Table 3.10: Tramway, Light Railway and LRT
U.S., Canada, Western Europe and Australasia
La - Ll          La Crosse - Llandudno
(Los Angeles tabulated separately)     (3.10.1, 2008.6)
City and Country
Population Served
System Length, km / mi
Annual Passengers (million)
Average Travel Distance, km / mi
Annual Traffic Density (million)
           
La-Chaux-de-Fonds, CH: see Chaux-de-Fonds, La (CH)
        
La Crosse (WI)-1907
US
@ 30,000
18.7 / 11.6
3.1
3 / 1.5
0.4
LC&O-1907
  
@ 1,000
4.2 / 2.6
0.09
2 / 1
0.04
Lambach-LH-1911
AT
  
26.1 / 16.2
0.08
16.7 / 10.4
0.05
1964
    
26.4 / 16.4
0.1
16 / 10
0.07
2002
  
10,000
"
0.1
23.7 / 14.7
0.1
LV-1911
    
14.7 / 9.1
0.04
9.5 / 5.9
0.02
1964
    
15.6 / 9.7
0.1
11 / 7
0.07
2002
  
10,000
"
0.2
12.0 / 7.4
0.1
see also Gmunden (AT) - GV
            
Lancaster (PA)-1907
US
@ 150,000
219.9 / 136.3
9.6
6 / 4
0.3
Langenthal - LJ-1910
CH
  
14.9 / 9.2
    
0.09
             
LJ-1920
    
14.9 / 9.2
0.4
4.0 / 2.5
0.1
LM
    
11.9 / 7.4
0.2
7.8 / 7.8
0.1
Summary
    
25.8 / 16.0
0.6
  
0.1
             
LJ-1930
    
13.3 / 8.2
0.4
4.6 / 2.9
0.1
LM
    
11.9 / 7.4
0.2
6.8 / 4.2
0.07
Summary
    
24.2 / 15.0
0.6
  
0.1
             
LJ-1940
    
13.3 / 8.2
0.3
4.9 / 3.0
0.09
LM
    
11.9 / 7.4
0.1
5.6 / 3.5
0.07
Summary
    
24.2 / 15.0
0.4
  
0.08
             
LJ-1955
    
10.9 / 6.8
0.2
5.0 / 3.1
0.1
LM
    
11.9 / 7.4
0.3
6.1 / 3.8
0.1
Summary
    
21.8 / 13.5
0.5
  
0.1
             
OAJ-1970
    
21.8 / 13.5
0.6
7.0 / 4.3
0.2
1984
    
16.1 / 10.0
0.6
6.9 / 4.3
0.3
2004
  
20,000
"
1
6.5 / 4.0
0.6
** L'Aquila - Translohr
IT
72,000
7.5 / 4.6
      
* Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
ES
380,000
        
Las Vegas (NM)-1907
US
@ 3,000
7.3 / 4.5
0.3
2 / 1
0.06
Lausanne-1910
CH
  
61.3 / 38.1
13.1
3 / 2
0.6
1930
    
64.7 / 40.1
11.5
"
0.5
1940
    
52.8 / 32.7
5.6
"
0.3
1955
    
44.8 / 27.8
13.0
"
0.9
LEB-1910
    
22.8 / 14.1
    
0.1
1920
    
"
0.2
11.3 / 7.0
0.08
1930
    
"
0.2
10.2 / 6.3
0.1
1940
    
"
0.4
10.8 / 6.7
0.2
1955
    
"
0.8
9.9 / 6.1
0.3
1970
    
"
1.1
12.4 / 7.7
0.4
1984
    
"
1.3
9.1 / 5.6
0.6
2002
  
140,000
23.2 / 14.4
1.8
9.3 / 5.8
0.9
m1 (TSOL)
  
500,000
u: 128,000
7.8 / 4.8
9
2.5 / 1.5
2.9
Le Havre, FR: see Havre, Le (FR)
            
Le Locle, CH: see Locle, Le (CH)
            
Le Mans, FR: see Mans, Le (FR)
            
Le Pont, CH: see Pont, Le (CH)
            
