View source for Trams in Lisbon

{{Short description|Public transportation system}}
{{Infobox tram network
| color = 
| name = Lisbon tramway network
| system = 
| logo = 
| image = File:Lisbon-Day3-1_(34184431096).jpg
| caption = A Lisbon Tram stopped at [[Praça do Comércio]]
<!-- Operation -->| locale = [[Lisbon]], [[Portugal]]
<!-- First era -->| era1_name = Horsecar
| era1_start_year = {{Start date|1873}}
| era1_end_year = {{End date|1902}}
| era1_state = show
| era1_system = 
| era1_status = 
| era1_routes = 
| era1_owner = 
| era1_operator = 
| era1_gauge = {{RailGauge|sg|allk=on}}<br />(to 1888)<br />{{RailGauge|900mm|lk=on}}<br />(from 1888)<ref name=Luso2>''Luso pages'', Lisbon Trams, Part Two: Trams of The Past.</ref>
| era1_propulsion_system = Horses<br />Experimental steam
| era1_el = 
| era1_depot = 
| era1_stock = 
| era1_single_track_length = 
| era1_double_track_length = 
| era1_total_track_length = 
| era1_route_length = 
| era1_pass_year = 
| era1_passengers = 
| era1_pass_percent = 
| era1_pass_system = 
| era1_mpassengers = 
| era1_map = 
| era1_website = <!-- Second era -->
| era2_name = Electric tram
| era2_start_year = since {{Start date|1901}}
| era2_end_year = 
| era2_state = show
| era2_system = 
| era2_status = Open
| era2_routes = 27 (maximum)<br />6 (present)
| era2_owner = 
| era2_operator = [[Carris]]
| era2_gauge = {{RailGauge|900mm|lk=on}}
| era2_propulsion_system = 
| era2_el = 600 [[Volt|V]] [[Direct current|DC]] [[overhead line]]s
| era2_depot = Santo Amaro<br />Amoreiras (to 1981)<br />Arco de Cego (1902-1996)<ref name=Luso1>''Luso pages'', Lisbon Trams, Part One: Trams of Today.</ref>
| era2_stock = 
| era2_single_track_length = 
| era2_double_track_length = 
| era2_total_track_length = 
| era2_route_length = {{convert|76|km|mi||abbr=on}} (maximum))<ref name=Luso2/><br />{{convert|31|km|mi||abbr=on}} (present)
| era2_pass_year = 31
| era2_passengers = 
| era2_pass_percent = 
| era2_pass_system = 
| era2_mpassengers = 
| era2_map = [[File:Tram map Lisbon 2011.png|300px]]
| era2_website = http://www.carris.pt/ ''Carris'' {{in lang|pt|en}}
}}

The '''Lisbon tramway network''' ({{langx|pt|Rede de elétricos de Lisboa}}) is a system of [[tram]]s that serves [[Lisbon]], the [[capital city]] of [[Portugal]].  In operation since 1873, it presently <!--about {{convert|48|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} long, --> comprises six lines. The system has a length of 31&nbsp;km, and 63 trams in operation (45 historic "Remodelados", 8 historic "Ligeiros" and 10 modern articulated trams). The depot is located in Santo Amaro, in Alcântara.

==History==
[[File:1873 Horse tram in Lisbon.jpg|thumb|left|Horsecar (''americano'') at Rossio]]

===Origin===
Lisbon's municipal government wished to develop urban transit and granted concessions to build and operate various systems that included funiculars and tramways.  The first tramway in Lisbon entered service on 17 November 1873 as a horsecar line.  The vehicles, called ''americanos'' after their point of origin,<ref name="SMITH">{{cite book |last1=Smith |first1=J. Bucknall |title=A treatise upon cable or rope traction, as applied to the working of street and other railways |date=1887 |publisher=Offices of "Engineering" |location=London |hdl=2027/mdp.39015068246605 |url=https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015068246605 |access-date=16 February 2021}}</ref>{{rp|1–2}} were initially deployed in the flat parts of the city where animals were capable of hauling their passenger loads.

===Cable trams===
To surmount the steep slopes where draft animal conveyance was impossible, funiculars were envisioned in proposals made to the municipal government in 1882.<ref name="COSTA">{{cite book |last1=Firmino da Costa |first1=João Manuel Hipólito |title=Um Caso de Patromónio Local: A Tomada de Lisboa Pelos Ascensores |date=2008 |publisher=Master's thesis, Universidade Aberta |location=Lisbon}}</ref>{{rp|187}}  The first of them started operating in 1884.  This inaugurated the era of cable-driven transport, but the technology of electrical generation, transmission and power was developing concurrently and would eventually supersede it.

