Ayacucho Tram

History

After closing tram network in fifties, people of Medellin thought the only unfashionable obstacle of smooth city traveling has removed, and the city can move faster than before, but it proved false some years later. Uncontrolled increasing of petrol vehicles like bus, taxicab, and private car started chocking the streets of Medellin. Like most South American countries, Colombia suffered by many problems of developing countries, including pollution, traffic jam, illegal migration, low literacy and booming increasing of population etc. Increasing population started increasing urbanization of Medellin, and it started increasing motor vehicles, which started increasing air & sound pollution, traffic jam & smog. The city even became slower than pre-tram closure era. From starting '80, all this problems started and at mid '90, inhabitants of Medellin realized that non-controlling of motor vehicles & closure of tram was a great mistake.

A metro system opened in 1995, using a small part of former tram network, and gradually two metro routes were constructed. But for low density area, this was not an ideal solution, so metro was not extended throughout Medellin.

Many cities around the world like Tunis, Algiers, Oran, Sydney, Buenos Aires, Pyongyang, Shanghai, Shenyang, Tianjin, Dublin, Edinburgh, Athens, Bergen etc. also understood that error, and like them Medellin also planned for return of tram.

Understanding the great mistake of former tram closure, government started to decrease pollution as soon as possible. Downtown Medellin was already served by metro, but the transportation in eastern Medellin was not sufficient. So transport authority decided to construct it around Miraflores area, which is in eastern side of the main city. in 2015.

On 13 May 2011 the city signed a contract with Lohr Industrie of France (acquired by Alstom in 2012) to build a "Translohr" line between San Antonio metro junction and the east side of town – a sort of eastward continuation of metro route B. A Translohr vehicle resembles a tram and draws power from overhead wires, but runs on rubber tires and is guided by a center rail. Such a vehicle should be ideal for climbing the 12% grade on Calle 49, also known as Avenida Ayacucho– which was the path of the Buenos Aires tram line until 1951 (see Trams in Medellin). From two points on the line aerial cableways (teleféricos, Seilbahnen), each with two sections, will carry passengers even higher into the hills. Construction of the new "tramway" began in 2012, twelve Translohr vehicles arrived from France in 2014, and Metro de Medellín ran the first test on Monday 13 July 2015 The line is operated by Metro de Medellín.

The new system was chosen for east Medellin, because it is a less congested and planned area, and commuting between one place to another in that area has become a serious problem. It was selected as a rubber tire system due to the roads of this area has much ups & downs. A rubber tired tram can climb steeper grades than traditional trams easily. Another advantage is there don't have to dig as deeper than for a classic tram to move the underground networks like power cables, phone lines, water pipes etc.

Past in a nutshell

Tram routes

The modern tram runs from San Antonio to Oriente

Practical Info

Fleet

Rolling stocks were made by Translohr. All trams are low floor, fully air conditioned, can run high speed. Each tram has five cars.

Features

The modern tram routes completely run on unreserved tracks & middle of the road. Due to rubber Tyre, it is not possible to lay track on grass, it can only support concrete road. It runs through many numerical avenues via Buenos Aires, Miraflores, Alejandro Echevarria & connects city center to eastern part of the city. All stops has side platforms except both termini, which has island platforms.

Depots & termini

The only tram depot is at Miraflores. Termini are San Antonio, and Oriente.

Stations

The modern tram runs from the San Antonio Plaza to the Oriente neighbourhood of Medellín.

Alignment and Interchanges

The modern tram routes run completely on concrete road.

Interchanges become with Medellin Metro Line 1 & Line 2 is at San Antonio.

Tickets

The entrance to the Tram is with the Civic Card , which is a rechargeable electronic transport title , which uses the RFID system (acronyms of RF Frequency Identification ) or smart card without contact , which is detected by the readers from a distance of about 8 cm. It is one of the means of payment to use the SITVA , which allows a greater speed in the entries by tourniquet and in the time of loading and reloading of the card.

The process can be carried out by Colombians presenting their citizenship card and by foreigners presenting their alien registration card or passport , in points Customer service.

Projects

It is planned to construct a tram that runs from the Aguacatala station, with connection to metroplus and also to the forest station until arriving to the Caribbean station, with the name Tram of the 80.

Mayor Federico Gutiérrez in his campaign also proposed as a mobility proposal to build another corridor using the technology of the tram that also part of the Aguacatala station crossing Avenue 34 until you meet Palmas and from there go through the same avenue until you come across the Tram from Ayacucho and from there to Palos Verdes where there will be connection with Metroplus.