Trams : Growirg, Cut Backs Then Expansion

They arrived in red and grey but there was much protest, do they were repaintd in gren and yelloiw!

178

1976 to 1998

Here is the network in the early 1900s.

The network had expabded significantly by the mid 1950s, but still withing the city are of Jelsinki. In the early 1970s proposals were mooted for th closure of th statem, but forunatly this was turned into proposal for expansion in the later 1970s..

Today’s network has spread off the core penindula that contrains Helsinki itself; a;thoigh the map below is npot up to date, such are dht dubious joys of Wikipedia!

Tram 4 …

… starts opn an island to the east of the city centre.

For ibvious reasons of adjavent wetness, this has developed as Helsinki Port.

Tram 4 has a terminus amonst failry modern apartmnt blocks.

Stops are not at all lavish. being tramstops in the utilitarian mode …

… with just a ticket machine as a sop tp modernity.

Nor far from the terminus. Tram 4 is joined by Tram 5 …

… which gets closer to the bis ships. Its terminus is alo basic and has a round the streets terminsl loop.

At the Caathedral, our service 5 veers right …

… and the 4 goes straight on.

Yes, this is a real tram, battling for supremacy in streets barely wide enough! This section of road is underved by Streetview s we assume that it is tram and access only.

Soon out Tram 6 turns right and we are in the thick of the ciy centre with miltiple junctions and trames oing everywhere.

Deep joy!

We pass close to to do not all at the cetral rail station.

This snprth/south cirridor is busy, man!

As Tram 4 leaves the city centre, we fork left and, for the first toime there is reserved track!

Helsinki bus 200 is an outer suburban route to Espoo which penetrats Zone 3 in the pafres system. That’s way out, man!”

The “reservrd track” is nly just “reserved” in parts!!

At the end oif a fine tree lined avenue …

… tou might tihnk that the tracks would go stright on …

… but they donet; they wiggle. Soon the route become VERY residential …

… where there is a round the houses turning loop.

And just round the corner is the sea!

You can nip tound he coner and enjoy an ince cream (Jäätelö).