Good video of the runnung system. What you have not mentioned (or i overheard it) is that all of the S-Trams except S1, S2 and S11 run under two different electrical systems, changing voltage on the fly between 750V DC (tram) and 15kV AC 16,7 Hz railway).
2:15 Actually the B-Trams (or B-Wagen, as they are called in german) are only used on the Stadtbahn Networks in North Rhine-Westphalia, not outside of it (though to be fair NRW is where the vast majority of Stadtbahn Networks are located). But within NRW they are used on almost every network, with the only exception being the Bielefeld Stadtbahn (probably because it is the only one to run on metre gauge)
Fantastic video! I have never understood why the new Citylinks are left with the rear coupling cover always open, it didn’t make sense in an urban tram service
well they're unidirectional so they don't need the covers to not crush pedestrians and the vehicle is much cheaper and easier to maintain without the fold-out coupler and the covers. Also less work when coupling them together. (it's not that the covers are open, they're not there at all)
I liked the concept with a story attached to the video. The script seemed well written. Some of the video edits were a little clumsy. Nevertheless a good coverage of my favourite tram system - and I live in Melbourne (Australia). Love the haircut too. Keep up the good work.
@David Frankal - YES this Tram-Train is weired when seeing it the first time or even realizing that the Tram from the street you are in surprisingly became a Train in Bahnhof Grötzingen (very near east of Karlsruhe)
Very good and informative video, I feel that although the tram trains appear to run on the same lines at the station they will not be near the ICE or TGV trains as both of these intercity systems use a very much higher AC voltage than the much lower DC systems. Therefore these Tram Trains will only be able to use the lines that have a DC supply. The subject of Tram Trains can be very blurry, with systems like the Manchester Metrolink System really being a Metro (Light Rail, that runs on heavy track) that happens to have sections where it becomes a street running 'Tram type' system. The history of the Metrolink system was originally based around using heavy systems hence the reason that Metrolink has the small platform and therefore internal floor high as normal Network Rail Trains and can use any standard UK platform. The Metrolink even has several direct connections with Network Rail track and the ELR at Bury, this did led to a real incident back in the nineties where that naughty blue steam engine visited the Queen Street Metrolink dept as shown here czcams.com/video/jqY5tCwNVtA/video.html
They definitely run on the same tracks in Karlsruhe, as most of the line to Baden-Baden is just two tracks. I believe the tram-trains are dual-voltage. I never knew they once allowed an ELR train onto the Metrolink network! Can't imagine getting safety clearance for that today. What was the 'incident' then?
The trains are dual voltage and are certified as mainline vehicles. There's some limitations - they can't run against the signalled direction on a unidirectional line, they can't run on lines with line speeds over 160 km/h etc. They're somewhere between trams and trains construction wise - as far as body strength, crashworthiness etc.
@@vojtasTS29 sort of not light or heavy rail but medium rail, it would have been a tricky route to get these certified for use on both systems and it would be interesting if they got diverted onto a track they are not allowed on.
@@Ashworth-Media it's not really much of a problem in germany (and other germanic countries) as historically many similar systems with sort of "country trams" existed and it's a well understood mode of operation. You can even certify a regular city tram for mainline operation, but it has to run on the private ESBO lines where the regulations are less strict compared to the government owned lines operated according to EBO rules. (such as the Chemnitz to Stollberg line (where regular trams run unlike in the rest of the Chemnitz system that uses dual mode Citylinks or the Albtalbahn).
The nearest similar situation I can think of in the United States is the San Diego light rail system. Freight trains operate on parts of the system during the wee hours of the morning when the light rail trains are not operating. My perhaps garbled understanding is that Federal Railroad Administration collision strength standards for mainline rail vehicles prevent light rail vehicles from operating simultaneously on the same tracks with mainline trains.
Nice video! I visit Karlsruhe every year and it seems to me more like 10 years since they started working on the tunnel. The tram system is great though and you even get a discount for having a Bahncard from Deutsche Bahn.
wow, I lived in Karlsruhe (2011/12) and Ettlingen (2015) I worked at the Technologiefabrik, and today I was thinking about how was going the construction (expected to be finished), I plan to visit the city when possible, I'm very nostalgic about that time.
Did you manage to find out how Karlsruhe deals with platform height differences? I know they have always been very keen on providing more low floor, step free access for wheelchairs and pushchairs. That's why they got rid of all the older trams now and all the new city trams don't have steps anymore. Only some of the tram-trains still do. But the question is, how are the tram-trains then compatible on regular train platforms that are much higher, whilst still being step free in the city?
@David Frankal - I very like the "where No Tram is gone before" , reminds me at the golden age of Star Trek & also like the "leap" thing of the (still not in 100% of details disclosed) Moon Landings (there are Apollo photos of bases on (Who? without a Dr.) the back side) ... your pronaunciation is wrong , it is NOT "HAILbronn" , it´s spoken HEILbronn (like in "H€1L Adolf Hit. alias self proclaimed "Gröfaz") ... the other city is ZWickau (spoken like in Zeppelin (like the Hindenburg disaster) )
Good video of the runnung system. What you have not mentioned (or i overheard it) is that all of the S-Trams except S1, S2 and S11 run under two different electrical systems, changing voltage on the fly between 750V DC (tram) and 15kV AC 16,7 Hz railway).
Very clear explanation of the complicated Karlsruhe set-up. Well done!
2:15 Actually the B-Trams (or B-Wagen, as they are called in german) are only used on the Stadtbahn Networks in North Rhine-Westphalia, not outside of it (though to be fair NRW is where the vast majority of Stadtbahn Networks are located). But within NRW they are used on almost every network, with the only exception being the Bielefeld Stadtbahn (probably because it is the only one to run on metre gauge)
Beautiful city
I hear that Transport For Wales are getting Citylink Tram-Trains. The BR Class 398.
