List of tram routes in Bucharest

---

Bucharest has a vast network of light-rail transportation. This category also includes trams. Some are currently not operating due to the construction and rehabilitation of the M4 and M5 Metro lines.

History

Horse trams were the first means of public transport in Bucharest, being introduced in 1871. In the same year, on July 3/15, the town hall granted a 45-year concession for the creation of horse tram lines. The lines Calea Moșilor - Piața Sf. Gheorghe and Piața Sf. Gheorghe - Calea Griviței were the first to be launched, on December 28, 1872. On December 9, 1894, the first electric trams appeared, between Obor and Cotroceni, on a length of 6.5 km. These gradually replaced tramcars, which were completely withdrawn in 1904.

On April 14, 1908, the establishment of the "Bucuresti Tramway Society" (abbreviated S.T.B.) was approved, a new 40-year concession aimed at electrifying the entire tram network.

The social capital of 12 million lei was paid in proportion of 50% by the commune and 50% by private shareholders. In 1921 and 1924, the first attempts to introduce passenger transport by buses appeared, made by small private companies, but they could not prevail against the competition of trams.

The network developed rapidly between 1900 and 1935, the routes and distances between stations allowing passengers to travel from any point in the city to any other. In 1929, the last horse-drawn trams were withdrawn.

The routes were profoundly modified during the Ceaușescu era: the stations were rarefied and far from each other, and the lines were disconnected in the center of the municipality, the ends of the lines being also far from each other. Since then, the scheme of the surface network allows travelers to come from the outlying districts to the center and back, but not to travel in all directions through the city, let alone cross it. Another inconvenience (for passengers) of the surface network is the fact that a journey is only valid on the tram where the card is charged, not on another line in correspondence for a certain length of time as is the case in other urban networks.

Lines

Currently in Bucharest there are 22 tram lines in operation: 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 11, 14, 16, 19, 21, 23, 24, 25, 27, 32, 36, 40, 41, 44, 45, 47, 55. The number of lines varies frequently, being influenced by the ongoing infrastructure restoration works. Also, due to the works, some routes are diverted or shortened.

Caption text

Line	Origin	Via	Destination
1	Romprim	Calea Văcărești	Banu Manta
3	Mezeș	Clăbucet M4	Piața Presei
5	Piața Băneasa	Șoseaua Ștefan cel Mare M1	Piața Sf. Gheorghe M1/M2/M3
7	Piața Unirii M1/M2/M3	Șura Mare M2	C.F.R Progresul
10	Romprim	Șoseaua Viilor	Banu Manta
11	Cartier 16 Februarie	Calea Ferentari	Zețarilor
14	Pantelimon M1	Șoseaua Mihai Bravu M1	Piața Sf. Vineri M1/M2/M3
16	Platforma Industriala Pipera M2	Lacul Tei	Piața Sf. Vineri M1/M2/M3
19	Zețarilor	Pod Timpuri Noi M1/M3	Complex Comercial Titan M3
21	Pasaj Colentina	Bucur Obor M1	Piața Sf. Gheorghe M1/M2/M3
23	Faur Poarta 4 M1	Dristorului M1/M3	Zețarilor
24	Vasile Pârvan M1/M3	Piața Victoriei M1/M2	Cartier Dămăroaia
25	Depoul Militari M3	Piața Eroii Revoluției M2	C.F.R Progresul
27	Piața Unirii M1/M2/M3	Dristorului M1/M3	Complex Comercial Titan M3
32	Piața Unirii M1/M2/M3	Șoseaua Progresul	Depoul Alexandria
36	Platforma Industriala Pipera M2	Piața Obor M1	Republica M1
40	Piața Sf. Vineri M1/M2/M3	Piața Hurmuzachi M1	Complex Comercial Titan M3
41	Ghencea	Piața Crângași M1	Piața Presei
44	Vasile Pârvan M1/M3	Gara de Nord M1/M4	Cartier 16 februarie
45	Gara de Nord M1/M4	Piața Victoriei M1/M2	Mezeș
47	Piața Unirii M1/M2/M3	Calea Rahovei	Ghencea
55	Pantelimon M1	Piața Iancului M1	Piața Sf. Vineri M1/M2/M3

