Innsbruck is the only city in the world still served by a fleet of only classic Düwag trams, altought part of them were built under license by Lohner. The Lohner GT6 72 has just ended its run on route 1 from Hungerburgbahn to Bergisel where it is waiting for the departure time. July 1st 2002.
The system at a glance | ||
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Company | Innsbrucker Verkehrsbetriebe und Stubaitalbahn GmbH (IVB) | |
System | Tramway network | Trolleybus network |
Service | Urban and interurban | Urban |
Gauge | 1000 mm | – |
Ordinary routes | 4 | 2 |
Lenght (routes) | 38.7 km | 11.9 km |
Voltage | 600 V (800 V on the Stubaitalbahn) | |
Depot | Wilten Betriebshof | |
Opening of the first steam line | June 1st 1891: Innsbruck (Bergiselbahnhof) – Hall in Tirol | – |
Opening of the first electric line | July 15th 1905: Bergiselbahnhof – Südbahnhof (now Hbf) | December 18th 1988: Zentrum – Olympischesdorf, Zentrum – Rehgasse |
Maximum extension | Now | |
Last significant abandonment | 1974: Innsbruck (Hungerburgbahn) – Hall in Tirol | – |
Last significant extension | Late '90s: Bürgerstraße – Marktgraben (routes 1, 6, STB) | 2000-01: Technik – Technik West (route O) |
Cars in regular service | 26 |
The urban tramway network has a T shape with extremes Bergisel, Amras and Hugerburgbahn. Route 1 runs north-south between Bergisel and Hugerburgbahn, while route 3 runs from the Stradtschleife (in English city loop: it is the tramway line that rounds part of the city centre with the route Brunecker Straße – Südtirolerplatz – Salurnerstraße – Maria-Theresien-Straße – Burggraben – Museumstraße) to the western district of Amras. The two interurban lines were in origin railways. Route 6, at that time called Mittelgebirgebahn, merged with the urban system in 1936, while Stubaitalbahn in 1983.
The trolleybus network is formed by two long east-west diametral routes. It is the second trolleybus system: the first ran from 1944 to 1976.
The rail transport network is completed by the Hugerburgbahn, a funicular that connects the norther district Saggen with Hugerburg: it is a classic two-car funicular with a passing loop in the middle and an intermediate stop called Alpenzoo between the lower station and the loop. The line was opened in 1906 and today is operated by IVB which is the route HBB.
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Hungerburgbahn car 2 running on the bridge over river Inn. |
Innsbruck tramway, funicular and trolleybus ordinary routes in 2003 |
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Code | Stops | Notes | |
Tramways | 1 | [ Haydnplatz > Hungerburgbahn-Riesenrundgemälde ] – Claudiastraße – Bundesbahndirektion – Ing.-Etzel-Straße – Brunecker Straße – Landesmuseum – Museumstraße – Maria-Theresien-Straße/Altstadt – Marktplatz – Bürgerstraße – Maximilianstraße – Schöpfstraße – Franz-Fischer-Straße – Westbahnhof – Fritz-Konzert-Straße – Stubaitalbahnhof – Bergisel | – |
