Tram roundabout

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Tram exiting Moscow Triumphal Gate roundabout in St Petersburg

A tram roundabout or grand circle is a circular rail junction for trams in the shape of a roundabout. A tram roundabout is able to provide the equivalent any-to-any connection of a grand union, but with a simplified tramway track configuration using one-way traffic, fewer turnouts and reduction in level junctions, at the cost of slightly more space. Trams may continue as one-way traffic in an endless loop around the tram roundabout junction.

A circular roundabout design is often used to allowing passing around a centrally-placed monument, or fountain, or small park.

Standard design[edit]

Standard tram roundabouts
Name System Ring track In Out Thru Stops Notes Geo
Hoofddorpplein [nl] Amsterdam 180 m 590 ft 2 2 52°21′05″N 4°51′00″E / 52.3513°N 4.85°E / 52.3513; 4.85 (Hoofddorpplein tram roundabout)
Tropenmuseum Amsterdam 195 m 640 ft 3 3 52°21′48″N 4°55′22″E / 52.3633°N 4.9228°E / 52.3633; 4.9228 (Tropenmuseum tram roundabout)
Slotermeerlaan [nl] Amsterdam 212 m 696 ft 4 4 6 junction with Burgemeester Röellstraat [nl] 52°22′33″N 4°49′08″E / 52.3757°N 4.819°E / 52.3757; 4.819 (Slotermeerlaan/Röellstraat tram roundabout)
Place Dumon [fr]/ Dumonplein Brussels 242 m 794 ft 2 2 2 50°50′24″N 4°27′54″E / 50.84°N 4.465°E / 50.84; 4.465 (Dumon tram roundabout)
Bersarinplatz Berlin 254 m 833 ft 3 3 4 stops off ring 52°31′07″N 13°27′11″E / 52.5186°N 13.453°E / 52.5186; 13.453 (Bersarinplatz tram roundabout)
Romanplatz Munich 137 m 449 ft 3 3 4 stops off ring, two tracks at one of the Ins 48°09′20″N 11°30′42″E / 48.1555°N 11.5116°E / 48.1555; 11.5116 (Romanplatz roundabout)
Moscow Triumphal Gate St Petersburg 290 m 950 ft 2 2 59°53′30″N 30°19′10″E / 59.8917°N 30.3195°E / 59.8917; 30.3195 (Moscow Triumphal Gate tram roundabout)
Turgenev Square [ru] St Petersburg 557 m 1,827 ft 2 2 2 59°55′06″N 30°17′20″E / 59.9184°N 30.289°E / 59.9184; 30.289 (Turgenev Square tram roundabout)
Lenina / Lunacharskogo[1] Yekaterinburg 188 m 617 ft 4 4 56°50′25″N 60°37′14″E / 56.8402°N 60.6206°E / 56.8402; 60.6206 (Lenina / Lunacharskogo tram roundabout)
Moscow Highway [ru] Ulyanovsk 230 m 750 ft 4 4 54°18′23″N 48°20′59″E / 54.3064°N 48.3497°E / 54.3064; 48.3497 (Moscow Highway (Ulyanovsk) tram roundabout)
Lee Circle New Orleans 283 m 928 ft 3 2 29°56′36″N 90°04′21″W / 29.9433°N 90.0725°W / 29.9433; -90.0725 (Lee Circle streetcar traffic circle)
Kaiserplatz [de] Karlsruhe 245 m 804 ft 2 2 2 around Kaiser Wilhelm monument (Karlsruhe) [de], with "Kombilösung [de]" bypass tunnel underneath 49°00′37″N 8°23′20″E / 49.0103°N 8.3889°E / 49.0103; 8.3889 (Kaiserplatz tram roundabout)
Wolnośći Square in Katowice [pl] Silesian 366 m 1,201 ft 2 2 near Katowice railway station 50°15′35″N 19°00′48″E / 50.2598°N 19.0132°E / 50.2598; 19.0132 (Wolności Square tram roundabout)
Mihaljevac [hr] Zagreb 170 m 560 ft 2 2 3 45°50′32″N 15°58′29″E / 45.8422°N 15.9746°E / 45.8422; 15.9746 (Mihaljevac tram roundabout)
Square of the Victims of Fascism Zagreb 456 m 1,496 ft 3 3 2 45°48′36″N 15°59′14″E / 45.81°N 15.9872°E / 45.81; 15.9872 (Victims of Fascism Square tram roundabout)
Będzin Rondo Silesian 218 m 715 ft 4 4 8 50°19′30″N 19°07′27″E / 50.3249°N 19.1243°E / 50.3249; 19.1243 (Będzin tram roundabout)
Koszutka Słoneczna Pętla Silesian 221 m 725 ft 2 2 4 one platform on loop 50°16′25″N 19°01′29″E / 50.2736°N 19.0248°E / 50.2736; 19.0248 (Słoneczna Pętla tram roundabout)
Four-way circular tram roundabout in Będzin, Poland, on the Silesian Interurbans system, often referred to as 'the kidney' due to the entire junction's rather unusual shape.