Cable tram services (or [[Cable car (railway)|cable cars]]) afforded an alternative to funiculars for the longer and curved routes required to follow Lisbon's streets.  Individual vehicles grasp a steel cable that runs continuously in a channel below the roadway surface.  The transport company that ran the funiculars applied for and received the concessions to operate cable trams<ref name="COSTA" /> and from 1890 initially proposed two routes based on plans by the Portuguese engineer [[Raoul Mesnier du Ponsard]], who had already designed Lisbon's funiculars.  In all, three lines operated in the city.  Each had a {{RailGauge|900mm}} gauge, corresponding to that of the extant ''americanos''.  The rolling stock on the Estrela and Graça lines were built by [[Maschinenfabrik Esslingen]]; the São Sebastião cars apparently were designed by Maschinenfabrik Esslingen but built in Portugal.<ref name="COSTA" />{{rp|128–134}}

====Elevador da Estrela====
[[File:Ascensor da Estrela, foto do fabricante.jpg|thumb|right|Equipment used on the Estrela line]]
The first line, put into operation on 15 August 1890, was {{convert|1.7|km|mi}} long and ran from Praça Camões to Largo da Estrela.<ref name=CASTRO/><ref name="COSTA"/>  At the Estrela terminal, the company set up a small depot where the steam-operated powerhouse was also located.  Rolling stock consisted of a tug and trailer.  Since single-ended vehicles were used on the Estrela route, there was a turntable there and a turning loop (''raquette'') at Praça Camões.  The service ran until 1913 when it was rendered economically unviable by competing electric trams.<ref name=CASTRO/>  Its former route is now part of 28E's.

====Elevador da Graça====
[[File:Tramway-caboPalma-Graça.jpg|thumb|right|Equipment used on the Graça line]]
The second line ran from Rua da Palma on a {{convert|730|m|}} long route to Largo da Graça, climbing {{convert|75|m|ft}} in altitude.<ref name="COSTA" /> It was opened on 26 March 1893. The depot and powerhouse were at the Graça terminal.  The Graça route was served by bidirectional vehicles. Service ended in 1913 but part of the route was revived in 1915 and continues to operate as an electric tram line (12E).

====Elevador de São Sebastião====
On 15 January 1899 a third cable tram line started operating under a different concession from the other two.<ref name="COSTA" />  It was the longest of the lines, extending for {{cvt|2.7|km|mi}} between São Sebastião and Rossio.  The depot and powerhouse were in Palhavá (São Sebastião).  It also ran for the shortest time of any of the lines, suffering bankruptcy in 1901.<ref name="CASTRO">{{cite journal |last1=Paes Sande e Castro |first1=António |title=A Vida Atribulada de uma Companhia Lisboeta de Viação |journal=Olisipio |date=January 1954 |volume=65 |pages=13–26}}</ref>

===Electrification and modern era===
[[File:TramCCFLmapa(pt).svg|thumb|left|Map of Tram tracks in Lisbon (network of 2019 in red)]]
[[File:ElevadorGraca@Arco(A77588)(!).jpg|thumb|right|Graça line cable tram running through Arco de Santo André at end of the cable traction era]]
On 31 August 1901, Lisbon's first electric tramway commenced operations.<ref name=CASTRO/>
Within a year, all of the city's ''americano'' routes had been converted to electric traction, and by 1913 the cable trams were retired.

Until 1959, the network of lines continued to be developed, and in that year it reached its greatest extent. At that time, there were 27 tram lines in Lisbon, of which six operated as circle lines.  As the circle lines operated in both clockwise and anticlockwise directions, each with its own route number, it is more correct to speak of a total of 24 tram routes, all of them running on {{RailGauge|900mm|lk=on}} [[narrow gauge]] tram lines.

The slow decline of the network began with the construction of the [[Lisbon Metro]] and the expansion of the [[Carris|bus system]].{{Cn|date=November 2023}}

==Current network==
[[File:Lisbon 3.jpg|thumb|Tram line 28 climbing a hill.]]