* Leeds
GB
720,000
21 / 13
22
4 / 2
4.2
** Leiden-RijnGouweLijn
NL
330,000
50 / 30
22
10 / 6
4
Leipzig-1974
DE
u: 570,000
140 / 90
273
5 / 3
9
1984
  
u: 560,000
150 / 95
302
"
10
2002
  
670,000
152.6 / 94.6
75
7.4 / 4.6
3.6
Lethbridge-1916
CA
@ 12,000
13 / 8
1.0
2 / 1
0.1
1946
  
@ 25,000
4.4 / 2.7
0.9
"
0.3
Leuk-LLB-1920
CH
  
10.4 / 6.5
0.02
8.6 / 5.3
0.01
1930
    
"
0.02
8.3 / 5.1
0.02
1940
    
"
0.02
8.1 / 5.0
0.02
1955
    
"
0.05
8.2 / 5.1
0.03
Lévis (Levis)-1912
CA
@ 10,000
16.5 / 10.2
1.8
3 / 2
0.4
1946
  
@ 12,000
15.7 / 9.7
4.0
"
0.9
Lewiston (ID)-1927
US
@ 10,000
6.6 / 4.1
0.5
2 / 1
0.1
Liège-Seraing-1960 (Liege)
BE
425,000
u 156,000
22 / 14
13.6
3 / 2
2
Lille-ca. 1974
FR
  
19.0 / 11.8
7.0
5 / 3
2
2004
  
1,091,000
u 213,000
"
7.5
"
2
* Limerick - LRT
IE
91,000
u 53,000
        
Lincoln (IL)-1922
US
@ 12,000
7.3 / 4.5
0.7
2 / 1
0.1
Lincoln (NE)-1907
US
@ 40,000
49.8 / 30.9
8.1
3 / 2
0.5
Linz-1911
AT
@ 70,000
11.9 / 7.4
3.9
2.9 / 1.8
0.9
urban-1948
  
@180,000
12 / 7
39
3 / 2
10
1951
  
@ 185,000
"
25
"
6
1959
  
@ 195,000
"
28
"
7
1969
  
@ 200,000
9 / 6
19
"
6
1976
  
"
"
19
"
6
1979
  
"
14 / 9
28
"
6
1984
  
"
"
29.3
3.5 / 2.2
7.3
1989
  
"
15.5 / 9.6
31
"
7.0
2007
  
271,000
u 189,000
21.1 / 13.1
49.6
3.8 / 2.4
8.9
Pöstlingbergbahn - ca. 1913
    
2.9 / 1.8
0.2
2.6 / 1.6
0.2
1918
      
0.7
"
0.6
ca. 1925
    
"
0.4
"
0.4
ca. 1935
    
"
0.3
"
0.3
1943
    
"
1.3
"
1.2
ca. 1955
    
"
1
"
0.9
1984
    
"
0.6
"
0.5
2007
    
"
0.5
2.4 / 1.5
0.4
EStF - 1947
    
9.6 / 6.0
1.1
4 / 2.5
0.5
1968
    
"
0.2
"
0.09
NWP - 1911
    
16.2 / 10.1
0.1
9.2 / 5.7
0.07
LILO - 2002
    
58.6 / 36.5
1.6
35.0 / 21.7
0.9
Lisboa-1926 (Lisbon)
PT
570,000
72 / 45
97,422,768
2 / 1
2.7
1962
  
805,000
66 / 41
237.7
"
7.2
1967
  
785,000
65 / 40
215.1
"
6.6
1978
  
820,000
51 / 32
90
"
3.5
1984
  
750,000
50 / 31
79.3
"
3.2
2005
  
565,000
24 / 15
18.0
"
1.5
Acensor da Bica
    
0.283 / 0.2
2.3
0.283 / 0.2
2.3
Acensor da Glória
    
0.276 / 0.2
0.7
0.276 / 0.2
0.7
Acensor do Lavra
    
0.188 / 0.1
0.8
0.188 / 0.1
0.8
* MLdeS
    
51.6 / 32.0
      
MSdoT
    
13.5 / 8.4
29
3 / 2
6.5
Little Rock (AR)-1907
US
@ 45,000
34.0 / 21.1
10.5
3 / 2
1.0
River Rail-2006
  
180,000
2.4 / 1.5
0.2
2.4 / 1.5
0.2
Liverpool-1916
GB
@ 840,000
104.0 / 64.5
134.2
2.5 / 1.5
3.1
* Merseytram
  
