The Zaporizhzhia Tram is a tram network in the city of Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine. The network comprises 7 routes spanning 157.9 km of which 99.345 km are in use. The tram began operating on July 17, 1932. Service on the system has been interrupted but continued operating through the Russian Invasion of Ukraine 2022. The system carried 100,500 daily riders as of 2020.
History
Pre-Soviet Revolution
The idea of developing a tram line in Zaporizhzhia was first put forward in 1898. A proposal for the construction of an electric tram line was submitted to the Zemstvo Assembly from the Aleksandriv City Duma. According to the project of the Odesa businessman Brodsky, the line was supposed to run from the city through the Schoenwiese colony to the station of the Kursk-Kharkiv-Sevastopol railway. The idea was received positively, but the matter did not reach construction Later, attempts to arrange a tram in Aleksandriv were also accepted by the mayor Felix Movchanovsky. On September 29–30, 1913, Aleksandriv was visited by Belgian engineers. They considered Mr. Niebuhr's project to connect the city with the Aleksandriv Sanatorium by electric tram. The city administration considered this issue, but historical events stood in the way of further material development. With the beginning of the construction of the Dnieper Hydroelectric Station, the issue of transportation for the city's residents arose, because of the town's rapid growth. In 1929, the population of Zaporizhzhia and Pavlo-Kickas (then the name of the settlement on the Right Bank of the Dnieper) numbered 82,500 people.
Pre-War Times
In the summer of 1931, work began on the construction of the Dniprobud— Zaporizhzhia tram line. At the time of the launch of the first phase of the tram connection, about 70,000 m³ of earthworks were carried out, up to 26,000 m³ of ballast was removed, three bridges with iron trusses were built and 18 km of tracks were laid. On 17 July 1932, at 05:00 in the morning, the first carriages started regular flights between the old city (from Volya Square) and the Dnieper Hydroelectric Station. In October of the same year, the line was extended to the South Station. In 1932, the tram carried more than 4 million passengers. 1933 witnessed the rapid growth of the tram network with lines opening in May, to the wharf and in June with a line connecting the Southern Highway to the Zaporizhstal office.
Rapid growth continued between 1934 and 1939. In 1934, 3 new lines were opened. The first in May, when a line was opened along Zhukovsky and Zhovtneva streets to the Baranov Plant. In September, the line over the Dnieper Hydroelectric Station dam to the Right Bank was opened. The trams at this time had steering wheels at the back and front, the driver changed positions at the terminuses. Trams ran every hour from 06:00 to 01:00. In November, the line to RMZ (Repair and Mechanical Plant) was opened.
Between 1936 and 1940 additional lines and extensions were added. In 1936, a line was laid from the RMZ to the Fireclay Plant. In 1937, the line was extended to the Dnipro Titanium and Magnesium Plant. In 1939, tram traffic was opened along Diagonal Street from the Southern Highway to the Ferroalloy Plant. In 1940, a line was built to Zeleny Yar.
German-Soviet War Era
In November 1941, work on the restoration of tram traffic began. Work continued on the restoration of damaged tracks and contact network. However, the lack of electricity became an obstacle to recovery.
Restoration in the Post-War Years
During the year following the liberation of the city from the German troops, work continued on the restoration of the tram system. In the months following the war, 35 km of track and contact network were rebuilt, a traction substation was put into operation, and 10 wagons were repaired. 10 wagons each were received from Kyiv and Kharkiv. In October 1944, the launch of the first line took place with trams operating on two routes.
Before the opening of the second phase, the "Tramtrust" team rebuilt two bridges (over the Kapustyan Beam and at the bridge crossing), consisting of more than 16 km of track. The restoration of the tram connection with the Sixth settlement took place in December 1944 with trams again running from the Zaporozhye I Station to the Dnieper Hydroelectric Station.
Between 1945 and 1946, traffic on almost all pre-war lines was restored. Only traffic through the Dnieper Hydroelectric Station dam to the Right Bank had not been restored. In April 1948, a rally was held in Zaporizhzhia, during which the director of the Leningrad Wagon Repair Plant No. 2, as a gift, handed over tram cars from the workers of Leningrad.