Lines permanently removed:

Line 2 Cartier 16 Februarie - Depoul Alexandria (Common route with 11 and 32)

Line 4 Zețarilor - C.F.R. Progresul (Due to the lack of passengers and it had a common route with lines 7, 19 and 25)

Line 8 Depoul Militari - Zețarilor (Merged with route 11 and it had a common route with lines 25)

Line 12 C.F.R. Progresul - Gara Basarab (Works at the Șoseaua Progresul, Pasaj Basarab and Pasaj Eroii Revoluției and It had a common route with lines 1, 10, 11 and 25)

Line 13 Vasile Pârvan - Alexandria Depot (was replaced by line 32)

Line 15 Complex Comercial Titan - Depoul Alexandria (Common route with 23, 27 and 32)

Line 17 Lacul Tei - Șura Mare (Low transport demand)

Line 20 Vasile Pârvan - Laromet (Works at the Laminorului metro station)

Line 31 Pasaj Victoria - Gara de Nord (Low transport demand)

Line 33 Pantelimon - Piața Iancului - Piața Sf. Gheorghe (it was replaced by line 55)

Line 34 Banu Manta - Șura Mare (Common route with 1 and 10)

Line 35 Depoul Militari - Gara Basarab (Works at Bulevardul Doina Cornea and common route with 1, 10, 11, 25)

Line 42 Gara de Nord - Piața Presei (Lack of passengers and replacement with route 3)

Line 43 Cartier 16 Februarie - Gara Basarab (Temporary line to replace the lack of line 11 on Calea Giulești during the modernization of Bd. G-ral Paul Teodorescu and common route with 44)

Line 46 Gara de Nord - Republica (Common route with 1, 10, 36, 45, 55)

Line 48 Gara Basarab - Ghencea (Low transport demand)

Line 50 Piața Unirii - Depoul Dudești (Combined with 27)

Line 52 Ghencea - Șura Mare (Merged with 47)

Line 54 Piața Unirii - Romprim (Low transport demand)

Line 56 Piața Sfânta Vineri - Republica (Common route with 36 and 40)

Line 57 C.F.R. Progresul - Zețarilor - Piața Unirii (replacement with route 7)

Line 59 Piața Sfântul Gheorghe - Hristo Botev (Lack of passengers)

Light rail

Main article: Light metro from Bucharest

In 1998 RATB laid the foundations of a project aimed at modernizing the tram network. The term "light metro" also appeared on this occasion, which refers to a railway-type tramway completely separated from the carriageway to avoid the entry of cars, thus allowing the trams to reach higher speeds and make stops only in the stations. For the realization of such a system, it was not enough just to change the track, it was also necessary to introduce some tram cars capable of reaching the speeds allowed by the infrastructure without jeopardizing the safety and comfort of passengers. Currently the only "light metro" line is 41, which has a very short succession interval, sometimes the trams are one behind the other at peak times. In addition, on these lines, on the vast majority of the route, vehicles do not have access to the tracks. Some residents of the capital also consider line 1 to be "light metro", but it is still far from this term because it has a longer succession interval, and on the route it meets five other lines. The only section of line 1 that can be considered somewhat "light metro" is the one on Soseaua Progresului, the line being located on the side of the road. Other lines considered as light metro are 21 and 32, although they are far from this concept. Maybe only 32 come close to this concept, but that's only on the Sos. Progresului -Sebastian - Alexandria Depot section. Otherwise, besides the fact that it also meets other lines along the way (7, 23, 27 and 47) on the section between Tudor Vladimirescu and Piața unirii, car traffic is allowed on the carriageway. Compared to other lines, however, it has a short succession interval. Line 21 is sometimes also considered a light metro by the residents of the neighborhoods it crosses, because it has a short succession interval, the line was separated (fences were installed so that car traffic is no longer allowed on the running except for special vehicles) and due to the fact that, except for the last approx. 2 km before the end of Piața Sf. Gheorghe where it runs on a common route with lines 5 and 16, and the Bucur Obor area where it meets line 36 for approx. 50 m, the rest is singular on the route, like 41.

