Istanbul Tram

Photo: © Ara Güler 

05/05/2012, Turkey | Istanbul tram started, as it should, with horse traction. In 1871, horses dragged carriages on four lines and pulled them up to 1912, and in 1914 replaced the competitive electric tram. In 1923 the route was 23, and in 1928 the tram appeared on the Asian side of the city. In 1950, the Istanbul tram runs on 37 routes, and they all pass through the famous Galata Bridge, which is in the picture above - is a bridge over the Golden Horn. 




A small digression: Galata Bridge itself - a monument to the long history of Istanbul. It was first built by the Roman Emperor Justinian, later, when the Sultan Bayazid bridge projects proposed by Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. But all projects have been temporary structures, and the first permanent bridge appeared only in 1845 he and two other bridges were made of wood and metal was installed by the Germans in 1912 and lasted exactly 80 years - until a fire in 1992. After that it took for the Turks themselves, and now crosses the bay fifth Galata bridge. 







So, about trams in Istanbul. After its heyday in the mid-fifties, they were gradually replaced by trolleybuses, but not for long. In 1992 the tram returned to the streets of Istanbul, as the most convenient form of land-urban transport. Returned, including as a historical heritage - the old tram goes now to the pedestrian Istiklal Street from Taksim to the Tunnel and back. The tram is usually well developed, where city officials are beginning to deal with cars and a preference for public transport. 

Istanbul is now modern streetcar looks like this: 

On the line - cars the French company Alstom. On the left - the building of a new mosque, which is now making a movie about James Bond . 




In 2005, the year through the Galata Bridge had laid new tram lines. 






Stops are made on the type of small underground stations - here are the same turnstile, the platform is surrounded by glass panels. 






For occasional trips to buy a token machine worth 2 liras (about 33 rubles). 






The scheme of tram lines at the bus stop. 






Place the driver. By the way, Alstom manufactures trains Pendolino, which are a joint venture Oy Karelian Trans LTD uses the line of St. Petersburg - Helsinki, under the name Allegro. 






Plastic benches on the platforms tram stops are made in the form of open books. 






At rush hour in the car full of people. 






Even on the European shore of the Golden Horn are different - in the old town, Sultanahmet, life and other people do not like a completely European Istiklal. Peaceful coexistence of these opposites - one of the attractive features of Istanbul. 






Cars stop and aprons are made convenient for people with disabilities. Here comes the seller souvenirs on their electric-powered. 






In the cart, by the way, it is an adult and the registration number of the spare wheel. Merchant rolled out of the tram and went on about his business. 






The employee helped the man to go on a trolley through a special turnstile. 





A modern tram in the city - it's convenient, environmentally friendly, fast. Unfortunately, in Moscow tram almost completely defeated by people in cars that need more and more space on the roads. In the central part of the city are almost no lines, keeping the main part of the network depends on how you will develop appropriate areas of the city. In 1982 in Moscow and was not built a single tram line. The length of the lines in the 1989-2004 years. decreased from 460 to 420 km (maximum of 1940 amounted to 560 km). In the late 1990s used the tram every day for at least 150 thousand people (for comparison, in 1990 - more than 800 thousand). The tram to the city authorities do not want, obviously. How obvious is that we are lagging behind in this respect not only from EU countries, but also from the eastern countries such as Turkey or Israel. In any case, in respect of public transport compared to Moscow and Istanbul is a province of a dull, backward and uncomfortable. 

Photos: 
© drugoi 
© Ara Güler

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