# MISC | Trains Running on Streets



## serdar samanlı1 (Feb 20, 2008)

Are there any places were trains run on streets just like trams?


----------



## earthbound (Feb 25, 2008)

sure  Brno, Czech Republic


----------



## serdar samanlı1 (Feb 20, 2008)

WOW! A steam train on the street!


----------



## Stuu (Feb 7, 2007)

There is somewhere in Queensland, Australia similar to above photos, possibly Townsville or Rockhampton (apologies to locals if its neither!). Also a quick google images search for Michigan City, Indiana should be interesting


----------



## serdar samanlı1 (Feb 20, 2008)

Do trains have to stop at red lights in such places?


----------



## Woonsocket54 (May 7, 2005)

The South Shore Line in Michigan City, Indiana (USA) - line runs from South Bend, Indiana to Chicago-Millennium Station.


----------



## Woonsocket54 (May 7, 2005)

On the South Side of Chicago, the electric trains run in the median of a street but they have their own right of way.


----------



## serdar samanlı1 (Feb 20, 2008)

Woonsocket54 said:


> The South Shore Line in Michigan City, Indiana (USA) - line runs from South Bend, Indiana to Chicago-Millennium Station.


The trains look like faces:lol:


----------



## mgk920 (Apr 21, 2007)

The most famous of the current sections of mainline 'street running' that remain here in the USA is near the Amtrak station at Jack London Square in Oakland, CA.

CN also has a several block long section of mainline street running on their ex WC, exx UP, nee CNW trackage in Oconto, WI.

Mike


----------



## Momo1435 (Oct 3, 2005)

Let me quote myself from the recent weird railways thread.


Momo1435 said:


> The Swiss railway Rhatische Bahn also shares it's tracks with the road in some places
> 
> Berninabahn in Tirano (Italy)
> 
> ...


----------



## Bulbous (Jun 27, 2008)

BNSF in Fort Collins, Colorado.......

BNSF on Mason Street, Fort Collins


----------



## Le moro tyrannique (Oct 8, 2008)

Those pic are crazy!!! i couldn´t imagine how it feels to be stopped in your daily morning traffic jam while you see a steam train passing by your side as a regular car!


----------



## RawLee (Jul 9, 2007)

Sometimes happen in Budapest too:




































(http://www.villamosok.hu/balazs/teher/index.html)


----------



## vlker (Oct 30, 2007)

earthbound said:


> sure  Brno, Czech Republic


In Brno this is a delivery track to exhibition centre. The trains are going there just once a year for machine-industries fair trade.


----------



## Timon91 (Feb 9, 2008)

It looks weird actually, a train on the street. Especially in the pics in post #2


----------



## invincible (Sep 13, 2002)




----------



## MelbourneCity (Sep 12, 2002)

THe above photo is Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia.
Bundaberg also has some on street running.

Both are on the main line from Brisbane to Cairns.

There is also a small town in western Victoria with trains in the main street. Can't remember the town's name, but the street is called Broadway.


----------



## convalescence (Mar 11, 2008)

In the village Olef in Rhineland-Palatinate/Germany
Today there is no regular passenger traffic any more



















*edit* sorry, i had no rights to post the pictures in this forum ^^


----------



## Bitxofo (Feb 3, 2005)

^^The last photo scares me...
:runaway:


----------



## satsk3 (May 22, 2006)

Superb...!!! 

Amazing Vids and Pics, Really Amazing...

The Last Pic and the Train @ Oakland is really fear making....


----------



## Alexriga (Nov 25, 2007)

Amazing photos and videos!!!


----------



## davsot (Dec 27, 2008)

o yea I had seen the Bangkok video a long time ago. Pre-SSC. haha


----------



## rheintram (Mar 5, 2008)

This might only exist once in the world: This train shares the space with cars on a bridge. However, the special thing is, that the bridge is between Austria and Switzerland (Lustenau and Widnau), so you cross the border in the middle:









The railway was built for the construction of levee for the river Rhine. These days it is used as a museum train.


----------



## pcrail (Jan 10, 2009)

*Fright Streetcars*

Well, little bit off topic, but worth to mention since they are transporting fright in the streets.

Streetcar in Zurich collecting bulk garbage and electric devices. The tram is stationed in different terminal loops. Timeschedule here.