Rolling stock

Tatra T4R

Tatra T4R wagons were produced at the Czechoslovak ČKD Tatra plant between 1973 and 1975. 131 wagons were delivered. The T4R has 20 seats and 77 standing seats. For periods of high demand, they were coupled in tandem, and otherwise only a single wagon (solo) was sent. In 2017, following a fire, part of the trams were abandoned, as well as the tandem traffic. In March 2019, the withdrawal of the last 20 wagons still in circulation was announced.

V3A

Main article: V3A (tram)

The first Romanian double-articulated tram - the V3A - was built by the "Atelierele Centrale" Repair Plant (URAC) in 1971, based on an LHB wagon delivered to order. They were built until 1990 for Bucharest, Brașov , Brăila, Cluj-Napoca, Constanța (model V3A-C, for the voltage of 825 V d.c.), Oradea, Ploiesti, and in 1991 for Botoșani.

The first project to modernize the tram fleet after 1989 provided for the modernization of V3A wagons (produced at URAC between 1973 and 1990). Thus, by modifying the original project, the first V3A-93 was built at URAC in 1993, which replaced the old V3A, taking over its inventory number. Between 2004 and 2006, 4 V3A-93s were also built with the C-section modified to be accessible to the disabled. The last V3A-93 was built in 2007. All V2A, V2A-2S, V3A and V3A-2S trams (minus #205) are equipped with two series-excited DC motors each, rated at 120 kW every.

In 1995, the documentation for the V3A-93 model was sent to Electroputere Craiova, resulting in trams with inventory numbers #358 and #359. As the URAC could no longer cope, also in 1995 a collaboration was started with Faur S.A., a renowned manufacturer of railway vehicles, which resulted in 52 trams (between 1995 and 2004), classified as V3A-93M and results through modification of the V3A-93 project by the Faur Company.

Between 1997 and 2000, Electroputere Craiova delivered 13 trams to RATB, all based on the V3A-93M model, but with design changes. These are: #014, #097, #133, #137, #180, #192, #205, #246, #267, #293, #326, #352, #361. Experimentally, the first 3 delivered trams (i.e. #192, #205, #361) were equipped with direct voltage variators produced by the Dutch company Holec, being the first trams that also allowed recuperative braking from the RATB equipment. They were named V3A-H. The other 10 trams are V3A-93M were equipped with the classic drive system (rheostatic), less the car #246 on which another model of voltage variator was experimented, proved unreliable over time (later the car was modified for rheostatic drive).

In order to continue the modernization of the fleet, in 2006 the first V3A-93-CH-PPC (CH = chopper, PPC = partially lowered floor) was built. In addition to the modified design and the presence of the lowered floor in the C section, the carriages of this type constitute the first large series of trams equipped with a "chopper" (variable direct voltage). Starting from 2006, the last remaining V3A trams were replaced by V3A-93- CH-PPC, then V2As were scrapped and replaced with V3A-93-CH-PPC, in order to increase transport capacity and reduce operating costs.

In 2008, as a result of the overdue overhaul of the V3A-H wagon #205 and due to the lack of parts for its equipment, the decision was made to completely replace the engines and drive equipment. Thus, the wagon was equipped with two asynchronous three-phase alternating current motors, with a nominal power of 240 kW each and with an inverter (the supply network provides direct current), which also serves as a voltage variator for regulating the speed of the motors.

In the 1980s and early 1990s, there were also V3A tram couples. They ran on lines 14, 15, 21, 23, 27, 40 (lines serving strong industrial areas at the time) and less often on line 41, in the early 90s. These were coupled like the Tatra T4 trams, the order being made from the first wagon, but in case of failure of the first wagon, it could be pushed by the second wagon, but requiring the vatman to go aboard the second wagon. This coupling was abandoned due to somewhat low travel speeds, the decrease in the number of active trams, as well as the decrease in the number of passengers in the 90s, opting for a shorter succession interval between 2 vehicles.

