Trambaix

An experimental tram line, which later became part of the Trambaix system, was opened in the summer of 1997 . This single-track line, 700 meters long, ran along Avinguda Diagonal between Plaça de la Reina Maria Cristina and Carrer d'Entença ^[1] . The first tram used on the line was tram number 2047 from Grenoble . After that, from mid-September to the end of November, the Combino tram operated on the line. During the five months of the line's operation, 400,000 passengers used the tram services ^[2] .

The experiment was considered successful, and in November 1998 a decision was made to build a “serious” tram system ^[3] . In April 2000, the French consortium Alstom was selected as a construction contractor and supplier of rolling stock (19 Citadis 302 trams) ^[4] . The project was finally approved in April 2001 , and in June of that year, construction work began ^[5] .

The Trambaix system was put into operation on April 3, 2004 ^[6] . In January 2006, the T3 line was extended from Sant Marti de l'Erm to Consell Comarcal to a distance of 2.2 km ^[7] . Later T3 was extended for another 600 m from Consell Comarcal to Torreblanca, as a result of which the Trambaix network reached the planned length of 15.1 km ^[8] .

In the future, it is planned to merge two networks of the Barcelona tram (Trambaix and Trambesos ). The shortest route for the connecting line would be Avinguda Diagonal, which is already used by both lines (Trambaix uses the southern part of the street, Trambesos uses the northern one). However, the intermediate part of the street is overloaded with transport, in connection with which alternative options for connecting networks are considered: through a tunnel or along parallel streets ^[9] .

The network has three routes (T1, T2 and T3), while T1 is actually a shortened version of T2 (these routes completely coincide, but T2 is longer). The network has a “fork-shaped” shape, there is a common section served by all three routes (from Francesc Macià to Montesa), the branch to Sant Martí de l'Erm is served by route T2 (route T1 is shorter than T2 for several stops), the branch to Sant Feliu-Consell Comarcal - route T3.

The Trambaix network uses 19 identical low-floor articulated Citadis 302 trams.