HISTORY

Photo: J.C.T. van Engelen; (C) A. van Kamp, Heiloo 1989
The Hague (Holland), a blue car on one of its last trips, 1961

During the twenties and thirties in Europe interurban systems were built as well. Including many large ones, some even bigger than the Pacific Electric (for example in the Rhein-Ruhr area of Germany). Many of these systems were (partly) closed in the sixties, others were modernized (like Rhein-Ruhr and other, mainly German systems).

Photo: (C) Light Rail Atlas/Kees Pronk, October 1988
Dutch yellow interurban during its visit to Utrecht

 

In The Netherlands all interurban systems were closed. The last one run until 1961 and nearly all of its famous blue cars were destroyed (the last non-electric was closed in 1968). Only one line survived. This was the The Hague-Delft route. Eventually the elegant yellow cars of this interurban were replaced by PCC's (1965). Several years ago the system expanded to the coast as well as to new residential areas.
In 1988 an original yellow car run a few days on the Utrecht-system (in the central part of Holland) to celebrate the fifth birthday of this young Light Rail system, as we call it today. Please have a look at LRA's interactive panorama, which shows the landscape of the Utrecht Light Rail.

Photo: Aux Trams Citoyens! (c) H.K. Lentzweiler (L).
Belgian interurban
Antwerp (Belim), August 7 1966, Brick road Bredabaan at Merksem.
The line was closed a year later.

Another European example: Belgium. Once upon a time interurbans served a nation wide system. Only small parts in Wallonia and the large coastal line survived.

 

LINKS (Dutch only):

Nice site on the Yellow Tram: the old interurban The Hague-Leiden
Gele Tram

Nederlandsche Tramweg Maatschappij; example of a non-electric system:
site by Wytze Wijbenga

Light Rail avant la lettre... in The Netherlands!
To the Dutch version of LRA History!

 

BACK...