Two-way trams: V2A-2S, V3A-2S, V3A-2S-93

In the 1980s, as a result of the construction sites littering Bucharest, 8 unidirectional V3A trams were modified into bidirectional V3A-2S trams between 1981 and 1984. The modification involved the installation of doors on both sides, the existence of two driving cabins, two pantographs and the installation of two pairs of actuation equipment (controllers, contactors and resistors). For the same reason, 8 simple-articulated V2A-2S wagons with the same characteristics were built (numbers #4037 - #4044) in 1982, and they ran almost exclusively on line 41 until 1987.

Of the 8 V3A-2S trams, two were scrapped and replaced by V3A-93, the other 6 being replaced in the period 2006-2007 by 6 V3A-2S-93 trams, resulting from the adaptation of the project for V3A-93 These are: #028 , #034, #036, #037, #237, #245. As of 2009, all 8 V2A-2S trams were scrapped and replaced by V3A-2S-93. In situations where there are no turning lines, they are used as a regular one-way tram. As mentioned, they can be easily recognized by the fact that they have headlights and stop lights on both ends, doors on both sides, a more special feature of this type of tram is the fact that it has 2 pantographs, one at a driving station , one to the other's driving position.

Bucur V2A/S-T

The "Bucur 1" tram series has its origins in the 90s, with the beginning of discussions about the transformation of line 41 into a "light metro". Due to financial limitations, RATB decided to build new trams with parts from Tatra T4R wagons.

In 1998 URAC produced the tram with fleet number 3001, the first of the V2S-T series (acronym that describes the characteristics of the tram: wagon composed of two modules, bidirectional, coming from Tatra sets). It received the commercial name "Bucur 1". Among the technical novelties brought by this prototype are: microprocessor-controlled chopper drive, regenerative and rheostatic electric brake, two-stage Hanning & Kahl electrohydraulic brakes, computerized speed recording and playback facility, with secondary role of "black box ” in case of an accident, but also a body with aluminum sheet glued to the strength structure and windows glued directly to the body. The chopper assembly is imported from CKD TRANKCE Prague, the former Czechoslovak manufacturer of Tatra wagons.

The second prototype was produced in 2000, having the same technical characteristics, but a different appearance. Both were used in commercial service until 2007, being withdrawn due to electronic failures. As the manufacturer CKD Prague had gone bankrupt in the meantime, the prototype 3001 could no longer be repaired due to a lack of parts. The other tram underwent a major repair in 2009-2010, but again had problems, being permanently withdrawn in 2011.

The next 8 produced (up to 2008) were single-driver models (V2A-T), which are still in use today.

Bucur Low Floor

Main article: Bucur LF

The Bucur Low Floor tram (Romanian "Bucur cu Podea Joasă") (Bucur LF), manufactured at URAC in 2007, was the first tram in Romania with a low floor (~65%). It also brought a lot of improvements over the existing trams at that time, both in terms of its own design and on the technical side, being equipped with AC asynchronous motors powered by a three-phase inverter type current source. This traction system allows the recovery of approx. 30% of braking energy. It is equipped with four independent braking systems: electrodynamic, recuperative and/or rheostatic brake, active electrohydraulic brake (disc/caliper) on the non-driven wheels, passive electrohydraulic brake (disc/caliper, spring-loaded) on the driven axles, and track brake .

It allows access for people with locomotor disabilities, having a manually operated ramp at the third door. The 14 m low floor (~360 mm from the top level of the rail in the area of the access steps next to the 4 doors, which have a free opening of 1300 mm) ensures a quick transfer of passengers to the stations, and the high floor areas have and the advantage of offering travelers the full landscape along the route, especially if their journey spans a large number of stations.

