The first tram in Shanghai (1908)

Dalian historical tram. Its use is still preserved to date in limited area in the city.

Dalian modern tram. Tram type DL6WA, mark Dalianren (meaning "Dalian people") manufactured by Tram Factory of Dalian Public Transport Group. The blue one is manufactured in 2009, the other in 2001–2003.

Several cities in China had tram systems during the 20th century; however, by the end of the century, only Dalian, Hong Kong and Changchun remained extant.^[1] However the 21st century has seen a resurgence in tram transport systems as China attempts to combat with urban traffic congestion and pollution.

List of historical tram systems[edit]

• Beijing had the first tram system in China. It opened in 1899 and connected Majiapu railway station to the south gate of the city.


• 
  Fushun, Liaoning had a tram system circa 1902, operated by the Manchuria Railway Company with 26 trams.


• 
  Tianjin city, had a tram system that opened in 1906. By 1933 it had 9 miles of track and operated 116 tramcars. It was closed by 1972.


• The Changchun tramway system started operations in 1942. By the 1950s the system covered 28 km (17 mi) with 98 cars. The system continues to operate today.


• In Shanghai there were three tram systems - two operated by the colonial powers of Britain and France and one by a Chinese company. The British system opened in 1908 and was the largest of the three. It had 7 lines and ran 216 tramcars. The French system opened the same year and its 3 lines ran 60 tramcars. The Chinese system opened in 1913 and operated 52 tramcars over 4 lines of some 23.5 km (14.6 mi) in length.


• In Shenyang, Liaoning, a Japanese owned electric tramway opened in 1925 and replaced an earlier horse-drawn tram system that dated from around 1907.^[2] By 1937 it had expanded to cover 12 km (7.5 mi) of track and ran 21 tramcars. It was finally closed in 1973.

• 
  Harbin, Heilongjiang had a system from 1927 with 8 lines and about 40 trams. The system closed in 1987.


• The city of Anshan, Liaoning, had a single tram line from 1956 till the late 1990s and the track was dug up in 2006.


• 
  Dalian, Liaoning opened its first tram line on September 25, 1909. It was operated by South Manchuria Railway. By 1945, the system had 11 lines. Today 2 lines remain in operation covering 23.4 km (14.5 mi). The system is in the process up being updated with a mixture of old tram cars and new modern low floor cars in operation.

New tram systems[edit]

The Zhangjiang tram opened in 2010

Huai'an Trams

Tianjin and Shanghai have recently introduced rubber tired trams for their TEDA Modern Guided Rail Tram and Zhangjiang Tram respectively.

In 2011, Shenyang city decided to construct a new tram network to complement its new metro network. The first three lines of the new system were opened on August 15, 2013.^[3][4] A year later, Nanjing opened the new Hexi trams just before the 2014 Youth Olympics. Since them new tram systems opened in a number of cities in China such as Qingdao, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Suzhou, Zhuhai, Wuhan, Huai'an and Beijing.

Hong Kong SAR[edit]

The Chinese Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong has had a tramway system since 1904. The Hong Kong Tramway is a traditional British Isles-style double-decker tramway with street running, along the north shore of Hong Kong Island. Since the 1990s, the MTR Light Rail system has opened in the north west New Territories. Despite its name, the famous Peak Tram is actually a funicular railway.

Light rail/Tram systems[edit]

Operational lines[edit]

Planned and under construction[edit]

As of 2017, Sanya, Nanping, Mengzi, and Haikou have new tram systems under construction.

Ningbo, Quanzhou,^[7]Zhengzhou, Kunshan,^[8]Baotou, Korla,^[8]Anshun,^[8]Hangzhou,^[9]Changzhou^[9] and Lanzhou New Area^[10] are planning tram networks for the future.

Under construction[edit]

• Beijing
  
  
  
  • 
    Line T1 (Yizhuang New Town Modern Tram) (亦庄新城现代有轨电车T1线), operational by 2019
  
  
  • 
    Line T2 (Shunyi Modern Tram) (顺义区现代有轨电车T2线)
  
  
  
  


• Foshan
  
  
  
  • 
    Gaoming Tram (高明有轨电车) operational in 2019
  
  
  • 
    Nanhai New Transit (南海新交通), operated by Foshan Metro, operational in 2019
  
  
  
  


• Haikou
  
  • Haikou Trams (海口有轨电车) operational by 2016
  
  


• Nanjing
  
  • 
    Nanjing Jiangxinzhou Tram (南京江心洲有轨电车)
  
  


• 
  Nanping
  
  • 
    Wuyi New Area Tourism Sightseeing Rail Transit (武夷新区旅游观光轨道交通). Also known as Wuyishan Light Rail (武夷山轻轨) or Nanping Tram (南平有轨电车). Two lines are planned: Line 1 and Line 2.
  
  


• Shanghai
  
  • 
    Shanghai Songjiang Modern Tram Line T1
  
  

Planned[edit]

• 
  Chongqing Trams (重庆有轨电车)


• 
  Zhuzhou Trams (株洲有轨电车)

References[edit]