The Tram Trieste - Opicina (2012)

Description

Report on the history of the tram from Trieste over the steep slopes.

Trieste has a lot to offer, including a tram. Well, you might think so, but this tram is something special. It runs between Trieste and Opicina, a suburb high above the port city. The route features a gradient of over 26% in some areas, which the tram cannot manage going up or down without assistance. Just after leaving Trieste, a vehicle is attached to the tram that doesn't have a specific technical name. It's a type of funicular railway, like the one on Graz's Schlossberg. The car going downhill pulls the tram uphill, while the second car in front of the descending tram acts as a brake. The steel cable connecting the two vehicles runs through an extensive drive system located at the middle station. From there, the tram resumes on its own. In the railway museum at the former Trieste central station, you can find old photos, timetables, and the predecessors of today's cable car. Initially, the Trieste-Opicina tram was supported by a cog railway for its uphill and downhill sections, starting in 1902. In 1928, the system was upgraded to a funicular. This cable car had a grey wooden body, which was later replaced with an orange metal body and continued to operate until 2005. Today, the push and brake vans are unmanned, but the system has remained the same since 1928. Over 700,000 people ride this tram each year. It is the last of the original trams in Trieste, and with its support system, it's genuinely unique worldwide. The first cars from 192 are stored in the depot in Opicina. One of these was fully restored 10 years ago.

The old tram between Trieste and Opicina also has a special feature and a connection to Graz. It was built in the Weizer wagon factories in Graz. Today, these factories are known as Simmering Grazbauten. The second car is still in the depot, waiting to be revived. An accident shortly after its debut in 1902 inspired the Triestina to write a song about sports. The accident involved the tram jumping off the rails while descending and crashing into a house. It's almost as dangerous as the Bohrer, which falls from the mountain at 200 km/h. That's what the song says, but I love how they tease each other, as is well known, and that also applies to the Triestina and its tram to Opicina, which continues to operate even after 110 years.

Stops

Piazza Oberdan → Opicina.

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