3 | Amras – Pradler Friedhof – Südring – Rudolf-Greinz-Straße – Dr.-Glatz-Straße – Roseggerstraße – Gumppstraße – Leipzigerplatz – Sillpark – [ Hauptbahnhof > Triumphpforte > Maria-Theresien-Straße / Altstadt > Museumstraße > Landesmuseum ] | – | |
6 IGLERBAHN |
[ Marktplatz > Maria-Theresien-Straße/Altstadt> Museumstraße > Landesmuseum > Hauptbahnhof > Triumphpforte > Anichstraße ] – Bürgerstraße – Maximilianstraße – Schöpfstraße – Franz-Fischer-Straße – Westbahnhof – Fritz-Konzert-Straße – Stubaitalbahnhof – Bergisel (end of the city section) – Bretterkeller – Tummenplatz – Schönruh – Tantegert – Aldrans – Mühlsee – Lans-Sistrans – Lansersee – Igls Bahnhof | Summer | |
Bergisel – ... – Igls Bahnhof | Winter | ||
STB STUBAITALBAHN |
[ Marktplatz > Maria-Theresien-Straße/Altstadt> Museumstraße > Landesmuseum > Hauptbahnhof > Triumphpforte > Anichstraße ] – Bürgerstraße – Maximilianstraße – Schöpfstraße – Franz-Fischer-Straße – Westbahnhof – Fritz-Konzert-Straße – Stubaitalbahnhof (end of the city section) – Sonnenburgerhof – Gärberbach – Hölltal – Natters – Burgstall – Mutters – Birchfeld – Nockhofweg – Raitis – Feldeler – Außerkreith – Kreith – Brandeck – Telfer Wiesen – Luimes – Telfes im Stubaital – Telfes-Tenniscamp – Fulpmes | – | |
Funicular | HBB HUNGERBURGBAHN |
Hungerburgbahn Talstation – Alpenzoo – Hungerburgbahn Bergstation | – |
Trolleybuslines | O | [ Technik West ] / [ Peerhofsiedlung – Lahntalweg – Luis-Zuegg-Straße ] / [ Allerheiligen – Tschiggfreystraße – Lahntalweg – Luis-Zuegg-Straße ] – Hötting West – Technik – Lohbachsiedlung West –Lohbachsiedlung Ost –Vögelebichl – Am Gießen –Höttinger Au –Höttinger Auffahrt –Fürstenweg – Klinik (Universität) – Marktplatz – Maria-Theresien-Straße/Altstadt– Museumstraße – Landesmuseum – Sillpark – Dreiheiligenstraße – Pradler Straße – Mitterhoferstraße – Pauluskirche – [ Roßbachstraße > ] – Jugendherberge – Hochhaus Schützenstraße – Piuskirche – [ Schützenstraße > Neu Rum > Kugelfangweg > Kajetan-Sweth-Straße > Josef-Kerschbaumer-Straße (Olympisches Dorf) ] | – |
R | [ Dr-Stumpf-Straße > Ingenuin-Fischler-Straße > Rehgasse > Mitterweg ] – Mitterweg Unterführung – Unterbergerstraße – Fischnalerstraße – Fürstenweg – Klinik (Universität) – Bürgerstraße – Anichstraße – Triumphpforte – Leopoldstraße – Sterzinger Straße – Hauptbahnhof – [ < Landesmuseum ] – Polizeidirektion – Kochstraße – Bundesbahndirektion – Bienerstraße – Mitterhoferstraße – Pauluskirche – Radezsky-Straße – Burghard-Breitner-Straße – Sankt Pirmin/Volkshaus – [ Langerweg > Gumppstraße (Reichenau) ] | – |
There are also various sporadic services, listed in the following table. In Summer each car running on route 6 operates with the following service: Hbf – Igls – Hbf – Stubaitalbahnhof – pause in Wilten Betriebshof – Stubaitalbahnhof – Hbf.
