Trams in Basel

The Basel tramway network (German: Basler Strassenbahn-Netz) is a network of tramways forming part of the public transport system in Basel, Switzerland, and its agglomeration - it also reaches into adjacent suburbs in Germany and France. The only two other tramway networks to cross an international border are Geneva's and Strasbourg's tramways. The Basel tram system consists of 12 lines. Due to its longevity (the network is now more than a century old), it is part of Basel's heritage and, alongside the Basel Minster, is one of the symbols of the city.

Basel tramway network
A BLT tram in Basel
Operation
LocaleBasel, Switzerland
Open6 May 1895 (1895-05-06)
StatusOperational
Lines12
Operator(s)
Infrastructure
Track gauge1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge
Electrification650 V DC[1]
Statistics
Route length128.5 km (79.8 mi)
Overview
Map of the network in 2018.
Websitehttp://www.bvb.ch Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe (in German)

The trams on the network are operated by two transport providers: Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe (Basel Transport Service) (BVB) and Baselland Transport (BLT). Both operators are part of the integrated fare network Tarifverbund Nordwestschweiz (TNW), which in itself is part of the three countries-integrated fare network triregio.[2][3][4]

BVB is owned by, and operates in, Basel-Stadt, the small canton comprising the city of Basel and two smaller municipalities, both situated right of the Rhine. Its green trams operate mostly in the city, although the termini of its lines 3, 6, and 14 are in the more rural canton of Basel-Land, line 8 terminates across the frontier in Germany, and line 3 in France.

BLT is owned by Basel-Land, and its yellow and red trams operate in the outer suburbs to the south of Basel, and at one point pass through the territory of France.[5] However, the three lines it operates, lines 10, 11 and 17, all also run over BVB track in central Basel. In addition line 14, while owned by BLT, is operated by BVB well into Basel-Land.

History
Ex-Basel heritage tram Ce 2/2 182 on the Blonay–Chamby Museum Railway

The first line of the Basel tramway network was opened on 6 May 1895. It followed the route Centralbahnhof–Marktplatz–Mittlere Brücke–Aeschenplatz–Badischer Bahnhof.

The network grew quickly. In 1897, six new sections were put in service, with one linking Basel and Birsfelden.

In 1900, the Basel tramway network acquired an international dimension, when a new cross-border line was opened to Sankt-Ludwig (now Saint-Louis, Haut-Rhin), in the then German Empire. The line operated till 1950. In 1910, a second international line was opened to Hüningen (now Huningue also Haut Rhin), which was used until 1961. The line to Lörrach in Baden, Germany, was opened in 1919 and worked till 1967.

Since 1887, the tram from Basel to Rodersdorf, now part of Baselland Transport line n° 10, passed (and passes) through the village of Leymen in Alsace. But that Birsigthalbahn (Birsig Valley Railway) would be joined to the general tram network of Basel as late as in 1984.

From 1900 until 1936, at least one section of the network was modified each year. In 1934, upon the opening of a new section of line from Margarethenstr. to Binningen, the network reached its greatest length of 72 km (45 mi).

During the two World Wars, services were suspended on the parts of the line extending beyond Switzerland's borders. After World War II, several lines were closed. In 1958, the total length of the network's routes was 51.7 km (32.1 mi).

In 1974, the several companies that had been operating the suburban lines were merged to form the new company bearing the name Baselland Transport AG (BLT).

Lines

As of 2022, the Basel tram network comprises 12 lines. Nine are operated by BVB and three by BLT. The combined line length of the 12 lines is 128.5 kilometres (79.8 mi).[6][7][lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2]

