Location: Galveston
Founded: 1839
Population: 47 743 (2010)

Galveston, Texas is a coastal city located on the narrow Galveston Island, squeezed between the Gulf of Mexico and the Galveston Bay. The city is vulnerable to storms and hurricanes, and boasts a protective seawall built along the Gulf of Mexico coastline. Most of Galveston's economy is based on the tourism, health care and shipping.

The system known as Galveston Island Trolley was considered a heritage tramway upon its initial opening in 1988. The tramway acquired a status of a full-fledged transit system upon being extended to the new University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in 2005.

There are no overhead wires due to local citizens' concerns regarding visual obstructions on city streets, as well as for economical reasons.

Trams are diesel-electric powered. The cars are modern built, designed to look like vintage electric trolleys.

Operation has been suspended since September 2008, due to heavy damage from Hurricane Ike, however the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Transit Authority have agreed to fund the repair of the cars.

Operator: Island Transit

System opened: 23.07.1988
Track length: 10,9 km. (one-way)
Gauge: 1435 mm
Number of routes: 2
Number of stations: 24
Number of passenger vehicles: 4
Passengers carried: 55 000 annually

1867 - A mule tramway opens.
1891 - An electric power is introduced.
05.1938 - The first tramway system closes.

23.07.1988 - A diesel tramway opens: the Strand Distric - Seawall (the beach) segment.
14.03.2005 - The Strand Distric - University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) segment opens.
09.2008 - Operation suspended due to damage from Hurricane Ike.

A loop around the central Strand District is a one-way single-directional track. The line to the Seawall is double-track. The newer line to UTMB is single-track, with one passing point. All tracks in the central Strand District and along the Seawall line are on a mixed right-of-way. The track along the UTMB line is in the tramway-only lane, isolated with yellow paint. The only segregated right-of-way segments are short pockets at Seawall and UTMB terminals.

System map: 2008

Headways:
Strand District - Seawall: 30 min.
Strand District - UTMB: 20 min.
Service is unreliable as operating behind schedule is a norm, especially on the more touristy Strand District – Seawall route. Transfers between the two services are not thought through. The Strand District – Seawall route is prone to weather-related cancellations. Unannounced and seemingly unwarranted system closures observed on certain days.

A total of 4 cars:

4 Miner Railcar vehicles (1988)

2 cars are used to maintain regularly scheduled service.

Cars were heavily damaged in the Hurricane Ike in 09.2008.