1,500,000
19.0 / 11.8
      
Llandudno-1954
GB
@ 40,000
12.1 / 7.5
2.7
3 / 2
0.7
Great Orme-1903
    
1.6 / 1.0
0.08
1.6 / 1.0
0.08
ca. 1946
    
"
0.2
"
0.2
1991
    
"
0.1
"
0.1
ca. 2002
  
20,000
"
0.2
"
0.2
Key to Symbols:
* = in planning; ** = under construction.
*** = operated for less than 12 months as noted; traffic density scaled up to annual rate.
@ = population corresponds with historic data year.
u = population within municipal boundary.
 
Notes for Table 3.10
La Crosse: Operator title: La Crosse City Railway Company.
LC&O: Operator title: La Crosse and Onalaska Electric Railway Company. Extended between northern La Crosse and Onalaska.
Lambach - LH: Lokalbahn Lambach–Haag am Hausruck.
Known locally as Haager Lies. Extends Lambach – Haag am Hausruck. Wholly owned by ÖBB but operated by Stern und Hafferl Verkehrsgesellschaft m.b.H. (StH).
Opened 1901 as a state railway branch (extension Haag am Hausruck – Pram – Ried im Innkreis, and branch Backnamming – Offenhausen. planned, not built). Operated by StH from 1932, electrified 1933 (750V dc). Ownership remains with ÖBB.
Operates on 4.4 km / 2.7 mi of ÖBB Westbahn, which was electrified in 1950 with high-voltage ac (15 kV 16⅔ Hz). To permit its trains to reach Lambach station, StH built two power converter cars in 1950 and 1952. These are equipped with a transformer and a mercury-vapor rectifier. New dual-voltage stock was built from 1989.
This line is currently under threat of closure. This was set for 2005 December but averted.
LV: Lokalbahn Lambach–Vorchdorf-Eggenberg (also known as Vorchdorferbahn). Extends Lambach – Vorchdorf-Eggenberg (extension planned Vorchdorf-Eggenberg – Grünau im Almtal, not built). Operates on 3.8 km / 2.3 mi of ÖBB line, from Lambach. Owned jointly by the state (72.5 percent, at 2007) and by StH (27.5 percent).
Opened by 1903 by StH. Operated by state railway administration to 1931. To StH, and electrified, from 1931.
Lancaster: Operator title: Conestoga Traction Company.
Operated town tramway services in Lancaster, and rural extensions to Adamstown, Ephrata, Lititz, Manheim, Marietta, Millersville, Quarryville, Strasburg, Rocky Springs and Terre Hill (rural extensions to Elizabethtown and Coatesville opened in 1908 and 1909, respectively).
Langenthal - LJ: Operator title: Langenthal-Jura-Bahn.
Extended Langenthal – Niederbipp – Oensingen SBB – Oensingen Schulhaus. Opened 1907 October 25. First light railway using 1,000V d.c. traction current in Switzerland. Oensingen SBB – Oensingen Schulhaus closed 1928 May 14. Niederbipp – Oensingen SBB, 1.5 km / 0.9 mi, closed 1943 May 9. Merged into OAJ (below) in 1958.
LM: Operator title: Langenthal-Melchnau-Bahn. Operated Langenthal – Melchnau. Opened 1917 October 6. Merged into OAJ (below) from 1958.
Closure of LJ and LM planned after 1945 because of financial losses. Modernized with public financial assistance from 1960.
OAJ: Operator title: Oberaargau-Jura-Bahnen. Passenger service withdrawn St. Urban – Melchnau 1982 May 22. Merged into Regionalverkehr Oberaargau (RVO) from 1990. Merged into Aare Seeland mobil (ASm) from 1999.
ASm: This operator has expressed interest in restoring the former LJ line between Niederbipp and Oensingen, 1.5 km / 0.9 mi, closed 1943 May 9.
L'Aquila-Translohr: Metrobus, Translohr guided bus system, electric traction. (Translohr vehicles are not licensed as road vehicles, are bidirectional and can be operated as coupled formations).
Line A, under construction. Reports current at 2006 stated that construction was stopped because of fears that historic buildings would be damaged.
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: Tramway, in planning.
Las Vegas: Operator title: Las Vegas Railway and Power Company.
Lausanne-TL: Tramways Lausannois. 1896 - 1964 January 6.