Motorcar also used as snowplow in winter.








Trailercars with container.

Streetcar in Dresden to supply parts for a Volkswagen carfactory.


----------



## the spliff fairy (Oct 21, 2002)

anyone know of that cross-island train in Denmark? I was reading the account of a travel writer who was happily enjoying the journey when it stopped in a tunnel and everyone got off. Entranced he watched all the people start climbing some staircases from inside the tunnel; they didn't return. He walked the length of the train - the entire place was empty. As the only person left - what would one do? So he followed them with all his luggage, despite it not being his stop.

At the top - get this - he found open air and sea spray. They were now on a ferry, with the train parked below decks.


----------



## zaphod (Dec 8, 2005)

Yep, before the great belt bridge they used to put trains on boats. Actually is it true the reason for the big rubber bumpers on the IC3 units is to make a aerodynamic seal, as one long train had to be split in two to fit on the ferries?


----------



## urbanfan89 (May 30, 2007)

rheintram said:


> This might only exist once in the world


There's also the bridge across the Mekong between Thailand and Laos: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=17.879574,102.716213&spn=0.017971,0.03283&t=k&z=16


----------



## sequoias (Dec 21, 2004)

Here are the trains running thru the streets of Jack London Square in Oakland, CA. I remember seeing those trains on the streets before. Of course, some of the members on this forum mentioned about it but no pictures or videos so I decided to post this. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPhQiRlHHBs&feature=related


----------



## zivan56 (Apr 29, 2005)

urbanfan89 said:


> There's also the bridge across the Mekong between Thailand and Laos: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=17.879574,102.716213&spn=0.017971,0.03283&t=k&z=16


There is also one between Bosnia and Serbia (Raca) where even two cars can barely pass.
Took this picture this summer:


----------



## Timon91 (Feb 9, 2008)

I hope that they close the bridge for cars when a train approaches :lol:


----------



## rheintram (Mar 5, 2008)

Thanks for the pics!!


----------



## zivan56 (Apr 29, 2005)

Timon91 said:


> I hope that they close the bridge for cars when a train approaches :lol:


Yeah there are gates on both sides, but I wouldn't trust them that much 
The route is rarely used, however.


----------



## Timon91 (Feb 9, 2008)

Just for some cargotrains, you mean?


----------



## hYp (Nov 19, 2005)

We've got several combined rail-and-road-bridges in the harbor area, these are the two biggest:

1. Kattwykbrücke:
290m long lift bridge which can be lifted by 46m. It opens quite often, and the number of freight trains using it is substantial as well.




















2. Rethebrücke:
Another lift bridge, there are plans to replace it with a new moveable bridge since this one has been having structual problems for quite some time:


















Both bridges are secured by traffic lights at both ends when trains pass over them.

(None of the images were taken by myself.)


----------



## vinnienet (Jan 2, 2007)

Weymouth quay branch - link

And I've been on the Arosa Express!


----------



## HigerBigger (Aug 11, 2008)

rheintram said:


> This might only exist once in the world: This train shares the space with cars on a bridge. However, the special thing is, that the bridge is between Austria and Switzerland (Lustenau and Widnau), so you cross the border in the middle:
> 
> 
> The railway was built for the construction of levee for the river Rhine. These days it is used as a museum train.


The photo indicate two bridges with the top bridge being the old rail, road and pedestrian bridge linking South Africa with Zimbabwe at Beit Bridge. Before the new road bridge was built in 1996, the scheduling of services was interesting. Cars north for 10 minutes, foot passengers north for 10 minutes and next 10 minutes either cars north or trains. The next half hour the model repeated south. During peak periods like Christmas holidays, the dealy could be more than 10 hours to cross the bridge. Today only trains and pedestrians use the old bridge.


----------



## HigerBigger (Aug 11, 2008)

*Victoria Falls bridge*

Trains, automobiles and pedestrians on the same bridge in an excellent location with the best view of the Victoria Falls from the bridge - this is also the international border between Zambia and Zimbabwe


----------



## Tubeman (Sep 12, 2002)

vinnienet said:


> Weymouth quay branch - link


I think I've seen similar scenes in Folkestone (Kent) and Southampton (Hampshire) too, in all three cases I think they're barely-used branches which once served boat trains.


----------



## zivan56 (Apr 29, 2005)

Timon91 said:


> Just for some cargotrains, you mean?


