Defining the functional and physical compatibility of a modernized tramway rolling stock with a newly planned LRT system: a case study of Belgrade

Abstract

According to the Belgrade Master Plan for 2021, the public transportation system for the city and its region will include three rail modes: a modernized existing tramway, regional rail, and a new light rail transit (LRT) mode. In the coming years all three rail modes should be developed simultaneously and in a coordinated manner. The introduction of LRT is to be realized in several phases, and its first line will partially follow the alignment of an existing tramway line. As the present tramway vehicles are obsolete, new rolling stock must be designed and purchased to be compatible with many of the elements of the LRT. Ways to adjust the new tramways to the LRT rolling stock represent the central topic of this paper. The basic technical and operating characteristics of the new tramway are defined with respect to their required compatibility with the LRT stock and infrastructure.

Keywords:

• tramway rolling stock
• light rail transit
• compatibility
• urban public transportation

Acknowledgements

This paper is a part of an extensive project of the development of public transportation in Belgrade. The project is supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB), as well as by the Ministry of Education and Science of Serbia (project number TR035045). Authors wish to express their gratitude to the investors of this project, and a number of colleagues who helped in gathering data for the purposes of this paper.