In addition to urban lines, the system operated long suburban lines along the le Léman lake ("Lake of Geneva") to Renens (1903-1964) and Lutry (1896-1961), and north to Cugy (1906-1951) – Montheron (1907-1945). The Lausanne – Cugy – Montheron line was converted to trolleybus at 1951.
The ligne du Jorat included the segments Lausanne – (Le) Chalet–à–Gobet – En-Marin – Mézières – Moudon, 22.4 km / 13.9 mi, and En-Marin – Savigny, 5.0 km / 3.1 mi. These were built by Régionaux électriques du Jorat (REJ), which merged with TL in 1910. These segments were opened in stages from 1902 May 16 - 1902 November 10, and closed in 1962-1963.
LEB: Chemin de fer Lausanne-Echallens-Bercher. Oldest narrow-gauge railway in Switzerland.
Lausanne-Chauderon – Chéseau, 7.4 km / 4.6 mi, opened 1873 November 5 by Chemin de fer Lausanne-Echallens (LE). Chéseau – Echallens, 6.8 km / 4.2 mi, opened 1874 June 2.
Echallens – Bercher, 10.6 km / 6.6 mi, opened 1889 November 24 by Central Vaudois (CV). LE and CV merged as LEB from 1913. Electrified 1936 January 1 (1,500V d.c.).
Street track in Lausanne shared with TL town tramway line to Prilly, 1899-1961. New underground alignment to new underground Lausanne-Chauderon terminal, 0.7 km / 0.4 mi, opened 1995 May 28. Extension, Lausanne-Chauderon – Lausanne-Flon, 0.5 km / 0.3 mi, opened 2000 May 28.
Leeds: "Leeds Supertram," in planning. Traffic density estimate based on ridership forecast.
UPDATE: The minister responsible announced refusal of state financing on 2005 November 3, because of cost escalation.
Leiden: RijnGouweLijn, includes conversion of 30 km / 19 mi of existing railway for LRT operation and construction of 20 km / 12 mi of new lines. Pilot service over NS tracks between Alphen aan den Rijn (90,000) and Gouda (135,000), 18 km / 11 mi opened 2003 March 2.
RijnGouweLijn Oost includes 6 km / 4 mi of street tramway between Transferium A44 on the west edge of Leiden and Leiden-Lammenschans on the east edge, and 30 km / 19 mi of NS line Leiden-Lammenschans – Alphen a/d Rijn – Gouda. Completion planned for 2007.
Tramway segment, Transferium A44 – Leiden-Lammenschans, forecast to carry 28,700 / weekday.
Railway segment, Lammenschans – Gouda , forecast to carry 32,900 / weekday.
RijnGouweLijn West includes 14 km / 9 mi of reserved-track tramway between Transferium A44, Katwijk aan Zee and Noordwijk aan Zee. Completion is planned for 2010. RijnGouweLijn West is forecast to carry 16,400 passengers per weekday.
Leipzig: Prior to German reunification at 1990, the tramway network ranked either first or second in size in the DDR (depending on whether East Berlin was recognized as one of the 15 administrative districts (Bezirke) of the DDR).
The network was expanded considerably from 1979 in order to serve new prefabricated housing blocks (Plattenbau) built at the eastern and western extremities of the town. Construction continued to the fall of the DDR at 1989, thereafter, construction of new alignments and a few new extension continued through the 1990s and to the present day. However, plans for tram subways in the town center, dating to the late 1960s, were not carried out.
Line 16 (Messegelände – Lößnig) has been upgraded to full Stadtbahn (LRT) standards, and similar upgrading of Line 15 (Miltitz – Meusdorf) is planned. A small number of extensions are in planning.
Lethbridge: Operator title: Lethbridge Municipal Railway.
Leuk - LLB: Leuk-Leukerbad-Bahn. Electric rack and adhesion railway.
Extended Leuk (Loèche) – Leukerbad (Loèche-les-Bains). 1915 July 5 - 1967 May 27 (1,500V d.c.).
Lévis: Operator title: Levis County Railway Company (to 1919), Levis Tramways Company (from 1919).
Operated town tramway services in Lévis, and suburban extensions to Lauzon and St-Romuald. Closed 1946 November 23.
Lewiston: Operator title: Lewiston-Clarkston Transit Company. Town tramway line in Lewiston (ID) and Clarkston (WA).
Liège-Seraing: Operator title: Railways Economiques de Liège-Seraing et Extensions.
