Trams in Vienna, Austria January 2023

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Trams are perhaps the most frequent form of surface public transport in Vienna and the tram system dates back to the 1800s. (one or two upgrades have taken place since then).
Trams in Vienna (German: Wiener Straßenbahn, in everyday speech also Bim or Tramway) are a vital part of the public transport system in Vienna, capital city of Austria. In operation since 1865, with the completion of a 2 km route to industrial estates near Simmering, it reached its maximum extent of 292 km in 1942. In February 2015,[when?] it was the fifth largest tram network in the world, at about 176.9 kilometres (109.9 mi) in total length and 1,071 stations.
Viennese trams are easy to spot, being large, unsurprisingly tram-shaped, and decked out in the distinctive red and white of Vienna (with three exceptions should they be running: the sightseeing tram, the Manner tram, and the Ströck Christmas tram). Your pubic transport ticket is valid for all standard tram lines (so the same three exceptions apply, though the Manner tram doesn’t normally charge anyway).
Just under 30 such lines cross the city, whereby most go to and from the city centre (like spokes on a wheel) and fewer go across town. In fact, according to the municipal transport authorities, Vienna has the sixth-largest tram network in the world.
Each line draws its power from overhead electric cables and has a number or letter designation (e.g. 9 or D). Most trams run from the early morning until after midnight, with special night (bus) services also operating on selected routes.
During the bulk of the day, intervals between trams are generally 4-8 minutes, and delays are rare. Vienna is geared up for snow, so there have to be serious blizzards to keep the vehicles off the road.
The trams on the network run on standard gauge track. Since 1897, they have been powered by electricity, at 600 V DC. The current operator of the network is Wiener Linien. In 2013, a total of 293.6 million passengers travelled on the network's trams. As of 2013, there were 525 tramcars in Vienna's tram fleet, including 404 trams or tramsets scheduled for service during peak periods, comprising 215 single cars and 189 motor and trailer sets.
Throughout its history, the Vienna tramway network has had a variety of Remisen ("carriage houses"), which were officially described as depots or stations. Due to the abandonment of numerous lines, some of these facilities have now been closed for trams (e.g., 2., Vorgartenstraße, 3., Erdberg, 12., Assmayergasse, 14., Breitensee, 15., Linke Wienzeile, 18., Währing, 22., Kagran). A few of them have nevertheless remained in use as operating garages for buses. In 2006, the now former Breitensee depot became the most recently abandoned facility, with its tram fleet being taken over by the Rudolfsheim station.
In recent years, as part of conservation measures, some depots have been gradually closed down as a separate unit, demoted to the status of so-called Abstellanlagen ("parking facilities"), and placed under a different depot. Currently, there are four operating depots in the Vienna tramway network and six parking facilities, as well as the Erdberg station, where the Vienna Tram Museum is housed. Repair work is now performed mostly in the remaining depots, where all vehicles are now officially stationed. The depots are split into the following sectors; North - Floridsdorf, Brigittenau and Kagran, Central - Hernals and Gurtel, South - Favoriten and Simmering, West - Rudolfsheim, Ottakring and Speising.
Important lines for visitors are:
Line 1: travels around much of the Ring boulevard that encircles the old town and out to the Prater
Line D: also travels around parts of the Ring and takes you out from the city centre to the Belvedere palaces.
Line 71: another “Ring” tram that then continues out past Belvedere to the Zentralfriedhof cemetery
Line 2: and the final “Ring” tram that goes from the banks of the Danube down to (and round) the city centre, then out to the west of Vienna.
The 2 tram is a mysterious and magical beast much like Harry Potter’s Knight Bus, in that it feels like you could be anywhere in the city and suddenly find yourself next to a tram stop for the 2.
Vienna has largely (but not completely) migrated from the old-style trams (see the picture of the number 2 above) to the new Niederflur trams. An even newer Flexity tram generation is on its way and already in operation on selected lines. (If you’re interested in old-timer transport vehicles, then I recommend you visit the city’s Transport Museum.)
The modern trams are low-lying with raised tram stop platforms, so you can push a pram or wheelchair straight on without going up steps. These trams also have dedicated areas for those wheelchairs and prams (with even more space available in the new Flexity models).