The current lines are:<ref name=carris>{{cite web |url=https://www.carris.pt/viaje/carreiras/
|title=Carreiras
|website=Carris}}</ref>
*12<ref name=alter>Temporary route change due to municipal works and Metro construction; see {{cite web |url=https://www.carris.pt/viaje/alteracoes-de-servico/os-do-152-2023-25e-circulacao-provisoria-via-s-de-santos/ |title=25E note}},
{{cite web |url=https://www.carris.pt/viaje/alteracoes-de-servico/os-do-267-2024-alteracao-provisoria-de-servico/ |title=12E, 28E note}}</ref>{{efn|name=routemap}} - [[Praça da Figueira]] → Miradouro de Santa Luzia <small>''circular route (clockwise only)''</small> → Praça da Figueira
*15 - Praça da Figueira ↔ [[Belém (Lisbon)|Belém]] ↔ [[Algés (Oeiras)|Algés]]
*18 - [[Cais do Sodré railway station]] ↔ Cemitério da [[Ajuda]]
*24 - Praça Luís de Camões ↔ [[Campolide]]
*25<ref name=alter/> - Praça da Figueira ↔ [[Campo de Ourique]] (Prazeres)
*28<ref name=alter/>{{efn|name=routemap}} - [[Praça Martim Moniz]] ↔ Graça ↔ Estrela ↔ Campo de Ourique (Prazeres)

The six remaining lines operate in the southern city centre and west of the city only. Aside from the obvious tourist attraction, those lines are still important because sections of the city's [[topography]] can only be crossed by small trams. Tram 15 also connects the entire western riverfront of the city to the centre and allows a better link for passengers with the bus system towards an area that still is not served by the metro.

Although reports prepared by both the [[École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne]] and the [[Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich]] concluded that the network should be retained and even extended, the process of decline continued until 1997, with the closing of the Alto de São João branch and the Arco Cego depot. By that time, many trams were destroyed or sold to other companies. In the following twenty years, there was only one change to the system, the shortening of Line 18 to Cais do Sodré.

==Expansion==

In an apparent reversal of policy, the mayor (president of the city council) of Lisbon, [[Fernando Medina]], announced in December 2016 that tram 24 would be restored to service in 2017 between [[Cais do Sodré railway station|Cais do Sodré]] and [[Campolide]], saying that it was a mistake to reduce the city's network of electric trams and that work would be undertaken to reconstruct it.<ref>Cardoso, Margarida David. (2016-12-15) "Eléctrico 24 vai estar de volta às ruas de Lisboa e as obras já começaram."  https://www.publico.pt/2016/12/15/local/noticia/electrico-24-vai-estar-de-volta-as-ruas-de-lisboa-e-as-obras-ja-comecaram-1754996. Retrieved 2016-12-18 (in Portuguese).</ref>

Carris originally said this was not a priority, but its 2018 ''Activity and Budget Plan''<ref name="carris.pt">{{Cite web |url=http://www.carris.pt/fotos/editor2/pao_carris_2018_site.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2018-03-04 |archive-date=2018-03-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180304173918/http://www.carris.pt/fotos/editor2/pao_carris_2018_site.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> provides for the purchase in 2020-2021 of:
* 10 more ''remodelados'' to augment the current historical fleet and reopen line 24 between Cais do Sodré and Campolide, at a cost of €8 million;
* 20 more articulated trams to extend line 15 eastwards to [[Santa Apolónia railway station|Santa Apolónia station]] and the [[Parque das Nações]], at a cost of €50 million.

On 24 April 2018, Line 24 was reopened, albeit initially between Camões and Campolide only. Track connections to the rebuilt loop at Cais do Sodré and some other track issues between Camões and Cais do Sodré will need to be attended to before operation to Cais do Sodré is possible.<ref>{{cite news |last=Faria Moreira |first=Cristiana |date=24 April 2018 |title=Pedido pelos lisboetas, o 24 voltou e logo se encheu de turistas |trans-title=On request by the Lisboans, the 24 returned and it was soon filled with tourists |url=https://www.publico.pt/2018/04/24/local/noticia/o-electrico-24-voltou-aos-carris-com-turistas-e-1811572 |work=[[Público (Portugal)|Público]] |language=pt |publisher=Sonae SGPS, S.A. |access-date=2018-04-28}}</ref><ref>[http://www.metro-report.com/news/news-by-region/europe/single-view/view/lisboa-tram-route-reinstated-after-23-years.html Lisboa tram route reinstated after 23 years] ''[[Metro Report International]]'' 27 April 2018</ref>

In July 2021 agreement was reached for two further extensions:
* a 12.1&nbsp;km U-shaped surface metro connecting the terminus of the yellow line at Odivelas to the Hospital Beatriz Ângelo in one direction and Loures in the other;
* an additional 24&nbsp;km of line on route 15, extending it to Linda-a-Velha in the west and to Sacavém in the north-east.<ref>''Tramways and Urban Transit, September 2021, p. 387''</ref>

==Rolling stock==
[[File:CCFLarticulado№604(crrQ023).jpg|thumb|right|One of the 15 articulated CAF Urbos cars.]]

