Central Station >> Innsbruck

Innsbruck

Innsbruck is the only city in the world still served by a fleet of only classic Düwag trams, altought part of them were built under license by Lohner. The Lohner GT6 72 has just ended its run on route 1 from Hungerburgbahn to Bergisel where it is waiting for the departure time. July 1st 2002.

Index

The network

Tramway 1 photo album >>

Tramway 3 photo album >>

Tramway 6 photo album 1 - The heritage train >>

Tramway 6 photo album 2 - The classic Düwag trams >>

Tramway STB photo album >>

Trolleybus photo album >>

The network

The system at a glance
Company	Innsbrucker Verkehrsbetriebe und Stubaitalbahn GmbH (IVB)
System	Tramway network	Trolleybus network
Service	Urban and interurban	Urban
Gauge	1000 mm	–
Ordinary routes	4	2
Lenght (routes)	38.7 km	11.9 km
Voltage	600 V (800 V on the Stubaitalbahn)
Depot	Wilten Betriebshof
Opening of the first steam line	June 1st 1891: Innsbruck (Bergiselbahnhof) – Hall in Tirol	–
Opening of the first electric line	July 15th 1905: Bergiselbahnhof – Südbahnhof (now Hbf)	December 18th 1988: Zentrum – Olympischesdorf, Zentrum – Rehgasse
Maximum extension		Now
Last significant abandonment	1974: Innsbruck (Hungerburgbahn) – Hall in Tirol	–
Last significant extension	Late '90s: Bürgerstraße – Marktgraben (routes 1, 6, STB)	2000-01: Technik – Technik West (route O)
Cars in regular service	26

The urban tramway network has a T shape with extremes Bergisel, Amras and Hugerburgbahn. Route 1 runs north-south between Bergisel and Hugerburgbahn, while route 3 runs from the Stradtschleife (in English city loop: it is the tramway line that rounds part of the city centre with the route Brunecker Straße – Südtirolerplatz – Salurnerstraße – Maria-Theresien-Straße – Burggraben – Museumstraße) to the western district of Amras. The two interurban lines were in origin railways. Route 6, at that time called Mittelgebirgebahn, merged with the urban system in 1936, while Stubaitalbahn in 1983.

The trolleybus network is formed by two long east-west diametral routes. It is the second trolleybus system: the first ran from 1944 to 1976.

The rail transport network is completed by the Hugerburgbahn, a funicular that connects the norther district Saggen with Hugerburg: it is a classic two-car funicular with a passing loop in the middle and an intermediate stop called Alpenzoo between the lower station and the loop. The line was opened in 1906 and today is operated by IVB which is the route HBB.

Hungerburgbahn_2_Innbruecke_010702.jpg (122383 byte)

Hungerburgbahn car 2 running on the bridge over river Inn.