Great video
I'm a train and I approve this video!!!
Fantastic video!
I have never understood why the new Citylinks are left with the rear coupling cover always open, it didn’t make sense in an urban tram service
well they're unidirectional so they don't need the covers to not crush pedestrians and the vehicle is much cheaper and easier to maintain without the fold-out coupler and the covers. Also less work when coupling them together. (it's not that the covers are open, they're not there at all)
8:15 thats my Personal Main Station, BC i live there 😁
I liked the concept with a story attached to the video. The script seemed well written. Some of the video edits were a little clumsy. Nevertheless a good coverage of my favourite tram system - and I live in Melbourne (Australia). Love the haircut too. Keep up the good work.
@David Frankal -
YES this Tram-Train is weired when seeing it the first time or even realizing that the Tram from the street you are in surprisingly became a Train in Bahnhof Grötzingen (very near east of Karlsruhe)
nice Video. I live in Karlsruhe
Wo wohnst du in Karlsruhe? Ich: Oststadt
@@passihd04 wohne in Durlach
@@momachine5534 ah nice
Very good and informative video, I feel that although the tram trains appear to run on the same lines at the station they will not be near the ICE or TGV trains as both of these intercity systems use a very much higher AC voltage than the much lower DC systems. Therefore these Tram Trains will only be able to use the lines that have a DC supply.
The subject of Tram Trains can be very blurry, with systems like the Manchester Metrolink System really being a Metro (Light Rail, that runs on heavy track) that happens to have sections where it becomes a street running 'Tram type' system. The history of the Metrolink system was originally based around using heavy systems hence the reason that Metrolink has the small platform and therefore internal floor high as normal Network Rail Trains and can use any standard UK platform.
The Metrolink even has several direct connections with Network Rail track and the ELR at Bury, this did led to a real incident back in the nineties where that naughty blue steam engine visited the Queen Street Metrolink dept as shown here czcams.com/video/jqY5tCwNVtA/video.html
They definitely run on the same tracks in Karlsruhe, as most of the line to Baden-Baden is just two tracks. I believe the tram-trains are dual-voltage.
I never knew they once allowed an ELR train onto the Metrolink network! Can't imagine getting safety clearance for that today. What was the 'incident' then?
The tram-trains run definitely besides the ICE and TGV, since they are dual-voltage and can run with 15kV AC and 750V DC.
The trains are dual voltage and are certified as mainline vehicles. There's some limitations - they can't run against the signalled direction on a unidirectional line, they can't run on lines with line speeds over 160 km/h etc. They're somewhere between trams and trains construction wise - as far as body strength, crashworthiness etc.
@@vojtasTS29 sort of not light or heavy rail but medium rail, it would have been a tricky route to get these certified for use on both systems and it would be interesting if they got diverted onto a track they are not allowed on.
@@Ashworth-Media it's not really much of a problem in germany (and other germanic countries) as historically many similar systems with sort of "country trams" existed and it's a well understood mode of operation. You can even certify a regular city tram for mainline operation, but it has to run on the private ESBO lines where the regulations are less strict compared to the government owned lines operated according to EBO rules. (such as the Chemnitz to Stollberg line (where regular trams run unlike in the rest of the Chemnitz system that uses dual mode Citylinks or the Albtalbahn).
The nearest similar situation I can think of in the United States is the San Diego light rail system. Freight trains operate on parts of the system during the wee hours of the morning when the light rail trains are not operating. My perhaps garbled understanding is that Federal Railroad Administration collision strength standards for mainline rail vehicles prevent light rail vehicles from operating simultaneously on the same tracks with mainline trains.
Same rules apply in the UK! (with a special exception for Rotherham)
The Subway is under construction for Like 5 or 6 Years now.... It should be finished in 2017, but they are still working 🤣
I'm from the UK, so I know the feeling!
Nice video! I visit Karlsruhe every year and it seems to me more like 10 years since they started working on the tunnel. The tram system is great though and you even get a discount for having a Bahncard from Deutsche Bahn.
@@MartinBrenner ye, the subway.... 🤣
@@MartinBrenner db card is nice 👍
wow, I lived in Karlsruhe (2011/12) and Ettlingen (2015) I worked at the Technologiefabrik, and today I was thinking about how was going the construction (expected to be finished), I plan to visit the city when possible, I'm very nostalgic about that time.
Did you manage to find out how Karlsruhe deals with platform height differences? I know they have always been very keen on providing more low floor, step free access for wheelchairs and pushchairs.
That's why they got rid of all the older trams now and all the new city trams don't have steps anymore. Only some of the tram-trains still do.
But the question is, how are the tram-trains then compatible on regular train platforms that are much higher, whilst still being step free in the city?
There is a bit of a step up from the tram to the platform, but it's worth bearing in mind that rail platforms in Germany are much lower than in the UK
@@DavidFrankal ah okay. I suppose they use ramps then for wheelchairs
Your pronunciation of "Rotherham" offends my Yorkshireness.
Other than that, great video.
Wow must be nothing else to be offended by in today's world lol
@David Frankal -
I very like the "where No Tram is gone before" , reminds me at the golden age of Star Trek & also like the "leap" thing of the (still not in 100% of details disclosed) Moon Landings (there are Apollo photos of bases on (Who? without a Dr.) the back side) ...
your pronaunciation is wrong , it is NOT "HAILbronn" , it´s spoken HEILbronn (like in "H€1L Adolf Hit. alias self proclaimed "Gröfaz") ... the other city is ZWickau (spoken like in Zeppelin (like the Hindenburg disaster) )
Its an S tram lol