofte and Ishøj, scheduled for completion by 2025. [5]
Copenhagen is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of around 1.4 million in the urban area, and more than 2 million in the wider Copenhagen metropolitan area. The city is on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the Øresund strait. The Øresund Bridge connects the two cities by rail and road.
A tram is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are called tramways or simply trams/streetcars. Many recently built tramways use the contemporary term light rail. The vehicles are called streetcars or trolleys in North America and trams or tramcars elsewhere. The first two terms are often used interchangeably in the United States, with trolley being the preferred term in the eastern US and streetcar in the western US. Streetcar or tramway are preferred in Canada. In parts of the United States, internally powered buses made to resemble a streetcar are often referred to as "trolleys". To avoid further confusion with trolley buses, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) refers to them as "trolley-replica buses". In the United States, the term tram has sometimes been used for rubber-tired trackless trains, which are unrelated to other kinds of trams.
Copenhagen Airport, Kastrup is an international airport serving Copenhagen, Denmark, Zealand, the Øresund Region, and southern Sweden including Scania. It is the second largest airport in the Nordic countries.
Hong Kong Tramways (HKT) is a 3 ft 6 in narrow-gauge tram system in Hong Kong. Owned and operated by RATP Dev Transdev Asia, the tramway runs on Hong Kong Island between Kennedy Town and Shau Kei Wan, with a branch circulating through Happy Valley.
The Copenhagen Metro is a 24/7 light rapid transit system in Copenhagen, Denmark, serving the municipalities of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, and Tårnby.
Strøget is a pedestrian, car free shopping area in Copenhagen, Denmark. This popular tourist attraction in the centre of town is one of the longest pedestrian shopping streets in Europe at 1.1 km. Located at the centre of the old city of Copenhagen, it has long been one of the most high-profile streets in the city. The pedestrianisation of Strøget in 1962 marked the beginning of a major change in the approach of Copenhagen to urban life; following the success of the initiative the city moved to place a much greater emphasis on pedestrian and bicycle access to the city at the expense of cars. This approach has in turn become internationally influential.
Hitachi Rail Italy S.p.A. is a multinational rolling stock manufacturer company based in Pistoia, Italy. Formerly AnsaldoBreda S.p.A., a subsidiary of state-owned Finmeccanica, the company was sold in 2015 to Hitachi Rail of Japan. After the deal was finalized, the current name was adapted in November 2015 to reflect the new ownership.
The rail transport system in Denmark consists of 2,633 km of railway lines, of which the Copenhagen S-train network, the main line Helsingør-Copenhagen-Padborg, and the Lunderskov-Esbjerg line are electrified. Most traffic is passenger trains, although there is considerable transit goods traffic between Sweden and Germany.
Copenhagen Central Station is the main railway station in Copenhagen, Denmark, and the largest railway station in Denmark. With more than 100,000 travellers every day, it is the second busiest station in Denmark after Nørreport station. It is located in central Copenhagen, situated between the districts of Indre By and Vesterbro with entrances from Bernstorffsgade, Banegårdspladsen, Reventlowsgade and access to platforms from Tietgensgade.
Europe has an extensive number of tramway networks. Some of these networks have been upgraded to light rail standards, called Stadtbahn in Germany, premetros in Belgium, sneltram in the Netherlands, elétrico in Portugal and fast trams in some other countries.
DBU Copenhagen is the local governing body for association football and futsal in Copenhagen, Denmark. They are responsible for the governance and development of men's and women's football at all levels in the region. DBU Copenhagen is a member of the union of local football associations, DBU Bredde, under the Danish Football Association (DBU) and the National Olympic Committee and Sports Confederation of Denmark (DIF). The headquarters is located at the Svanemølleanlægget at Østerbro after previously having their residence at the national football stadium. Clubs situated in the municipalities of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Gentofte, Tårnby and Dragør can be accepted as members of DBU Copenhagen. Due to historical reasons a number of older clubs from other municipalities are also member of the association. As per 2020, the association consisted of 157 clubs and 45,627 members with the Østerbro-based club BK Skjold being the largest club membership-wise within the association and on a national level.