It's a busy car bridge...trains rarely use it (maybe recently this has changed).


----------



## vinnienet (Jan 2, 2007)

Anyone know if those trains running through Jack London Square in Oakland is a regular timetabled occurance or whether it happens like once a day? I'd like to go there and see them myself.


----------



## MarcVD (Dec 1, 2008)

zaphod said:


> Yep, before the great belt bridge they used to put trains on boats. Actually is it true the reason for the big rubber bumpers on the IC3 units is to make a aerodynamic seal, as one long train had to be split in two to fit on the ferries?


Well, yes and no. The big rubber bumbers, as you call them, provide a larger
and easier communication between units than the conventional car coupling
used in Europe. It is also faster to establish. Inside the rubber bumber you
find a driving post, that swings open (with the driver's chair, commands and
everything) to allow passengers to circulate between units. We use the
same system in Belgium, we have 120 EMUs fitted with that system. And we
don't put trains in boats here. Simply, we use those units for trains that
split or merge en route between different destinations. It is very efficient.
It might be true that Danes did use it to ease the split of the trains before
boarding them in the boats; but they use them also in trains headed for
multiple destinations, as far as I know.


----------



## mgk920 (Apr 21, 2007)

vinnienet said:


> Anyone know if those trains running through Jack London Square in Oakland is a regular timetabled occurance or whether it happens like once a day? I'd like to go there and see them myself.


Jack London Square is a very well-known and BUSY trainwatching place - it's on a major freight mainline in west-central California.

Just search for 'jack london square' on YouTube for oodles of video of the typical action there.

Enjoy!

:cheers1:

Mike


----------



## kato2k8 (May 4, 2008)

rheintram said:


> This might only exist once in the world: This train shares the space with cars on a bridge.


I can think of several bridges in Mannheim Harbour alone which are used jointly by cars and cargo trains with tracks embedded in the pavement. One example would be Mannheim Kammerschleuse, where a cargo track enters the street on Friesenheim Island north of the bridge, then runs in the pavement across the bridge, and runs off the street on the south side on the _opposite_ side of the street.


----------



## Ganis (Jan 3, 2009)

the spliff fairy said:


> Maekhlong market, near Bangkok - watch the whole video


HAHAHAHA HILARIOUS!!!!!


----------



## vinnienet (Jan 2, 2007)

mgk920 said:


> Jack London Square is a very well-known and BUSY trainwatching place - it's on a major freight mainline in west-central California.
> 
> Just search for 'jack london square' on YouTube for oodles of video of the typical action there.
> 
> ...


Thanks Mike, I appreciate the response. Looking at google maps it seems as though it's the only railway through the area and somewhere I could easily spend a day.


----------



## michaeltvs (Jun 17, 2008)

*Denison St, Rockhampton QLD*


----------



## He Named Thor (Feb 15, 2008)

Here's a Photo of Jack London Square.


----------



## la bestia kuit (Aug 10, 2005)

zivan56 said:


> There is also one between Bosnia and Serbia (Raca) where even two cars can barely pass.
> Took this picture this summer:


this is a similar one y patagonia, Argentina, called "ferrocarretero" 









from the locomotive


















This one doesn´t run on the street, but in the sidewalk, better keep you car in the garage! :lol:
Olavarria, Argentina


----------



## I-275westcoastfl (Feb 15, 2005)

^^That's terrible lol.


----------



## RawLee (Jul 9, 2007)

We had a similar bridge too. It's near Baja,on the Danube. It was extended in 1999 to separate road and rail traffic:


















(hidak.hu)









(panoramia.com)


----------



## zaphod (Dec 8, 2005)

the train on the sidewalk situation used to exist in Waco, Texas.

Now the line is closed and the tracks ARE the sidewalk, the city filled in the space between the rails and planted grass along the side.


----------



## mgk920 (Apr 21, 2007)

^^
Ditto Oshkosh, WI. The former CP-SOO western Canada-MStP-Chicago mainline through town (the track ran between the street and the sidewalk on Division St for several blocks) was abandoned when its then owner (Wisconsin Central) acquired the track of a much straighter paralleling railroad through the city in the mid 1990s. CN now uses that rerouted mainline for its western Canada-Chicago traffic.