Special variations[edit]

Special variations of tram roundabout
Name System Ring track In Out Thru Stops Notes Geo
Rond-Point du Meir/ Meerplein Brussels 210 m 690 ft 2 2 1 3 with tram stop in middle 50°49′58″N 4°18′08″E / 50.8327°N 4.3023°E / 50.8327; 4.3023 (Rond-Point du Meir/ Meerplein tram roundabout)
Barrière de Saint-Gilles/ Bareel van Sint-Gillis Brussels 115 m 377 ft 3 3 4 overlapping tracks, stops off ring 50°49′37″N 4°20′41″E / 50.8269°N 4.3446°E / 50.8269; 4.3446 (Saint Gilles tram roundabout)
Place de l'Altitude Cent/ Hoogte Honderd [nl] Brussels 262 m 860 ft 2 2 2 around Saint Augustine Church, Vorst 50°49′00″N 4°20′12″E / 50.8166°N 4.3368°E / 50.8166; 4.3368 (Altitude 100 metres tram roundabout)
Rond-point Winston Churchill/ Winston Churchillplein Brussels 154 m 505 ft 2 2 2 8 50°48′43″N 4°21′14″E / 50.8119°N 4.3539°E / 50.8119; 4.3539 (Winston Churchill Square tram roundabout)
Verboekhoven Square Brussels 241 m 791 ft 4 4 2 over main line rail tracks 50°52′17″N 4°22′33″E / 50.8714°N 4.3759°E / 50.8714; 4.3759 (Verboekhoven Square tram roundabout)
Maxmonument [de] Munich 255 m 837 ft 4 4 2 4 separation around the monument 48°08′15″N 11°35′17″E / 48.1376°N 11.588°E / 48.1376; 11.588 (Maxmonument tram roundabout)
Alt-Köpenick Berlin 916 m 3,000 ft 3 3 3 old town centre 52°26′44″N 13°34′34″E / 52.4456°N 13.576°E / 52.4456; 13.576 (Alt-Köpenick tram roundabout)
Hackescher Markt Berlin 672 m 2,200 ft 3 3 3 around station, with sidings 52°31′23″N 13°24′06″E / 52.523°N 13.4018°E / 52.523; 13.4018 (Hackescher Markt tram roundabout)
Basel SBB railway station Basel 220 m 720 ft 4 4 4 6 station forecourt 47°32′54″N 7°35′25″E / 47.5483°N 7.5903°E / 47.5483; 7.5903 (Basel SBB station tram roundabout)
Haarlemmermeer station [nl] Amsterdam 195 m 640 ft 4 4 1 2 next to Electric tram museum line [nl; de] 52°20′59″N 4°51′27″E / 52.3496°N 4.8575°E / 52.3496; 4.8575 (Haarlemmermeer station tram roundabout)
Surinameplein [nl; de] Amsterdam 170 m 560 ft 3 3 1 4 52°21′30″N 4°51′12″E / 52.3584°N 4.8532°E / 52.3584; 4.8532 (Surinameplein tram roundabout)
Hoofddorpplein [nl] Amsterdam 180 m 590 ft 2 2 52°21′30″N 4°51′12″E / 52.3584°N 4.8532°E / 52.3584; 4.8532 (Hoofddorpplein tram roundabout)
Paunsdorf-Nord [de] Leipzig 266 m 870 ft 3 3 1 5 operates clockwise 51°21′38″N 12°28′12″E / 51.3606°N 12.47°E / 51.3606; 12.47 (Hoofddorpplein tram roundabout)
Stortorvet Oslo 256 m 840 ft 3 3 1 3 59°54′46″N 10°44′43″E / 59.9128°N 10.7453°E / 59.9128; 10.7453 (Stortorvet square tram roundabout)
Pilestredet / Welhaven Gate [no] Oslo 904 m 2,966 ft 3 3 2 residential one-way 59°55′16″N 10°43′55″E / 59.921°N 10.732°E / 59.921; 10.732 (Pilestredet/Welhavens Gate tram roundabout)
Chebzie Pętla / Rondo Silesian 244 m 801 ft 4 4 5 50°18′03″N 18°52′57″E / 50.3007°N 18.8824°E / 50.3007; 18.8824 (Chebzie tram roundabout)
Porta Maggiore Rome 435 m 1,400 ft 5 4 2 6 41°53′29″N 12°30′54″E / 41.8915°N 12.5151°E / 41.8915; 12.5151 (Porta Maggiore tram roundabout)
Regina Margherita [it] Rome 145 m 476 ft 2 2 2 2 41°54′40″N 12°30′32″E / 41.9111°N 12.509°E / 41.9111; 12.509 (Regina Margherita/Galeno tram roundabout)

Former[edit]

On 8 September 1968, one week before closure of Liverpool Corporation Tramways, tram car 245 completed three complete laps of the St. Oswald Street tram roundabout whilst being filmed.[2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Zlokazov, Vladimir (27 August 2014). "Трамвайное кольцо" [Tramway roundabout] (in Russian). Трамвайное кольцо на пересечении улиц Ленина и Луначарского в Екатеринбурге / Tramway circle on the crossing of Lenina and Lunacharskogo streets in Yekaterinburg
  2. ^ Blackburn, R.E. (1968). "Post-War Liverpool - Part 8". The Modern Tramway. 31 (362). Ian Allan Publishing: 58. On Sunday, , the LRTL hired car 245 for a final tour of the remaining routes, including three complete circuits of the roundabout at St. Oswald Street, where the cine-photographers gyrated in the centre of the grass as the tram went round and round like a clockwork toy. … On the evening of Saturday, , tramway operation in Liverpool came to an end.