Eisenbahntechnische Rundschau | Issue Nahverkehr/2019
Fit for urban challenges – Light Rail Systems
At the end of the 19th century, the tram became the first mass transportation system suitable for densely populated and historical city structures around the world. Using electric propulsion to transport large numbers of people gave cities the opportunity to spatially expand while maintaining high accessibility. But success was not lasting: soon the automobile pushed tram systems out of the cities. In the US, the automotive industry did not hesitate to buy up and systematically shut down various tram systems to increase demand and space for their own products...