Trams in Biel/Bienne

The tram Biel (French Tramway de Bienne ) was circulating in Biel / Bienne and its environs tram that existed from 1877 to 1948 and was operated until 1902 as a horse-drawn tram ( Rösslitram ). Simultaneously with the electrification it was rebuilt from standard gauge to meter gauge. Responsible transport company was initially the Compagnie générale des tramways Suisses (TS ), later the Municipal Tramway Biel (French Tramway de Bienne, abbreviated TrB ) from which in turn the current transport operations Biel have emerged. From 1940 the tram was gradually replaced by the trolleybus Biel / Bienne or by buses.

History

Pferdebahn

The Geneva Compagnie générale des tramways Suisses, a predecessor company of Transports Publics Genevois today (TPC ), opened on 18 August 1877 standard gauge railway line from horses Bözingen to Nidau ​​boat landing. Thus Biel possessed a very early stage, ie before the cities of Basel, Bern and Zurich, a tram. The passenger cars, including both closed and summer cars were pulled by one or two horses. For the carriage of mail to trailers were available. The following year, on March 23, 1878 the line was extended to the church 400 meters to Nidau ​​. The company tried several times the financially unsuccessful operation to the city of Biel to sell. She succeeded, without intermediate network expansions, but only in 1901.

After the 1901 takeover of the horse path through the city of Biel was started immediately with the electrification and the conversion to meter gauge. Twelve electric motor cars were purchased and some horse-drawn trams umgespurt to be able to continue using it as a sidecar. Even in 1902 the electric plant was gradually added.

1913 was a second route to Mett will be opened which was operated by the new line 3. There was an immediate continuation of this by the independent Biel- Meinisberg -Bahn ( BMB ). At the same time the existing connection was the line signals 1 and 2, previously frequented the tram without line numbers.

From 1916 graduated in Nidau ​​the Biel- Täuffelen -ins to the web to the route network. At its maximum extent, ie in the years 1926 to 1938 as well as the BMB was operated by the Municipal Tramway, was the following network:

1930, lines 1 and 2 were bound by the new line 1 Nidau- Bözingen. Consequently, it was out of line 3, the new line 2 and line 4 mutated into a new line 3

In the 1940s the tram lines were converted to trolleybus operation. First, in 1940 the line 2, then line 1 Line 3 was born on 8 December 1948 also in 1940, converted to a bus line.

Gallery

Before Biel Train Station