Lille: (Rijsel): The population of the Lille metropolitan area, including the Belgian towns of Kortrijk (Courtrai) and Tournai (Doornik) was estimated at 1,730,000 (2000). The population of Roubaix was 97,000 and that of Tourcoing was 94,0000.
The meter-gauge express tramway network was opened on 1909 December 4. Known locally as le Mongy after Alfred Mongy (1840-1914), the civil engineer who played a major role in the urban development of greater Lille. Mongy built the 50-meter / 164-foot wide boulevard connecting Lille, Roubaix and Tourcoing, including the tramway. Rebuilt after 1991; the vehicle width was increased from 2.1 to 2.4 meters / 6’ 10.7” to 7’ 10.5” and the line voltage was increased from 600 to 750 V dc. Operation was suspended from 1993 June 14 to 1993 September 4 to permit completion of this project.
Limerick: Three parties (Green Party, Fianna Fáil and Progressive Democrats) formed a coalition government following the election of 2007 May 24. The "programme for government" states that the government will "conduct feasibility studies to be completed in two years into Luas-style light rail transit systems in Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford." See also Table 4.6.
Lincoln: Operator title: Lincoln Traction Company.
Linz: 1911 data includes urban lines and the Pöstlingbergbahn (below).
1.9-km / 1.2-mi tunnel segment opened 31 August 2004.
Extension Hillerstraße – solarCity, 2.3 km / 1.4 mi opened 2005 September 3. Subsequent extension, in planning, solarCity – Südpark, Südpark – Pichling.
Extension, Straßenbahn Harter Plateau, Hauptbahnhof – Doblerholz – Weingartshor, part underground, part in road medians reserved for eventual tram construction, in planning.
(Extension, Auwiesen – Bahnhof Wegscheid, in planning to 2004. Abandoned subsequently because of cost escalation.)
Pöstlingbergbahn: Extends Linz-Urfahr – Bergstation Pöstlingberg. Built to carry pilgrims (to the 18th-century Pöstlingbergkirche) and excursionists up Pöstlingberg hill. Opened 1898 May 29. 1,000-mm / 3' 3⅜" gauge. Electrified (600V dc). Rails have an inverted-wedge profile, and are gripped by pincer brakes fitted to rolling stock.
Climbs from 264m / 866' above sea level at Urfahr to 519m / 1,703' at Pöstlingberg. (The Austrian reference, m. ü. A. or Meter über Adria, refers to the Adriatic Sea.)
Claimed as the "steepest adhesion-worked railway in the world." Average gradient is 10.5 percent / 1 in 9.5, and the maximum gradient is 11.6 percent / 1 in 8.6.
Modernization, in planning. The line will be regauged from 1,000 mm / 3' 3⅜" to 900 mm / 2' 11½" gauge. Service will be extended from Urfahr across the Donau (Danube) bridge to Hauptplatz, in the historic center. The purpose of the project is to provide accessibility for disabled persons (required by Austrian federal law), to address various safety and technical issues, and to increase patronage by providing direct service to the Donau quays and the historic center. Three new low-floor "retro" styled cars will be acquired. These will alternate in service with three existing cars, refurbished and regauged.
Operation of the Pöstlingbergbahn will be suspended from 2008 March 25 to 2009 March. Service will be extended Urfahr – Hauptplatz by the end of 2009 May.
EStF: Florianerbahn. Extended Linz-Ebelsberg – Markt Sankt Florian (extension Markt Sankt Florian – Steyr planned, not built). 900 mm / 2' 11½" gauge. Electrified (600V dc). Operated by Stern und Hafferl Verkehrsgesellschaft m.b.H. (StH).
This line was a local railway, but had the character of an interurban tramway. 1947 and 1968 were the years of maximum and minimum passenger traffic, respectively.
Linz tramway extended south across river Traun on new bridge, 1929 June 30. A track connection was built but through workings were not operated.