Astra Imperio Metropolitan

In 2021, a contract was signed for the purchase of 100 trams manufactured at Astra Vagoane Călători Arad. The first of this batch was brought to Bucharest in June 2022 by road, with the help of two oversized transport platforms. It was unloaded and assembled in the Military depot, also where the first tests were carried out. The first 15 trams made to order, Imperio Metropolitan (also called Imperio București), entered service on line 41 on December 10, 2022. They have a fully low floor and feature USB sockets for passengers, air conditioning, informative LED-LCD displays, LED carriage lighting and seats with fabric surfaces customized with the STB logo.

Historical models

This section presents the models that STB no longer operates in passenger service, including pre-STB trams, in chronological order of their entry into service. Details of horse and steam trams can be found in the History section.

The first electric trams in Bucharest

According to TPBI.ro (Bucuresti and Ilfov public transport), the first electric tram circulated in Bucharest in 1894, "Then, the Bucharest Tram Society put into use the Obor - Cotroceni tram line, with trams that used the power of electricity, instead of the old horse-drawn trams."

Simmering

The Simmering trams arrived in Bucharest in 1912, being the first ones purchased by the Municipal Tramway Society of Bucharest. The first batch consisted of 52 railcars and 10 trailers. In the following year, another 25 motor cars were purchased.

Thomson-Houston V09

In 1919, the Bucharest Municipal Tramway Company ordered 50 motor cars and the same number of trailer cars from Thomson-Houston, the trams being put into operation in 1921. For the import of new cars, ordered from Belgium, they are built at Ateliere Centrale (now URAC) a motor car, as a reference model, in 1927. In the following year, another 123 motor cars are ordered, executed on the mechanical part by "Société Anonime des Atelieres Dyle" from Belgium and on the electrical part by Alsthom (followed by Thomson-Houston).

At the end of 1938, the STB fleet consisted of 145 Thomson-Houston streetcars. The last carriages delivered had air brakes and self-closing doors.

In 1942, the wagons received the designation V09, which sums up all the changes and improvements made following the homogenization process of the fleet. In 1948, the company had 335 V09 trams. Thomson carriages ran in passenger service until 1976, and those converted into utility vehicles until 1985.

A V09 wagon was restored by URAC in 1994. This tram was used at Buftea Studios in the 1980s, appearing in the 1985 film Miss Aurica. At the beginning of the 1990s, RATB regained its possession and introduced it to an extensive restoration process, which will be completed in 1994.

V951 "Festival", V54 "Electropower" (EP)

In 1948, the management of I.T.B. decides that a new tram car is needed, more spacious than the V09. It is made according to the project of a 4-axle, high-capacity wagon (14 m long). The prototype, which still existed in 2020, was presented on December 21, 1951. The wagon receives the code V951, the name "Festival" and the inventory number 3001. In the following year, the second prototype is built, which will define the general shape of the wagon. Between 1952 and 1953 another 35 wagons are manufactured.

The last wagon produced is sent together with the related documentation to Uzinele Electroputere Craiova. Based on them, in 1954, the prototype was produced in Craiova that would receive the code V954 and the name "Electroputere", the technical characteristics being identical to those of the wagon sent from Bucharest. The wagon is sent on January 8, 1955 to Bucharest. Between 1954 and 1959, 231 railcars and trailers were produced for the I.T.B.

The V54 trams were also operated in Timișoara and Oradea, with V10 and V12 type trailers. A peculiarity of this tram at the time was that it used 2 bogies, 4 drive axles and 4 36 kW motors, it was not a single trick tram like the Thomson and ITB V56 and 58 trams. high capacity and high speed, even reaching 50 km/h, something rare for a tram of that period. In Timișoara and Oradea, the motor cars were produced by Electroputere Craiova (although some were delivered by ITB), and their trailers were manufactured by URAC. RATT purchased an EP-V3A with V12/V3A trailer from RATB for restoration to original EP form.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, attempts were made to build an articulated derivative of this tram. It was manufactured in a single copy and circulated for a short time, probably due to some deficiencies.

