[as of 2015 ]

City

Founded: 1961
City as of: 1966
Population: 235 448 (2015)
Location: Nizhnekamsk

The city in the Republic of Tatarstan, consists of Soviet-era apartment blocks built as satellite residential areas to a huge industrial park dominated by the chemical industry. Despite a very neat appearance, the city is known for one of the worst ecologic situation in Russia.

Network Stats

Operator: GUP Gorelektrotransport

System opened: 15.02.1967
Track length: 60,3 km. (one-way)
Gauge: 1524 mm
Number of routes: 7
All time maximum number of routes: 8
Number of passenger vehicles: 80

Network map: 2011 2015
Timetable: 2015

History of tramway development: 1968 - 2015

Formerly owned by the Nizhnekamskneftekhim chemical combine, tramway's initial main purpose was supposed to be to connect apartment block developments of the main town with the huge industrial park dominated by the chemical industry, and located about 6 km. to the west of the town. Recently, however, traffic to the industrial park subsided, with trams now providing a core reliable service within residential neighborhoods. In addition, a suburban tram line serves the administratively independent satellite resort town of Krasniy Klyuch to the north of Nizhnekamsk, technically making the system an interuban. The entire trackage is on a segregated right-of-way, hence the system is considered a pre-Light Rail. There is a long-standing plan for a new tram line to provide better coverage of residential areas, with two different routing versions.

Most trams are of an old age, and there are some inherited issues with poor track condition amid extraordinary lengthy and underused trackage. Nevertheless, Nizhnekamsk tramway is notable for exemplary maintenance of rolling stock and attentive maintenance of way. The city boasts multiple service with short headways within the residential part of the town. Following a loss of the contract with the chemical combine in 2011, however, the service via long suburban lines to the industrial park is sporadic, with long headways. The Lines 4, 4A were suspended in 2011; the Line 3 to NShZ-2 operates every 30 min. during peak hours, and hourly off-peak; the Line 1 to TETs-1 has 3 daily departures, and 2 departures on weekends; the Line 8 has 3 daily departures on weekdays only; the Line 5 solely serving the 6 km-long branch to TETs-2 has 4 daily departures that are not timed with work hours at the factories it serves, and no service on weekends. The timetable is publicized and meticulously followed. At the same time next to all the workers at the industrial park are now transported by the army of diesel buses owned by the factories themselves.

The Lines 1, 3 and 5 are designated as express services that by-pass stops between the residential area and the industrial park, while the Lines 7 and 8 provide local service. This practice, however, is somewhat hypothetical due to low ridership at the given stops. Most runs on the Line 3 to the industrial park, except for 4 daily departures, are designated as "заказной" ("special order") runs, with no free ride-benefit provided (universally granted to pensioners, and locally granted to chemical combine workers). Low floor runs are operated on a specifically publisized schedule, and are designated as "социальный" ("social"), however this only means that the low floor option is available. Low floor trams mainly serve the Line 2, as well a few runs on the Lines 3 and 7. This provides low floor coverage of all city tram lines, except for the TETs-2 branch.

Rolling Stock

[ 2015 / total ]

KTM-23-01, KTM-23-02 : 4 / 4 (2010-2013) Low floor
KTM-19K, KTM-19KT, KTM-19KT-01 : 8 / 8 (2003-2007)
KTM-8KM : 8 / 8 (1997, 2000)
KTM-5M3 : 60 / 91 (1977-1987)
RVZ-6 : 0 / 39 (1966-1970)

New rolling stock deliveries a very few, but the pace of deliveries is steady. This includes 4 low floor trams delivered between 2010-2013. All trams are well maintained and exceptionally clean, with the interior homy looking window curtains becoming a local standard.

Photographs

Last updated: 25-Sep-2015
© 2002 Author: Yury Maller - Usage of material found herein for public display is possible with authors' permission only.
Special thanks: Dimar Sagdeev - maps; Evgeniy Kuybyshev - photos; Evgeniy Pavlov - historic photos