The tram fleet has fallen in size from 57 in 2012 to 48 in 2016.<ref name="carris.pt"/> Vehicles used are:
*'Articulado' trams made by [[Siemens Mobility|Siemens]] (Siemens/[[Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles|CAF]] nos 501-506 and Siemens/[[Sorefame]] nos 507–510). These articulated vehicles were introduced in 1995 and run only on route 15.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lisbon tram guide |url=https://lisbonlisboaportugal.com/lisbon-transport/lisbon-tram-guide.html |website=Lisbon Lisboa Portugal |access-date=15 November 2023}}</ref>
* Carris ordered 15 new [[CAF Urbos]] trams in 2021. <ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.railwaypro.com/wp/lisbon-signs-tram-contract/ | title=Urbos tram contract signed by Lisbon transport company | date=22 April 2021 }}</ref> It is expected that the delivery of the vehicles to Carris – starting in April 2023 – will be completed during 2024.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.railwaygazette.com/light-rail-and-tram/caf-trams-on-test-in-lisboa/64724.article | title=CAF trams on test in Lisboa }}</ref>
*'Remodelado' trams (nos 541–585) used on all routes.
*Tourist trams used on some routes.

==See also==
{{Portal|Transport|Portugal}}
*[[Ascensor da Bica]]
*[[Ascensor da Glória]]
*[[Elevador do Lavra|Ascensor do Lavra]]
* [[Carris]]
*[[List of town tramway systems in Portugal]]

==References==

===Notes===
{{reflist|1}}

{{notelist|refs=
{{efn|name=routemap|
{{routemap
|title=12E, 28E temporary route map
|collapsible=false
|float = center
|map =
uvWSLa
uvSTR-BHF~~'''M. Moniz''' ('''12E''','''28E''')
\uv-STRl!~uvSTRgf\uSTR+r~~'''12E''' turnoff
\uvBHF\uSTRf~~Graça
\uvBHF\uSTR~~S. Vicente da Fora
\uvSTRgf\uBHF~~São Tomé
\uSPLe\uSTRf
\uBHF\uSTR~~Alfama
\uSPLa\uSTRf
\uv-STR+l!~uvSTRgf\uSTRr~~'''12E''' junction
uvBHF~~P. do Sol/Castelo
uvBHF~~Baixa/R. Augusta
uvBHF~~Chiado
\uvSTRgf!~uv-STR+l\uSTRgq~~'''24E''' junction
uvSTR-BHF~~'''Pç. Camões''' ('''12E''','''24E''','''28E''')
\uvSTR-STRl!~uvSTRgf\uSTRfq~~'''24E''' turnoff
uvWSLe
}}
}}
}}

===Books===
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book |title=The Tramways of Portugal |last1=King |first1=B R  |last2=Price |first2=J H |edition=4th |year=1995 |publisher=[[Light Rail Transit Association]] |location=London |isbn=0-948106-19-0 }}
*{{cite book |title=História do eléctrico da Carris: The history of the Lisbon trams. |last=Tavares Dias |first=Marina |year=2001 |publisher=Quimera |location=Lisboa |isbn=972-589-066-3 }} {{in lang|pt|en}}
{{refend}}

===Website===
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite web |url=http://www.lusoweb.co.uk/listrams.htm |title=Lisbon Trams, Part One: Trams of Today |last=Laidlar |first=John |website=The Luso Pages |publisher=Laidlar, John |access-date=10 March 2011}}
*{{cite web |url=http://www.lusoweb.co.uk/listram2.htm |title=Lisbon Trams, Part Two: Trams of The Past |last=Laidlar |first=John |website=The Luso Pages |publisher=Laidlar, John |access-date=10 March 2011}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Trams in Lisbon}}
* [https://museu.carris.pt/en/homepage-museu/ Museo du Carris]
* [http://www.ezportugal.com/lisbon-portugal/attractions-lisbon-portugal/tram-28-lisbon Tram 28 in Lisbon]
* [http://www.seewah.com/tram-28-lisbon/ Tram 28 route on Google Map]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140102193912/http://www.visitar-lisbon.com/lisbon/lisbon-metro-map.html Lisbon Metro Map]

{{Urban public transport in Portugal}}
{{Railway lines in Portugal}}
{{Wirral Tramway}}

{{coord missing|Portugal}}

[[Category:Tram transport in Portugal|Lisbon]]
[[Category:Transport in Lisbon]]
[[Category:Town tramway systems by city|Lisbon]]
[[Category:900 mm gauge railways in Portugal]]
[[Category:600 V DC railway electrification]]
[[Category:1873 establishments in Portugal]]