Innsbruck tramway and trolleybus sporadic services in 2003 | |||
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Code | Stops | Notes | |
Tramways | 3/1 | Amras – ... – Brunecker Straße – [ Landesmuseum < ... < Marktplatz ] [ Hauptbahnhof > ... > Anichstraße ] – Bürgerstraße – ... – Stubaitalbahnhof | To/from depot runs |
6 IGLERBAHN |
[ Marktplatz > ... > Hauptbahnhof > ... > Anichstraße ] – Bürgerstraße – ... – Stubaitalbahnhof |
Summer to/from depot runs | |
Hungerburgbahn – ... – Brunecker Straße – [ Landesmuseum < ... < Marktplatz ] [ Hauptbahnhof > ... > Anichstraße ] – Bürgerstraße – ... – Igls Bahnhof | Sporadic morning runs | ||
STB STUBAITALBAHN |
Hungerburgbahn – ... – Brunecker Straße – [ Landesmuseum < ... < Marktplatz ] [ Hauptbahnhof > ... > Anichstraße ] – Bürgerstraße – ... – Fulpmes |
Sporadic morning runs | |
[ Marktplatz > ... > Hauptbahnhof > ... > Anichstraße ] – Bürgerstraße – ... – Mutters | Sporadic night runs | ||
[ Marktplatz > ... > Hauptbahnhof > ... > Anichstraße ] – Bürgerstraße – ... – Kreith | |||
[ Marktplatz > ... > Hauptbahnhof > ... > Anichstraße ] – Bürgerstraße – ... – Stubaitalbahnhof | To/from depot runs | ||
Stubaitalbahnhof – ... – Fulpmes | |||
Trolleybuslines | O | Technik West /Peerhofsiedlung / Allerheiligen – ... – Landesmuseum – Hauptbahnhof | To/from depot runs |
Josef-Kerschbaumer-Straße (Olympisches Dorf) – ... – Sillpark – Hauptbahnhof | |||
R | Rehgasse – ... – Hauptbahnhof | To/from depot runs | |
Gumppstraße (Reichenau) – ... – Hauptbahnhof |
The depot and workshop, for all IVB rolling stock (trams, buses and trolleybuse), is called Wilten Betriebshof and it is located in Pastorstraße just west of the old Stubaitalbahnhof, now home of the Lokalbahnmuseum. Route STB passes thorugh the depot to reach the interurban section. This depot was opened in late '70 for buses only, but since 1981 it has been used also by trams. The old depot, called Bergiselbahnhof, was located between Klostergasse and Wiltenfriedhof, just 100 m east of the Stubaitalbahnhof; today on its area the Bergisel reversing loop stands.
Trams' future is bright, trolleybuses' one is dark: the IVB management realized that Innsbruck is a too little city (about 128 800 inhabitants) for both a tram and trolleybus system, so it planned to keep in service only one of them that will be extended over most of the routes of the second. As the tramways include two railway style lines which transformation into trolleybus lines will be very difficult, IVB planned to sacrificate trolleybuses in favour of trams, as explain the following chronology.
Other projects are: a diversion of route 3 in Pradl through Amraser Straße, an extension of route 3 to Amras Ort, an extension of route 1 to Pradl Süd, the construction of a reversing loop in Fulpmes to operate route STB with single ended trams, a branch of route STB to Axam, and the ambitious Inntalbahn: a long interurban line Hall in Tirol – Innsbruck – Zirl, with eventual extension to Jenbach (eastern end) and Telfs (western end).
Innsbruck
trams in 2003 |
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Type |
Classification |
Axes |
Present (original) amount |
Year |
Mechanic |
Electric equipment |
Routes |
Notes |
Bielefelder GT6 |
31II-42II |
6 |
11 (12) |
1957-63 |
Düwag |
Kiepe |
1, 3 |
1 |
Bielefelder GT8 |
51II-53III |
8 |
3 (2) |
1962-63 |
Düwag |
Kiepe |
6 |
1 |
Lohner GT6 |
71-77 |
6 |
7 |
1966 |
Lohner |
Elin |
1, 3 |
– |
Hagener GT8
|
81-88 |
8 |
8 |
1961-67 |
Düwag |
Kiepe |
STB |
2 |
Notes |
|
Innsbruck
trolleybuses in 2003 |
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Classification |
Axes |
Amount |
Year |
Chassis and body |
Notes |
801-816 |
2+1 |
16 |
1988 |
Gräf & Stift GS GE 152 M 18 |
– |
817-826 |
2+1 |
10 |
1992 |
Gräf & Stift GS NGE 152 M 18 |
– |
Thanks to: Wolfganf Auer (Austria) - Eduardo Bevere - Federico Ferraboschi - Alessandro Muratori
© 2003 Ivan Furlanis
Last changes: December 2003