Mike


----------



## Annibale (Dec 30, 2006)

He Named Thor said:


> Here's a Photo of Jack London Square.


See no square:dunno:


----------



## mgk920 (Apr 21, 2007)

Annibale said:


> See no square:dunno:


Jack London Square:
http://www.bing.com/maps/default.as...dir=0&alt=-1000&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1
The railroad runs down the middle of Embarcadero St.

Mike


----------



## signol (Feb 1, 2010)

the spliff fairy said:


> anyone know of that cross-island train in Denmark? I was reading the account of a travel writer who was happily enjoying the journey when it stopped in a tunnel and everyone got off. Entranced he watched all the people start climbing some staircases from inside the tunnel; they didn't return. He walked the length of the train - the entire place was empty. As the only person left - what would one do? So he followed them with all his luggage, despite it not being his stop.
> 
> At the top - get this - he found open air and sea spray. They were now on a ferry, with the train parked below decks.


This still happens on the Hamburg - Copenhagen train, the ferry runs between Puttgarten and Rodbyhavn.

signol


----------



## poshbakerloo (Jan 16, 2007)

wow, I didn't realise this happened in so many places! I don't think it has ever happened in the UK! It is something I have thought about tho...


----------



## takini (Aug 28, 2008)

There was an industrial line in Zemun, Serbia that used to run on the sidewalk. It also crossed the road twice, but unfortunately it’s abolished. You can still see two rail tanks on GE: http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=sr&ie=UTF8&ll=44.838628,20.392382&spn=0.000955,0.001714&t=h&z=19




























www.railserbia.net


----------



## takini (Aug 28, 2008)

Notice how pedestrian is patiently waiting for the train to pass.










Some of the track is pulled out but most of it is still lying in the sidewalk. 



















www.railserbia.net


----------



## pencakar langit (Feb 23, 2006)

In Solo (Surakarta), Indonesia


----------



## somersetchris (Aug 23, 2008)

poshbakerloo said:


> wow, I didn't realise this happened in so many places! I don't think it has ever happened in the UK! It is something I have thought about tho...


----------



## marciomaco (Jan 17, 2009)

In Coimbra, Portugal, trains used to pass through the road between Coimbra-B and Coimbra-Parque.


----------



## faialense (Feb 21, 2007)

marciomaco said:


> In Coimbra, Portugal, trains used to pass through the road between Coimbra-B and Coimbra-Parque.


This one, in a pretty old picture, as you can see...:








:cheers:

And it´s funny to see 2 types of rail-tracks on the pavement, one for the trains and the other one for the tram.

Another one, more recent:


----------



## FazilLanka (Jan 7, 2009)

It is cool to see trains on roads. Safty is a questions?


----------



## mgk920 (Apr 21, 2007)

OldArmy94 said:


>


Where were these shot?

Mike


----------



## OldArmy94 (Aug 1, 2005)

Mike--

Warsaw, Indiana
Augusta, GA
Ashland, VA

I didn't take these; they're all from RailPictures.net


----------



## mgk920 (Apr 21, 2007)

OldArmy94 said:


> Mike--
> 
> Warsaw, Indiana
> Augusta, GA
> ...


Thanx. I placed the first two, but none of the images of Ashland, VA that I could find would match the last one.

Also, although no trains were caught when these images were shot, here's couple in Wisconsin:
(Oconto, WI) http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=...=DNpSpdHybzqNiut01uC52A&cbp=12,182.74,,0,4.82
and, although it is more 'boulevard' running, the CN mainline in Oshkosh, WI:
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=...=H5t1XEHLb7JL2Oo-VZmLcw&cbp=12,210.94,,0,1.56

Mike


----------



## DarySLO (Jul 22, 2009)

We also got this kind of railways in Slovenia, in town named Vevče.


















Scary. :nuts:


----------



## TedStriker (May 18, 2009)

^^

Is that the Vevce district of Ljubljana?


----------



## DarySLO (Jul 22, 2009)

Yes I meant to write district, sorry my mistake. :bash:


----------



## Dr.Mabuse (Jun 6, 2009)

earthbound said:


> sure  Brno, Czech Republic


my god thats insane. did not know

an other curiosity


----------



## lowes48 (Jan 18, 2010)

Surprised nobody posted photos from Lagrange, KY yet. 

