All the three types of München trams can be seen in Johannisplatz: from left, four-axle P 3.16 2019 just arrived from Grünwald on route 25, eight-axle R 3.3 2211 on route 19 heading to Pasing, six-axle R 2.2 2168 on route 15 to Großhesseloher Brücke. August 10th 2003.
| The system at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Company | Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH (MVG) |
| System | Tramway network |
| Service | Urban and suburban |
| Gauge | 1435 mm |
| Ordinary routes | 7 |
| Lenght (lines) | 71 km |
| Voltage | 750 V |
| Depots | Straßenbahnhof 2
Steinhausen Straßenbahnhof 3 Westend (out of service) |
| Workshop | Straßenbahn- und Omnibuswerkstätte |
| Horse trams | October 21st 1876 – November 1st 1900 |
| Steam trams | June 9th 1883 – July 15th 1900 |
| Battery trams | July 1st 1886 – July 17th 1895 |
| Opening of the first electric line | June 23rd 1895 |
| Maximum extension | 1964 |
| Last significant abandonment (last day of service) | November 20th 1993: Scheidplatz – Siedlung am Hart – Harthof (route 12), Siedlung am Hart – Hasenberg (route 13) |
| Last significant extension | November 11th 1997: Wörthstraße – Ostfriedhof (routes 15 and 25) |
| Cars in regular service | 101 |
The network is formed by seven ordinary routes (12 tangential; 17, 18, 19 and 27 diametral; 20 and 25 radial) and three short working services (15 of route 25, 16 of route 17, 21 of route 20). At night only four routes run: N17, N19, N20 identical to the day services; N27 created coupling the southern part of route 15 with the northern part of route 27.
MVG operates also the underground system (the U-Bahn, first line opened on October 19th 1971) with six ordinary routes (U1-U6) and two saltuary services (U7 and U8), while the Deutsches Bahn (DB, the national railway undertaking) operates the commuter fast train system, the S-Bahn, with most of the routes running on a tunnel under the city centre. Once there was also a trolleybus network: it ran from April 28th 1948 to April 28th 1966.
| München tramway routes in 2003 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Route | Notes | |
| Day routes | 12 | Romanplatz – Leonrodplatz – Nordbad – Kurfürstenplatz – Scheidtplatz | – |
| 15 | Max-Weber-Platz (Johannisplatz) – Wörthstraße – Ostfriedhof – Großhesseloher Brücke | – | |
| 16 | Romanplatz – Hauptbahnhof – Karlsplatz (Stachus) – Sendlinger Tor | – | |
| 17 | Amalienburgstraße – Romanplatz – Hauptbahnhof – Karlsplatz (Stachus) – Sendlinger Tor – Müllerstraße – Isartor – Maxmonument – Herkomerplatz – Effnerplatz | – | |
| 18 | Gondrellplatz – Lautensackstraße – Hauptbahnhof – Karlsplatz (Stachus) – Sendlinger Tor – Müllerstraße – Isartor – Max-Weber-Platz – Herkomerplatz – Effnerplatz | – | |
| 19 | Pasing, Marienplatz – Lautensackstraße – Hauptbahnhof – Karlsplatz (Stachus) – Maxmonument – Max-Weber-Platz – Ostbahnhof – Sankt-Veit-Straße | – | |
| 20 | Moosach – Westfriedhof – Hauptbahnhof – Karlsplatz (Stachus) | – | |
| 21 | Westfriedhof – Hauptbahnhof – Karlsplatz (Stachus) | – | |
| 25 | Max-Weber-Platz (Johannisplatz) – Wörthstraße – Ostfriedhof – Großhesseloher Brücke – Grünwald | – | |
| 27 | Petuelring – Nordbad – Kurfürstenplatz – Karlsplatz (Stachus) – Sendlinger Tor – Müllerstraße – Ostfriedhof – Schwanseestraße | – | |
| Night routes | N17 | Amalienburgstraße – Romanplatz – Hauptbahnhof – Karlsplatz (Stachus) – Sendlinger Tor – Müllerstraße – Isartor – Maxmonument – Herkomerplatz – Effnerplatz | – |
| N19 | Pasing, Marienplatz – Lautensackstraße – Hauptbahnhof – Karlsplatz (Stachus) – Maxmonument – Max-Weber-Platz – Ostbahnhof – Sankt-Veit-Straße | – | |
| N20 | Moosach – Westfriedhof – Hauptbahnhof – Karlsplatz (Stachus) | – | |
| N27 | Petuelring – Nordbad – Kurfürstenplatz – Karlsplatz (Stachus) – Sendlinger Tor – Müllerstraße – Ostfriedhof – Ostfriedhof – Großhesseloher Brücke | – | |
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Keys |
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Straßenbahnhof 2 Steinhausen is at the east end of Einsteinstraße, not so far from Ostbahnhof; the central workshop (Straßenbahn- und Omnibuswerkstätte) is in Ständlerstraße, close to Schwanseestraße route 27 terminus. The Straßenbahnhof 3 Westend is used only to store the cars for the tramway museum; part of it is abandoned.
