Hanover Stadtbahn | |||
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Overview | |||
Locale | Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany | ||
Transit type | Light rail (Stadtbahn) | ||
Number of lines | 12 (with 1 weekend express night & 2 special lines)[1] | ||
Number of stations | 201 (incl. 19 underground stations)[2] | ||
Website | üstra | ||
Operation | |||
Began operation | 29 September 1975[3] | ||
Operator(s) | üstra Hannoversche Verkehrsbetriebe AG | ||
Number of vehicles | 289[2] | ||
Technical | |||
System length | 121 km (75 mi)[2] | ||
Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) | ||
Electrification | 600 V DC overhead | ||
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The Hanover Stadtbahn is a Stadtbahn (light rail) system in the city of Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany. The Stadtbahn opened on 29 September 1975,[3] gradually replacing the city's tramway network over the course of the following 25 years. Currently, the Hanover Stadtbahn system consists of 12 main lines[1] (Lines 1–11 & 17; along with one weekend express night line (Line 10E) and two supplemental lines (Lines 16 & 18)),[1] serving 201 stations (including 19 underground stations, and 124 high-platform stations),[2] and operating on 121 kilometres (75 mi) of route.[2] The system is run by üstra, which was originally an abbreviation for Überlandwerke und Straßenbahnen Hannover AG. As of 2007, it transported 125 million passengers per year.[3]
Three types of light rail cars operate on the system, the TW 6000, built from 1974 to 1993, the TW 2000 (the so-called "Silberpfeil"), built from 1997 to 1999, and the TW 3000, which was first introduced into A line service in 2015. The system is extensively used, especially during trade shows on the Hanover fairground like CeBIT or the Hannover Messe. It makes up for more than 60% of the GVH transport association's total traffic, spanning over four cities and two counties. Hanover Stadtbahn is complemented by DB-owned Hanover S-Bahn, a suburban heavy rail network which links the outlying suburbs and towns, as well as Hanover Airport, to the city centre.