Technical data for V54:

Length: 14,200 mm

Width: 2,292 mm

Height (to roof): 3,120 mm

Bogie wheelbase: 1,800 mm

Weight: 18,000 kg

Transport capacity: 131 passengers

Engines: 4x36 KW

V56, V58

URAC produced models similar to the V54 by re-bodying some V09 frames, thus creating the V56, from which the V58 evolved. In 1970 there were 226 such wagons, which circulated in passenger service until 1981, after which they were converted into utility wagons or were modernized as EP-V3A. One of the V56 wagons converted into utility wagons was restored in 2003 and is used in parades organized by STB

Technical data:

Length: 9,800 mm

Height (to floor): 1,040 mm

Wheelbase: 2,300 mm

Weight: 13,000 kg

Transport capacity: 104 passengers

Engines: 2x38 KW

LHB GT8

This tram model was brought new at the end of 1968 from the Federal Republic of Germany and ran on the Bucharest lines until the end of the 80s. It was scrapped in 1994, probably due to excessive wear, poor technical condition, as well as lack of pieces. It was allocated to the Military depot in the first phase and then to the Titan depot, although it was occasionally parked at the Dudești depot as well. It ran mainly on routes 13, 17, 19, 30, occasionally 26 and 27. Its fleet number was 3501 and was painted red with white like all ITB vehicles of that period. It was a very modern vehicle for that time. It is said that they wanted to purchase several such trams, but in the end they resorted to copying it by URAC. This tram represented the technical basis of what was later the classic V3A tram and the derivative variant V2A. It is said that during an overhaul, in the first part of 1970 or 1971, the LHB wagon was dismantled and copied "piece by piece", the result being the V3A tram, which was present for over 20 years in the ITB/RATB park but and other public transport operators in Romania, being the first articulated tram manufactured in series by URAC. Although the parent company (LHB) protested because the technical solutions and the tram itself were copied, the scandal died down quickly, because the resulting tram (V3A) had multiple differences and necessary adaptations for Bucharest compared to the original model of such an aesthetic order (more square design , rectangular front headlights and round headlights, although some V3A had round headlights) as well as mechanically (length, number of doors, engine power, different attachment to the bogies, redesigned doors because due to the overcrowding specific to ITB, the doors failed faster and the redesign was necessary, the brakes had to be resized for the much greater weight of the tram, electrical system). In addition, due to the differences in the quality of materials, the V3A tram was much heavier than the LHB, as the LHB used in its construction light materials such as fiberglass and other composite materials or aluminum, while the V3A used only iron, in addition , the V3A tram was not exported either to the West or to the socialist bloc. In the first years of operation, there were numerous technical problems with the V3A variant due to the weight and lower quality of the materials, deficiencies remedied over time. It was used exclusively in Romania starting from 1972-1973 in Bucharest, and starting from 1984 and in several other cities in Romania (Constanța, Brașov, Brăila, Oradea, Cluj-Napoca, Botoșani, Ploiesti, Iași - adapted for metric gauge ). Later in 1993, the V3A-93 project was finalized, which is still in use today. Probably also due to the appearance of the V3A-93, the original LHB was scrapped, its repair and operation probably being considered uneconomical.

EP/V3A

These trams were obtained by retrofitting V951 and V54 carriages from the 1950s with V3A components and system. In 1976, the first couple is presented, with equipment similar to the V3A trams. These modifications were made between 1976 and 1982, with a total of 172 railcars and 80 trailers modified. They ran until June 2000, when they were permanently withdrawn from passenger service and replaced by German trams. Their numbering began with 6001 for the motor car, the trailer receiving the same number, to which 200 was added (e.g. 6201). After scrapping, the equipment (bogies and pantographs) was cannibalized to extend the life of the Ratgheber trams. One motor car was sold to RATT to be restored to the V54 variant. In 2020, STB still owned 9 EP/V3A motorcars, of which prototype 6001 has been restored, and the other eight are in various stages of deterioration after conversion to utility cars.

V2A

See also: Bucharest articulated tram.