The Traun bridge was rebuilt without tracks, and the Linz tramway segment Kleinmünchen (Spinnereistraße) – Ebelsberg was closed from 1973 December 15. The Florianerbahn was closed from 1974 January 1. Part was re-opened as a museum railway. This is not in operation today because parts of the line have been dismantled because of roadworks.
The Linz tramway was re-extended to Ebelsberg from 2002 April 2. The 3.7-km / 2.3-mi segment Kleinmünchen (Simonystraße) – Ebelsberg – Hillerstraße incorporated small parts of the Florianerbahn alignment. An eventual connection to the Florianerbahn is projected at Pichling See. Online sources state that the Linz tramway operator would permit through workings on Sundays between the Linz town center and Markt Sankt Florian (where the Priory and basilica of St. Florian attract visitors).
LILO: Linzer Lokalbahn.
NWP - 1911: Operator title: Lokalbahn Neumarkt-Waizenkirchen-Peuerbach AG. Operated Waizenkirchen – Neumarkt-Kallham, branch Niederspaching – Peuerbach. Now part of LILO.
Lisboa - Tramway:
Service 15, extending 8 km / 5 mi along the Tejo (Tagus) river between Alfândega and Algés, is worked by ten modern low-floor articulated tramcars (Articulados, which entered service in 1991 April). The remaining four services are worked by 49 two-axle tramcars, 40 of which are Remodelados, cars rebuilt with new trucks and electrical equipment.
Reopening of service 24, Carmo – Campolide, 2.8 km / 1.7 mi, planned.
The segment in Calçada de São Francisco ascends a gradient of 14.5 percent / 1 in 6.9. This, together with a segment in Calçada de Santo Andre, are thought to be the steepest gradients in the world on a conventional adhesion tramway.
(The most recent tramway extension was opened in 1958, bringing the system to its peak extent of 76 km / 47 mi, 1958-1960.)
Acensor da Bica: Street funicular (Largo do Calhariz - Rua de São Paulo), powered cable, unpowered vehicles. Maximum gradient, 11.8 percent / 1 in 8.5.
Acensor da Glória: Street funicular (Restauradores - Rua São Pedro de Alcântara), unpowered cable, powered vehicles. Maximum gradient, 17.7 percent / 1 in 5.6.
Acensor do Lavra: Street funicular (Largo da Anunciada - Rua Câmara Pestana), unpowered cable, powered vehicles. Maximum gradient, 22.9 percent / 1 in 4.4.
MLdeS: Metro Ligeiro de Superfície, peripheral LRT lines, in planning.
Outer ring, 24.7 km / 15.3 mi. Algés – Armadora – Falagueira, 12.6 km / 7.8 mi. Falagueira – Loures, 12.1 km / 7.5 mi.
Inner ring, 26.9 km / 16.7 mi. Falagueira – Santa Apolónia, 11.5 km / 7.1 mi. Alcântara – Gare de Oriente, 15.4 km / 9.5 mi.
MSdoT: Metropolitano Ligeiro da Margem Sul do Tejo ("Metro Sul do Tejo"), LRT network south of the river Tejo (Tagus).
Initial segment, Cova da Piedade – Corroios, opened 2007 April 30. Completion planned by end of 2008. Traffic density estimate based on ridership forecast (95,800 / weekday, 87.6 million passenger-km / year). Second-stage expansion to 20 km / 12 mi planned.
Little Rock-1907: Operator title: Little Rock Railway and Electric Company.
River Rail:Tramway using heritage (replica) rolling stock, opened 2004 November 1.
Extension, South Commerce Street / West 2nd Street – William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum, 0.8 km / 0.5 mi, opened 2007 February 16.
Eventual extension to Little Rock National Airport, 5 km / 3 mi, under discussion.
Liverpool - Merseytram: in planning.
Government approval for Line 1 announced December 2004. Construction planned for 2005; opening planned for 2007. Two additional lines planned.
UPDATE: The minister responsible announced cancellation on 2005 November 29. The reason stated was that guarantees by local authorities not to seek additional government funds in the event of cost escalation were not adequate.
Llandudno: Operator title: Llandudno and Colwyn Bay Electric Railway, Ltd.
Great Orme: "Great Orme Tramway," funicular, two sections. Lower section operates in streets, upper section on reserved track.
 
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