Although tram systems date to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many old systems were closed during the mid-20th century because of the advent of automobile travel. This was especially the case in North America, but postwar reductions and shutdowns also occurred on British, French and other Western European urban rail networks. However, traditional tramway systems survived, and eventually even began to thrive from the late 20th century onward, some eventually operating as much as when they were first built over a century ago. Their numbers have been augmented by modern tramway or light rail systems in cities which had discarded this form of transport.
The Copenhagen–Ringsted line is a high-speed railway on Zealand, Denmark, connecting Copenhagen via Køge with Ringsted. The line was inaugurated on 31 May 2019, and started operating on 1 June as the first high-speed railway in Denmark. It supports speeds of up to 250 km/h (160 mph) for passenger trains as well as a maximum of 24 trains per hour along its length.
The Aarhus Letbane is a light rail system in the city of Aarhus, Denmark. It is operated by the company Midttrafik. The first line opened in December 2017, but the system is under continuous development and expansion. Service on the intercity section Odder to Lisbjergskolen opened on August 25, 2018. A third intercity line to Grenå opened on 30 April 2019. More lines are being planned.
Trianglen is a central junction and public space in the Østerbro district of Copenhagen, Denmark. Five streets meet in the junction: Blegdamsvej, Øster Allé, Østerbrogade, Nordre Frihavnsgade and Odensegade. Trianglen is a station on the City Circle Line of the Copenhagen Metro.
Transport in Copenhagen and the surrounding area relies on a well established infrastructure making it a hub in Northern Europe thanks to its road and rail networks as well as its international airport. Thanks to its many cycle tracks, Copenhagen is considered to be one of the world's most bicycle-friendly cities. The metro and S-train systems are key features of the city's well-developed public transport facilities. Since July 2000, the Øresund Bridge has served as a road and rail link to Malmö in Sweden. The city is also served by ferry connections to Oslo in Norway while its award-winning harbour is an ever more popular port of call for cruise ships.
Enghave Plads is a central public square of the Vesterbro district in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is located where Istedgade reaches Enghavevej, which separates the square from Enghave Park.
Greater Copenhagen Light Rail is a planned electric light rail system crossing the lines of the S-train in Greater Copenhagen, Denmark, parallel to but outside the borders of Copenhagen Municipality. Its first stage is known as the Ring 3 Light Rail, for which construction started in 2018. It will go from Lundtofte Park north of Copenhagen to Ishøj station in the southwest, and it is expected to open in 2025, with an annual ridership of 13-14 million projected. The line will be owned by the Ringby-Letbanesamarbejdet, which is a collaboration between the municipalities serviced or affected by the line.
Vigerslev Allé is a major artery in the Valby district of Copenhagen, Denmark. It runs from Enghavevej in the northeast to Hvidovrevej in Hvidovre in the southwest. The first part of the street runs east-west, following the south side of the main railway line through Copenhagen on its way to Toftegårds Plads, the largest square in Valby. It later passes under the S-train network's Ring Line at Vigerslev Allé station before continuing southwest to the Ring 2 ring road just before entering Hvidovre Municipality at Harrestrup Å in Vigerslevparken.
The Danish football league system, also known as the football league pyramid, refers to the hierarchically interconnected league structure for association football in Denmark, in which all divisions are bound together by the principle of promotion and relegation. Within men's association football, the top two professional levels contain one division each. Below this, the semi-professional and amateur levels have progressively more parallel divisions, which each cover progressively smaller geographic areas. The top four tiers are classed as nationwide, while the fifth tier and below are classed provincial leagues. Teams that finish at the top of their division at the end of each season can rise higher in the pyramid, while those that finish at the bottom find themselves sinking further down. In theory it is possible for even the lowest local amateur club to rise to the top of the system and become Danish football champions one day. The number of teams promoted and relegated between the divisions varies, and promotion to the upper levels of the pyramid is usually contingent on meeting additional criteria, especially concerning appropriate facilities and finances.