No. Route Route length Operator Route map
1 Dreirosenbrücke – Brausebad - Bahnhof SBB (– Badischer Bahnhof) 7.31 kilometres (4.54 mi) BVB Route 1
2 Binningen Kronenplatz – Badischer Bahnhof - Eglisee (– Riehen Fondation Beyeler) 9.26 kilometres (5.75 mi) BVB Route 2
3 Saint-Louis (France) Burgfelderhof – Breite - Birsfelden Hard 9.58 kilometres (5.95 mi) BVB Route 3
6 Allschwil - Morgartenring – Badischer Bahnhof -Riehen Grenze 12.58 kilometres (7.82 mi) BVB Route 6
8 Neuweilerstrasse – Kleinhüningen Weil am Rhein (Germany) 10.23 kilometres (6.36 mi) BVB Route 8
10 Rodersdorf - Flüh - Ettingen – Bahnhof SBB - Münchenstein-Dornach 25.974 kilometres (16.139 mi) BLT Route 10
11 St. Louis Grenze – Bahnhof SBB - Reinach Dorf - Aesch 14.235 kilometres (8.845 mi) BLT Route 11
14 Dreirosenbrücke Aeschenplatz – Basel St. Jakob - Muttenz Dorf - Pratteln 12.81 kilometres (7.96 mi) BVB Route 14
15 Messeplatz – Bruderholz 5.39 kilometres (3.35 mi) BVB Route 15
16 Bruderholz – Schifflände 5.48 kilometres (3.41 mi) BVB Route 16
17 Wiesenplatz – Ettingen 12.215 kilometres (7.590 mi) BLT Route 17
21 Bahnhof St. Johann – Badischer Bahnhof 3.50 kilometres (2.17 mi) BVB Route 21

Cross-border routes

The Basel tram network is unusual in crossing international borders.

Line 10 to Rodersdorf runs via Leymen in France. For customs purposes the trams operate through France as privileged transit traffic. Passengers remaining on the tram are not subject to customs rules. Passengers may get on or off the tram in Leymen only if they are carrying goods within the customs limits.

In 2014, line 8 was extended across the border to Weil am Rhein station, in Germany.

Construction started in 2015 to extend Line 3 from its then-terminus at Bourgfelden Grenze to Saint-Louis station in France.[8] The extension opened in 2017.[9] Late-night services on the cross-border line were suspended in 2019 due to a series of attacks in which laser pointers were used to obstruct the vision of tram operators.[10]

Network Map

See also

Notes
  1. BVB operates Line No. 14 on behalf of BLT, using BLT infrastructure, and both companies include it in their annual reports.
  2. The line length excludes the N6 and N14 night routes.

Footnotes
  1. Eisenbahnatlas Schweiz. Verlag Schweers + Wall GmbH. 2012. p. 62. ISBN 978-3-89494-130-7.
  2. Eisenbahnatlas Deutschland. Verlag Schweers + Wall GmbH. 2009. pp. 110–111. ISBN 978-3-89494-139-0.
  3. "Tarifverbund Nordwestschweiz" (in German). Trarifverbund Nordwestschweiz. Retrieved 2014-11-05.
  4. "triregio - grenzenlos mobil" (in German and French). triregio. Retrieved 2014-11-05.
  5. "Geschichte (history)". Baselland Transport. Retrieved 28 February 2010.
  6. Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe (2021). "Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe Geschäftsbericht 2021" (PDF) (in German). p. 22.
  7. Baselland Transport (2021). "Geschäftsbericht 2021" (PDF) (in German). p. 64.
  8. "Tram 3 info". Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  9. "Switzerland Just Opened the World's Only Tri-National Streetcar System". CityLab. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  10. "'Too dangerous': Basel cancels late-night trams to France". The Local. 3 May 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2019.

References
  • Appenzeller, Stephan (1995). Basel und sein Tram : die Geschichte der Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe [Basel and its Trams: the History of the Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe] (in German). Basel: Christoph-Merian-Verlag. ISBN 3856160639.
  • Bernet, Ralph (2000). Trams in der Schweiz: von Basel bis Zürich: Strassenbahn-Betriebe einst und jetzt [Trams in Switzerland: from Basel to Zurich: Tramway Operators Then and Now] (in German). München: GeraMond-Verlag. ISBN 393278507X.
  • Madörin, Dominik (2003). Das Rollmaterial der Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe [The Rolling Stock of the Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe] (in German). Freiburg (Breisgau): EK-Verlag. ISBN 3882558431.
  • Schwandl, Robert (2010). Schwandl's Tram Atlas Schweiz & Österreich. Berlin: Robert Schwandl Verlag. ISBN 978 3 936573 27 5. (in German and English)
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