Tramscape Tramway Photographs

Since 1998, the Potsdam tramway has seen a number of developments, not least the introduction of the ill-fated Siemens "Combino" modular low-floor tram, with Potsdam being the first system to do so. 16 cars were delivered between 1998 and 2001. Although all cars were back in action before the summer of 2005 after remedial work by the builders in association with the potential tears in the all-aluminium fabric near the articulations which affected this widely-sold tram type, the option of 32 further cars as originally ordered was not taken up. On June 20th, Munich's 2201 began 10 days of trials as a demonstrator from Bombardier in anticipation of the forthcoming order for at least 19 new trams. The new order is expected to allow the last 67 of the modernised Tatra KT4Ds to be withdrawn. The Combinos had earlier allowed unmodernised Tatras to be sold off, with many going to Eastern European systems.

The network has also been expanded considerably into Bornstedter Feld in the north, with branches to Kirschallee (December 1999) and Viereckremise (April 2001), opening up land used for the Federal Garden Festival in anticipation of future development on land once closed off for military use by the Soviet army. In the large Kirchsteigfeld housing development to the south-east, tracks were extended from Robert-Baberske-Strasse to Marie-Juchacz-Strasse, with stops at Priesterweg and Am Hirtengraben.

In May 2000 a new alignment was opened between Luisenplatz and Geschwister-Scholl-Strasse, shortening the route to Charlottenhof and allowing the square to be redeveloped. From a transport connectivity point of view, the most important development was a diversion of the tram line immediately south of the river off the Lange Brucke and to the south side of the redeveloped Hauptbahnhof, opened in April 2000, allowing direct access to the numerous main line and local railway services now using the station which had become a backwater prior to the reunification of Germany for reasons given in the historical summary.

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