Some abandoned tracks can be seen in Boschetsriederstraße, Plinganserstraße (old route 16, no matter with the present 16), Pfeuferstraße (old route 26). In Boschetsriederstraße there is also an entrance of an abandoned tramway tunnel close to Machtlfingerstraße U3 station, but without rails. There is a crossing with a DB railway spur on the 15-25 line between Ostfriedhof and Regerplatz.
There is a project to build a new tram line, called route 23, between Münchner Freiheit (U-Bahn U3 and U6) and Kunkkaserne West, passing by Leopoldstraße and resuming the right-of-way of an abandoned railway industrial siding. The line will be long about 3 km and will have seven stops. A service line will link the new route 23 with the existing network running by Parzivalplatz bewteen Scheidplatz (present terminus of route 12) with Parzivalplatz. However this line could be used by route 12 to reach Kunkkaserne West.
Fares prices are very interesting: while a single run ticket is 2 Euros, an one-day ticket for five persons costs only 8 Euros.
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A one-day MVG ticket for five persons. Note the very compressed U- and S-Bahn map. |
| München trams in 2003 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MVG Type | Type | Classification | Axles | Present (original) amount | Year | Builder | Routes | Notes | |
| Motor cars | P 3.16 | – | 2003-2044 | 4 | few (42) | 1966-68 | Rathberger, AEG, BBC | 25 | 1 |
| R 2.2 | GT6N | 2101-2170 | 6 | 70 | 1994-97 | ADtranz | 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 27 | – | |
| R 3.3 | GT8N | 2201-2220 | 8 | 20 | 1999-2000 | ADtranz, Siemens | 20, 25 | – | |
| Trailers | p 3.17 | – | 3003-3040 | 4 | few (38) | 1966-68 | Rathberger, AEG, BBC | 25 | 1 |
| Notes |
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Car R 2.2 2105 on route 17 to Amalineburgstraße has just leaved Nymphenburg stop. August 9th 2003. |
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The new R 3.3 2219 at Hauptbahnhof stop on route 20 to Moosach. August 9th 2003. |
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The only route than crosses the city centre instead to run around it is 19. Six-axle R 2.2 2102 is stopping at Nationaltheater heading to Pasing. August 9th 2003. |
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The Max-Weber-Platz junction is one of the busiest point of the network as it's interested by four routes. R 2.2 2118 with a 19 service is turning from Kirchenstraße to Johannisplatz heading to Sankt-Veit-Sraße. |
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On August 10th 2003 the S-Bahn tunnel from Hauptbahnhof to Ostbahnhof was closed. MVG instituted a provisorily tram service numbered 29 (1) to substituted the heavy rail line; it was operated by the R 3.3 cars, like 2207 photographed in Schloßstrasse. |
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In Steinstraße, Haidhausen district, there is a short and beautiful pedestrian area interested by the 15-25 line. Tram R 2.2 2168 is running a 15 service to Johannisplatz. |
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R 3.3 2203 is arriving at Silberhornstraße stop in service on route 25 to Johannisplatz. |
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A R 2.2 has just leaved the Tegernseer Landtraße stop, heading to the terminus of route 15 in Johannisplatz. |
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The line 15-25 has a beautiful section south of Krankenhaus Harlaching with the tracks laid on the edge of a forest. Here trams, like R 2.2 2163, run very fast because the very spaced out stops. |
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The reversing loop of route 15 at Großhesseloher Brücke, at the edge of the city of München, with R 2.2 2163 waiting to go back in Johannisplatz. Here route 25 continues to the nearby small town of Grünwald. All the photos taken on August 10th 2003 except where otherwise noted. |
Thanks to: Stefan Baguette (Germany) - Marco Gerosa (Switzerland) - Németh Zoltán Ádám (Hungary)
© 2003 Ivan Furlanis
Last changes: October 2003