Innsbruck tramway, funicular and trolleybus ordinary routes in 2003
	Code	Stops	Notes
Tramways	1	[ Haydnplatz > Hungerburgbahn-Riesenrundgemälde ] – Claudiastraße – Bundesbahndirektion – Ing.-Etzel-Straße – Brunecker Straße – Landesmuseum – Museumstraße – Maria-Theresien-Straße/Altstadt – Marktplatz – Bürgerstraße – Maximilianstraße – Schöpfstraße – Franz-Fischer-Straße – Westbahnhof – Fritz-Konzert-Straße – Stubaitalbahnhof – Bergisel	–
	3	Amras – Pradler Friedhof – Südring – Rudolf-Greinz-Straße – Dr.-Glatz-Straße – Roseggerstraße – Gumppstraße – Leipzigerplatz – Sillpark – [ Hauptbahnhof > Triumphpforte > Maria-Theresien-Straße / Altstadt > Museumstraße > Landesmuseum ]	–
	6 IGLERBAHN	[ Marktplatz > Maria-Theresien-Straße/Altstadt> Museumstraße > Landesmuseum > Hauptbahnhof > Triumphpforte > Anichstraße ] – Bürgerstraße – Maximilianstraße – Schöpfstraße – Franz-Fischer-Straße – Westbahnhof – Fritz-Konzert-Straße – Stubaitalbahnhof – Bergisel (end of the city section) – Bretterkeller – Tummenplatz – Schönruh – Tantegert – Aldrans – Mühlsee – Lans-Sistrans – Lansersee – Igls Bahnhof	Summer
	6 IGLERBAHN	Bergisel – ... – Igls Bahnhof	Winter
	STB STUBAITALBAHN	[ Marktplatz > Maria-Theresien-Straße/Altstadt> Museumstraße > Landesmuseum > Hauptbahnhof > Triumphpforte > Anichstraße ] – Bürgerstraße – Maximilianstraße – Schöpfstraße – Franz-Fischer-Straße – Westbahnhof – Fritz-Konzert-Straße – Stubaitalbahnhof (end of the city section) – Sonnenburgerhof – Gärberbach – Hölltal – Natters – Burgstall – Mutters – Birchfeld – Nockhofweg – Raitis – Feldeler – Außerkreith – Kreith – Brandeck – Telfer Wiesen – Luimes – Telfes im Stubaital – Telfes-Tenniscamp – Fulpmes	–
Funicular	HBB HUNGERBURGBAHN	Hungerburgbahn Talstation – Alpenzoo – Hungerburgbahn Bergstation	–
Trolleybuslines	O	[ Technik West ] / [ Peerhofsiedlung – Lahntalweg – Luis-Zuegg-Straße ] / [ Allerheiligen – Tschiggfreystraße – Lahntalweg – Luis-Zuegg-Straße ] – Hötting West – Technik – Lohbachsiedlung West –Lohbachsiedlung Ost –Vögelebichl – Am Gießen –Höttinger Au –Höttinger Auffahrt –Fürstenweg – Klinik (Universität) – Marktplatz – Maria-Theresien-Straße/Altstadt– Museumstraße – Landesmuseum – Sillpark – Dreiheiligenstraße – Pradler Straße – Mitterhoferstraße – Pauluskirche – [ Roßbachstraße > ] – Jugendherberge – Hochhaus Schützenstraße – Piuskirche – [ Schützenstraße > Neu Rum > Kugelfangweg > Kajetan-Sweth-Straße > Josef-Kerschbaumer-Straße (Olympisches Dorf) ]	–
Trolleybuslines	R	[ Dr-Stumpf-Straße > Ingenuin-Fischler-Straße > Rehgasse > Mitterweg ] – Mitterweg Unterführung – Unterbergerstraße – Fischnalerstraße – Fürstenweg – Klinik (Universität) – Bürgerstraße – Anichstraße – Triumphpforte – Leopoldstraße – Sterzinger Straße – Hauptbahnhof – [ < Landesmuseum ] – Polizeidirektion – Kochstraße – Bundesbahndirektion – Bienerstraße – Mitterhoferstraße – Pauluskirche – Radezsky-Straße – Burghard-Breitner-Straße – Sankt Pirmin/Volkshaus – [ Langerweg > Gumppstraße (Reichenau) ]	–

There are also various sporadic services, listed in the following table. In Summer each car running on route 6 operates with the following service: Hbf – Igls – Hbf – Stubaitalbahnhof – pause in Wilten Betriebshof – Stubaitalbahnhof – Hbf.

Innsbruck tramway and trolleybus sporadic services in 2003
	Code	Stops	Notes
Tramways	3/1	Amras – ... – Brunecker Straße – [ Landesmuseum < ... < Marktplatz ] [ Hauptbahnhof > ... > Anichstraße ] – Bürgerstraße – ... – Stubaitalbahnhof	To/from depot runs
	6 IGLERBAHN	[ Marktplatz > ... > Hauptbahnhof > ... > Anichstraße ] – Bürgerstraße – ... – Stubaitalbahnhof	Summer to/from depot runs
	6 IGLERBAHN	Hungerburgbahn – ... – Brunecker Straße – [ Landesmuseum < ... < Marktplatz ] [ Hauptbahnhof > ... > Anichstraße ] – Bürgerstraße – ... – Igls Bahnhof	Sporadic morning runs
	STB STUBAITALBAHN	Hungerburgbahn – ... – Brunecker Straße – [ Landesmuseum < ... < Marktplatz ] [ Hauptbahnhof > ... > Anichstraße ] – Bürgerstraße – ... – Fulpmes	Sporadic morning runs
		[ Marktplatz > ... > Hauptbahnhof > ... > Anichstraße ] – Bürgerstraße – ... – Mutters	Sporadic night runs
		[ Marktplatz > ... > Hauptbahnhof > ... > Anichstraße ] – Bürgerstraße – ... – Kreith	Sporadic night runs
		[ Marktplatz > ... > Hauptbahnhof > ... > Anichstraße ] – Bürgerstraße – ... – Stubaitalbahnhof	To/from depot runs
		Stubaitalbahnhof – ... – Fulpmes	To/from depot runs
Trolleybuslines	O	Technik West /Peerhofsiedlung / Allerheiligen – ... – Landesmuseum – Hauptbahnhof	To/from depot runs
	O	Josef-Kerschbaumer-Straße (Olympisches Dorf) – ... – Sillpark – Hauptbahnhof	To/from depot runs
	R	Rehgasse – ... – Hauptbahnhof	To/from depot runs
	R	Gumppstraße (Reichenau) – ... – Hauptbahnhof	To/from depot runs

The depot and workshop, for all IVB rolling stock (trams, buses and trolleybuse), is called Wilten Betriebshof and it is located in Pastorstraße just west of the old Stubaitalbahnhof, now home of the Lokalbahnmuseum. Route STB passes thorugh the depot to reach the interurban section. This depot was opened in late '70 for buses only, but since 1981 it has been used also by trams. The old depot, called Bergiselbahnhof, was located between Klostergasse and Wiltenfriedhof, just 100 m east of the Stubaitalbahnhof; today on its area the Bergisel reversing loop stands.