NOTE* None of these pictures belong to me. All were taken from railroadpics.net. All credit goes to their respective photographers.


----------



## convalescence (Mar 11, 2008)

take a look at the third picture 

http://www.eifelbahnforum.de/forum/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=3847&sid=77e3ff75f136927c5c3dfbffaea80fac

it's in Schleiden-Olef, NRW, Germany

just a small OT-note:
Oleftalbahn through Olef-Valley including this passage through the village Olef (yeah: also called so! ^^) is now drivable in its entire length from Kall to Hellenthal again! Politicians wanted to remove this scenic railway completely some years ago...


----------



## Jay (Oct 7, 2004)

FazilLanka said:


> It is cool to see trains on roads. Safty is a questions?



It's not really that dangerous for the train, it will easily overpower even large buses and trucks, just stay out of its way and ur good.


----------



## nick from Aus (Aug 13, 2010)

thats wierd
trains on roads in the city
imagine that
trains on George St Sydney CBD where there is a lot of traffic (busses and cars)
well they are proposing a tram route there anyway


----------



## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

nick from Aus said:


> thats wierd
> trains on roads in the city
> imagine that
> trains on George St Sydney CBD where there is a lot of traffic (busses and cars)
> well they are proposing a tram route there anyway


Trams blend perfectly in with the busy downtown traffic as in every European city it does... Hopefully your gonna get more rappedly used to it than people in the US because in Phoenix and other US cities where trams and lightrail is placed only recently, a lot of accidents accure by stupid drivers thinking the tram would stop for them or speeding up en trying to turn into a sidestreet in front of the tram.:bash:


----------



## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

Check this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWAbtkd3CMs


----------



## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

nick from Aus said:


> thats wierd
> trains on roads in the city
> imagine that
> trains on George St Sydney CBD where there is a lot of traffic (busses and cars)
> well they are proposing a tram route there anyway


Well, Queensland has a number of situations like that so it isn't unusual in Australia.


----------



## Stainless (Jun 7, 2009)

joshsam said:


> Check this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWAbtkd3CMs


It did seem that the first one jumped the traffic lights, so would have had an accident whatever was coming, the second one seems inevitable anywhere a free right turn is allowed. I cannot see the lights in the video but it appears that they were green so they are expecting people to look behind them for an approaching tram, still they drove off after, which is pretty stupid whatever you have done.


----------



## Frank IBC (Jan 14, 2008)

Street running in Tacna, Peru:






On the railway from Arica, Chile to Tacna, Peru.

Street running scene in Tacna is at 1:22 - 1:58.

Horn accompanied by siren for those who are slow to respond. :righton:


----------



## hmmwv (Jul 19, 2006)

All those huge CSX freight trains running down Main street are simply eye opening! Or, I may just need to wake up....huh oh...


----------



## trainrover (May 6, 2006)




----------



## trainrover (May 6, 2006)




----------



## bagus70 (Dec 8, 2011)

Definitely an amusing sight!


----------



## andrew_mm (Jun 15, 2011)

Kharkiv, Ukraine:






...and a rare photo in a trolley´s cabine:


----------



## MarcVD (Dec 1, 2008)

That's not really street running, just a level crossing... probably not used
very frequently, and therefore not equipped with lights or barriers. Street
running is when trains and cars travel the same direction.


----------



## XAN_ (Jan 13, 2011)

It have lights nowadays.


----------



## GrahamClayton (Jun 3, 2013)

Fauresmith in South Africa has trains that run right down the full length of the main street:


----------



## Hybrid 87 (Aug 3, 2004)

Well in Latvia we had a railway line going through a building.
It was in the Paper Mill of Līgatne and it was a narrow gauge route to transport supplies from and later paper to the normal gauge station several kilometers away. Now this line is demolished since the paper mill is not working.









Image taken from: http://narrow.parovoz.com/newgallery/pg_view.php?ID=14896&LNG=EN


----------



## link_road_17/7 (Aug 16, 2007)

Weymouth (UK) Harbour Tramway, also known as 'The Quay Branch' and the 'Harbour Line', ran from 1865 until 1999.









Really Good Trains









Really Good Trains









Really Good Trains









Really Good Trains









Hondawanderer









Phil Beard









Phil Beard









Phil Beard









Phil Beard









Phil Beard









Phil Beard









Phil Beard









Phil Beard


----------