The V2A is a two-section tramway variant with 2 driving bogies and an articulated bogie produced at URAC, derived from the V3A. 41 one-way pieces were built for I.T.B., starting in 1982 for lines with lower traffic demand. To these can be added the 8 bidirectional V2A-2S. A feature of the V2A trams was the doors slamming when opening/closing due to sudden engines. The doors will deteriorate, becoming full of welds as the joints fail. Preventing the doors from closing during times of overcrowding will also lead to structural deformations. Since 2010, no model is in circulation.

The prototype of the two-way version was built in the fall of 1982, being equipped with single-engine bogies built at IRA Grivița. 3 more trams were immediately built with an unusual interior for I.T.B., with seats mounted along the carriage, like a subway. The next 4 examples will have the seats grouped two by two, back to back. They were put into operation in 1983, on tram line 41, which connected Piața Scânteii and Șos. Groves crossing the Grant Bridge. The blue color was also a novelty for I.T.B..

Modele germane: Rathgeber și Duewag

The trams M5.65/m5.65 and M4.65/m4.65 were brought second-hand from Munich between 1993 and 1998. The 49 motor cars and 55 trailer cars were originally manufactured at the "Waggonfabrik Josef Rathgeber ”, between the years 1957 and 1965 and they circulated in Munich until 1995 and 1998 respectively. The motor car was marked with a capital letter, and the trailer with a lower case letter.

The Rathgeber trams were part of a consistent series of second-hand vehicle imports that the Bucharest Autonomous Transport Authority received in the 90s, as the capital's tram fleet at that time was in a state of criticism: the EP/V3A trams were deeply worn, and the renewal program of the rolling stock through the V3A-93 project was advancing too slowly for the needs of the Directorate. Thus, although the trams from Munich were of an older design than the Romanian trams they were going to replace, they will stand out for the impeccable technical and aesthetic condition in which they were received by RATB. From a technical point of view, these carriages were superior to the existing trams, being equipped with automatic couplings, efficient heating systems, intercom system, buttons for operating the doors by passengers, neon lighting, etc. The defining feature of these trams was the undercarriage composed of a 3-axle system, following a design patented by Jacob Buchli in 1929. However, the poor state of the infrastructure after the Revolution, as well as the lack of spare parts, forced 1-2 years after arriving in Bucharest, a series of changes, in RATB's attempt to keep them in circulation. The 3-axle frame will be replaced with two EP/V3A bogies and the automatic couplers and pneumatic pantographs will be replaced with equivalent V3A type components.

Most of the trams of this type were scrapped or withdrawn in 2007. The last remaining M/m4.65 couple was converted into a line washing car and resides at the Line Section Depot, and 8 M5.65 cars are used for shunting and technological transport .

2 examples of Rathgeber P3.16 (1966-1967) were also bought from Munich, together with 3 trailers. One of the trams of this type was converted in 2001 into a confectionery car, later operating as a theater on rails. In August 2009 it was restored, since then participating in the parades organized by the society.

Other examples that circulated in Bucharest were the Duewag T4/B4 trams, which were manufactured for Frankfurt am Main between 1958 and 1965. These had the same fate as the Rathgeber trams, but were withdrawn much earlier (2003-2004). Several of them were purchased by McDonalds for use at parties, although all were scrapped between 2008 and 2012.

Other models

In addition to the trams that ran in Bucharest with passengers, STB also owns a LW TH - Lohner T2 wagon and a Simmering M series wagon, both from Vienna, which were restored within the URAC, without having been used in commercial service.

Utility wagons

STB owns several wagons and trailers used for material transport or track maintenance. Some of these are derived from passenger cars (such as the grinder car from EP-V3A), others are specially created for this purpose (mills, so-called "donkeys", etc.). Snow plows are 1VU (1960s) and 3VU (1980s) types. The company also owns two turbomill type locomotives, derived from a series of 4 electric locomotives intended for polishing lines, produced in 1960 by URAC, which were equipped with polishing equipment and electric drive from interwar Simmering and Thomson Houston type wagons . Both locomotives were modified after 1970, with the polishing equipment being replaced by snow clearing equipment: a turbo cutter was fitted at the front and the headlights were moved higher.

References

This article "List of tram routes in Bucharest" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:List of tram routes in Bucharest. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

---