	Bielefelder GT8 51 is pausing in the reversing loop in Wilten Betribeshof bewteen a Stadtmitte – Stubaitalbahnhof and a Stubaitalbahnhof – Stadtmitte run of route 6. Two diesel buses and the rear end of the trolleybus 819 are visible, too. August 16th 2003.
	Three trolleybus of the first series, from left 805, 815 and 807, in Wilten Betribeshof. August 16th 2003.
	The old depot of the Stubaitalbahnhof, with the heritage cars, from left, Lohner Großraumwagen 61, Züricher 19 and two-axle 54, former 40. Between the tram house and car 54 you can see the track of the Stubaitalbahnhof coming down to the Wilten Betriebshof.

Trams' future is bright, trolleybuses' one is dark: the IVB management realized that Innsbruck is a too little city (about 128 800 inhabitants) for both a tram and trolleybus system, so it planned to keep in service only one of them that will be extended over most of the routes of the second. As the tramways include two railway style lines which transformation into trolleybus lines will be very difficult, IVB planned to sacrificate trolleybuses in favour of trams, as explain the following chronology.

2004. The western part of trolleybus O (Stadtmitte – Technik West / Peerhofsiedlung / Allerheiligen) will be replaced by a diesel bus service.
2006. The new tramway Stadtmitte – Technik West / Allerheiligen will be opened and take over by route 3. The remaining half of route O will be operated by buses, too.
2007. The last trolleybus service, route R, will be take over by buses.
2008. The new tramway Stadtmitte – Olympisches Dorf will be opened: route 3 will be cut back in the Stadtschleife, while a new service, called O like the old trolleybus, will run from Olympisches Dorf to Technik West / Allerheiligen.
2010. Route 3 will be extended to Klinik.
2011. Route 3 will be extended further to Steinbockweg (Hötting West), recovering the old western part of the trolleybus R. The easter part of route R will remain served by buses only.

Other projects are: a diversion of route 3 in Pradl through Amraser Straße, an extension of route 3 to Amras Ort, an extension of route 1 to Pradl Süd, the construction of a reversing loop in Fulpmes to operate route STB with single ended trams, a branch of route STB to Axam, and the ambitious Inntalbahn: a long interurban line Hall in Tirol – Innsbruck – Zirl, with eventual extension to Jenbach (eastern end) and Telfs (western end).

Rolling stock

Innsbruck trams in 2003
Type	Classification	Axes	Present (original) amount	Year	Mechanic	Electric equipment	Routes	Notes
Bielefelder GT6	31^II-42^II	6	11 (12)	1957-63	Düwag	Kiepe	1, 3	1
Bielefelder GT8	51^II-53^III	8	3 (2)	1962-63	Düwag	Kiepe	6	1
Lohner GT6	71-77	6	7	1966	Lohner	Elin	1, 3	–
Hagener GT8	81-88	8	8	1961-67	Düwag	Kiepe	STB	2
Notes	Bought in 1981-83 from the tramways of Bielefeld. Car 32^II was transformed in GT8 and renumbered 53^III. Bought in 1976 from the closed tramways of Hagen, then sold to AG Stubaitalbahn in 1983. Middle sections from Bielefeld GT8. Car 82 scrapped in 1995 but the middle body that was transferred to the ex Bogestra (Bochum Gelsenkirchen Straßenbahnen) GT6 41, creating car AGStB 82^II.

Innsbruck trolleybuses in 2003
Classification	Axes	Amount	Year	Chassis and body	Notes
801-816	2+1	16	1988	Gräf & Stift GS GE 152 M 18	–
817-826	2+1	10	1992	Gräf & Stift GS NGE 152 M 18	–

Bibliography, links and thanks

Peter Wegenstein, Innsbrucks Straßenbahn, Verlag Pospischil
Frank Muth, Stunden der Wahrheit, from Straßenbahn Magazin 154, GeraNova
Innsbrucker Verkehrsbetriebe und Stubaitalbahn GmbH (official site)
Hamster, Linz - Gmunden - Innsbruck III, from the site Hamster's Home Page
Wolfgang Auer, The new Tramwaycafé
Tiroler MuseumsBahnen

Thanks to: Wolfganf Auer (Austria) - Eduardo Bevere - Federico Ferraboschi - Alessandro Muratori