Sunday, August 12, 2012

Bremen trams, Germany

The main Post Office on the right.
The Börse (Stock Exchange) on the right was replaced with a modern building after WW2
A side view of the Dom (cathedral) seen in the centre of the pic above.
Tram tracks in the central Marktplatz
A view of Obernstrasse in 1929 - this street was substantially destroyed in 1944.
Another 1930s view of Obernstrasse
A 1950s view, the statement on the building on the left refers to the division of Germany.
The Ratscafé (council café) and Kaiser Wilhelm memorial
A bridge over the Weser River - all were destroyed in WW2
A 1960 view of the area outside the main railway station - a bus station now occupies the grassy area in the centre
The Martkplatz in 1963 - the construction site for the replacement for the former Börse on the right.
A GT8N low floor tram from the 1990s built by AEG in Am Wall. (Geoff Churchman)
One of 20 GT8N-1 trams ordered dating from 2005, from Bombardier, in Oberstorsteinweg (Geoff Churchman)
Another of the 77 GT8N trams (one was damaged in an accident) in the Marktplatz. (Geoff Churchman)
Electrification of Bremen's standard gauge tram system started in 1892 and was complete by 1913.  By the beginning of WW2 there were 16 lines but the city was badly damaged by Allied bombing in the war, requiring much rebuilding. Enough of the historic old town was restored to give the feel of the way it used to be.

During the 1950s and 1960s some lines were closed but others were extended and there have been recent extensions. Presently there are 8 lines.  Apart from the modern trams there is a fleet of 7 historic trams.

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