Trams in Oranjestad, Aruba

Last updated
Oranjestad streetcar
Oranjestad trolley - operator's view.jpg
View of the track on Caya B. Croes, near Plaza Chipi Chipi
Overview
Owner Arubus
Locale Oranjestad, Aruba
Termini
  • Welcome Plaza (Oranjestad) [1]
  • Plaza Nicky (Oranjestad) [1]
Stations8 (regular service) 10 (total) [1]
Service
Type Tramway
Operator(s) Arubus
Rolling stock4 trams
History
Opened22 December 2012 [2]
Technical
Line length1.9 km (1.2 mi)
Number of tracks Single track
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge [2]
Route map

Contents

Map of Oranjestad Streetcar.png
schematic map
BSicon dWDOCKSm.svg
BSicon exhENDEaq.svg
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Eagle line to Noord
BSicon BOOT.svg
BSicon WFILL.svg
BSicon ulBHF~F.svg
BSicon uSTR+l.svg
BSicon uSTR+r.svg
Welcome Plaza
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BSicon exBUILDINGl.svg
BSicon ulBHF~G.svg
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BSicon uvKDSTa.svg
depot
BSicon WFILL.svg
BSicon uSTRl.svg
BSicon ueBHFq.svg
BSicon uSPLer.svg
BSicon uSTR+r.svg
Port of Call
BSicon WFILL.svg
BSicon BUS.svg
BSicon uBHF.svg
Rancho
BSicon WFILL.svg
BSicon WFILL.svg
BSicon uSTR+l.svg
BSicon uABZgr.svg
BSicon WFILL.svg
BSicon WFILL.svg
BSicon uBHF.svg
BSicon uSTRf.svg
Royal Plaza
BSicon WFILL.svg
BSicon WFILL.svg
BSicon uSTRg.svg
BSicon uBHF.svg
Plaza Museu
BSicon WFILL.svg
BSicon WFILL.svg
BSicon uBHF.svg
BSicon uSTRf.svg
Renaissance Mall
BSicon dWDOCKSm.svg
BSicon uSTRl.svg
BSicon uABZgr+r.svg
BSicon dWDOCKSm.svg
BSicon uBHF.svg
Plaza Chipi Chipi
BSicon dWDOCKSm.svg
BSicon uSTR.svg
BSicon dWDOCKSm.svg
BSicon upBHF.svg
Watertoren
BSicon dWDOCKSm.svg
BSicon uSPLa.svg
BSicon dWDOCKSm.svg
BSicon WKHSTaq.svg
BSicon WASSER2+r.svg
BSicon WSTRc3.svg
BSicon vNULgf.svg
BSicon uvBHF.svg
Plaza Bon Bini
BSicon WFILL.svg
BSicon WSTRc1.svg
BSicon WASSER+4.svg
BSicon uSPLe.svg
BSicon WFILL.svg
BSicon WSTRc2.svg
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BSicon WASSER3.svg
BSicon uABZg3.svg
BSicon WFILL.svg
BSicon WASSER+1.svg
BSicon WSTRc4.svg
BSicon uSTR+1.svg
BSicon uSTRc4.svg
BSicon uBHF.svg
Plaza Nicky
BSicon WFILL.svg
BSicon WASSER2.svg
BSicon WSTRc3.svg
BSicon uSTRl.svg
BSicon NULg@gq.svg
BSicon uSTRr.svg

The Oranjestad Streetcar (Dutch : Tram van Oranjestad) and (Papiamento: Tranvia Oranjestad) is a single-track tram line in Oranjestad, the capital city of Aruba. It is owned and operated by Arubus, the national public transportation company. [2] [3] It was built as a key component of a larger project to upgrade the main retail areas of the town, other aspects of which included pedestrianization of streets, planting of trees, installation of ornamental street lighting and resurfacing of streets and sidewalks. [4]

History

The line is the first and so far the only passenger rail service on the island and the rest of the Dutch Caribbean. Three industrial railways had been constructed on the island, but have all closed. [5] It was inaugurated on 22 December 2012, seven days after the arrival of the first single-deck car. Regular service started on 19 February 2013. [2] The second car, an open-top double-decker, was delivered in June 2013. [2] The heritage style streetcars were designed and manufactured by TIG/m Modern Street Railways in California, USA.

The line operates daily. [2] As of early 2016, service was operating from 9:00 to 17:00, with two cars in service after 11:00. [6]

Route

The line starts from a balloon loop near the Port of Call Marketplace and serves the downtown area with a route along Schelpstraat, Havenstraat and Caya Betico Croes, the main road, which is open to pedestrians only. Between Rancho and Plaza Chipi Chipi, eastbound trams (towards Plaza Nicky) run via Schelpstraat, and westbound ones (towards Welcome Plaza), run via Havenstraat. It ends at Plaza Nicky, with a stop also located on a loop. [1] [7]

Route map Oranjestadtram.png
Route map

There are a total of 9 stops situated approximately 200 metres (660 ft) apart from each other. The depot is located between the stops at Port of Call and Rancho.

StationNotes
Welcome Plaza Aiga watertransportation inv.svg Port
Port of CallMorning service stop, touring bus station
Rancho Aiga bus inv.svg Logo arubus.png Oranjestad Bus Terminal, tram depot
Plaza MuseoEastbound service, N1 Archaeological Museum
Royal PlazaWestbound service N2
Renaissance MallWestbound service N2 Renaissance Mall
Plaza Chipi Chipi/Mango PlazaAlso named "Mango Plaza"
Caya Betico Croes/WatertorenNear Aruba Bank, additional stop, name not yet defined, sometimes called Watertoren
Plaza Bon Bini2 rail tracks before the station
Plaza Nicky/Plaza ComercioAlso named "Plaza Comercio", loop
N1Eastbound trams "Port–Plaza Nicky" only
N2Westbound trams "Plaza Nicky–Port" only

Rolling stock

The fleet comprises four streetcars (AE) or trams (CE), of which two are single-deck (green and orange) and two are open-top double-deck (blue and red). They were designed and built by TIG/m Modern Street Railways in Chatsworth, USA, [8] to use hybrid/electric technology: they do not take their power from external sources such as overhead wires when running but are self-powered by lithium batteries augmented by hydrogen fuel cells. Power consumption is reduced by regenerative braking. [2] [9]

The blue open-top, double-decker trolley in 2016 Oranjestad Streetcar double-decker in 2016.jpg
The blue open-top, double-decker trolley in 2016
Oranjestad streetcar 1265 in 2014.jpg
Double-deck tram in 2016 Single-deck tram in 2014


See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Oranjestad Tramway map (tramz.com)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Morrison, Allen "The Streetcars of Oranjestad, Aruba" (tramz.com) [ failed verification ]
  3. Arubus official website
  4. "Aruba tramway drives major street redevelopment" (July 2013). Tramways & Urban Transit , p. 279. UK: LRTA Publishing. ISSN   1460-8324.
  5. "The Railways of Aruba, 2014". International Steam. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  6. "Worldwide Review" [regular monthly news section] (May 2016). Tramways & Urban Transit , p. 190. UK: LRTA Publishing.
  7. Oranjestad Streetcar on OpenStreetMap
  8. White, Ronald D. (May 27, 2015). "Chatsworth trolley maker is going places". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2016-05-28.
  9. "TIG/m Modern Street Railways delivering world's greenest streetcars to Aruba in island's transition to 100% sustainability". altenergymag.com. 27 March 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2024.

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