History
The tram network's closure in the 1970s was perceived at the time as the removal of an obstruction to smooth and swift traffic; this proved not to be the case. Uncontrolled increase of the number of petrol vehicles, exacerbated by increasing population, increased air and noise pollution, traffic jams and smog and slowed traffic beyond what it had been when the trams were running. Observing the improved traffic patterns and reduced pollution brought about by tram lines in cities around the world like Tunis, Melbourne, Buenos Aires, Pyongyang and within China, in Tianjin, Shanghai planned to reinstate its tram lines as well. Unfortunately, the increase in cars & buses in downtown Shanghai made running tram lines in that area impossible, and so the city began constructing lines in the Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, on the eastern side of the main city. Shanghai's transport authority at last decided to open a separate, modern, high speed, rubber tired tram.
The line is operated by Pudong, Shanghai Modern Rail Transportation Co., Ltd.. The tram lines started running in Shanghai in 2010.
The new system was built in Zhangjiang Town, because it is a planned area, and commuting between neighborhoods of the town has always been difficult. The Translohr tram way is constructed in Zhangjiang Town which is in the heartland area of Pudong (east shore of Huangpu River) New District. Due to Economic-Technological Development Area ordinances, sound pollution must be kept to a minimum in this area. Traditional steel wheeled trams generate lots of vibration and sound during their journey. Rubber tires on the trams reduce vibration, and as a result noise, substantially. Additionally, the Zhangjiang Town roads are very hilly, and rubber tired trams can climb steeper grades than traditional trams easily. Another advantage is that rubber tired trams don't require tracks, as steel wheeled cars do, so there is less disturbance of underground networks like power cables, phone lines, and sewer/water mains.
Read more about this topic: Zhangjiang Tram
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