Trams in Aarhus, Denmark: Aarhus Light Rail (2022)

Description

Aarhus in Denmark is home to the country's first 21st-century light rail system, known as the Aarhus Letbane. In the first edition of the Trams in Europe series, we focus on Aarhus, Denmark's second-largest city, where this documentary-style video explores the history, lines, fleet, and future of the Aarhus Letbane tram system. No commentary footage of the line itself follows this segment.

Timestamps:
00:00 Commentary overview of the Aarhus Letbane
16:18 No commentary footage of the Aarhus Letbane
16:19 Line L1 (Stadler Tango Tram-Trains)
21:13 L1 exterior
21:42 Line L2 (Stadler Variobahn)
34:39 L2 exterior

This series explores trams in Europe, examining various tram and light rail systems across the continent. That's how I plan to structure it, although that may change. The first part of the video will feature commentary providing an in-depth overview of the history of the current fleets and general context for the city's transit network. Additionally, there are plans for the tram network, if any. To start the series, we're in our house in Denmark, so let's begin with a brief geography lesson and some background on Aarhus. Aarhus is the second-largest city in Denmark, situated in Scandinavia, a region in Northern Europe. It has a population of around 350,000, but it is part of the larger capital region, which has a much bigger population. This will be relevant later when discussing the Aarhus Light Rail or the Odderbanen. The plan is first to provide a brief history of the system, including a fun fact—though I wouldn't necessarily call it fun, just an interesting observation—and then discuss the lines, trams, and offer some additional context, concluding with plans. Afterward, I'll turn off the mic. While this is being edited, a timestamp will be added, allowing you to enjoy the footage without commentary and appreciate the system's charm. So, let me know what you think of this series. If you like the format, we appreciate your feedback. Basically, the R, whose leg band is lightweight, refers to the light rail system in Aarhus. I believe that band is similar to a light rail tram, as it is also referred to as such in other cities.

Aarhus Light Rail was the first tram to operate in Denmark since 1971. Like many other cities in Northern and Western Europe, Denmark previously had a tram system. However, in 1971, which was quite late compared to most European cities, many other Western European cities had already abandoned their trams much earlier. It's somewhat strange that they stopped trams in 1971, but Copenhagen stands out as a global leader in this area. After 1971, Denmark lost some of its charm in this regard. The Aarhus light rail essentially marked the start of discussions about building a light rail system in Denmark, which began in the early 2000s.

As you are aware, such projects often require a substantial amount of time. There is a legislative process, and construction began around 2012. The line was opened in three stages, with the initial section being completed.

The first stage was initially scheduled to launch in 2016. However, as we all know, these transfer projects were delayed and didn't open until 2017. 2017 was a significant year for Aarhus because it was named European Capital of Culture. If they were going to visit our area, you'd see them along the paths unless they had moved them earlier. However, in 2022, they're still present on the paths. The European Capital of Culture designation in 2017 helped promote Aarhus as a cultural hub, although things may not have gone entirely as planned. The opening was actually scheduled for December 21, 2017, which is about as late as you can get before Christmas. And yes, realistically, you wouldn't see everything open until much later in the year. Another interesting fact is that the trams reportedly traveled 100,000 kilometers, effectively running as ghost vehicles without passengers during their testing phase. There was a safety concern, so the trams only ran 110 kilometers during testing. I'm not sure if that's entirely accurate, but that's the sense from the article—trams running 100,000 kilometers as ghost vehicles because the testing occurred before they started regular service. The first section opened, but the process was somewhat uneven, as there was a lot to cover. This is part of the Oracle Light Rail system, which is unique and different from most tram or light rail systems. Essentially, the first part that opened was between two areas, which I’ll show you now. Sorry, I mean the initial segment was part of the L2 line, running from Rødhusring, which translates to 'Archery Central Station' in Danish, all the way up to the University Hospital, which is essentially our university hospital.

Stops

Grenaa → Ryomgård → Aarhus H → Hornslet → Torsøvej → Østbanetorvet → Vestre Strandallé → Risskov Strandpark → Dokk1 → Hjortshøj → Kollind → Løgten → Hovmarken → Lystrup → Thorsager → Skolebakken → Trustrup → Mørke → Hessel → Odder → Lisbjergskolen → Mårslet → Universitetshospitalet → The University → Olof Palmes Alle → Vandtårnet (Ringvejen) → Universitetsparken → Beder → Malling → Gammel Skejby → Vilhelmsborg → Klokhøjen → Lisbjerg Bygade → Kongsvang → Nørreport → Tranbjerg → Humlehuse → Lisbjerg-Terp → Viby → Gunnar Clausens Vej → Øllegårdsvej → Rude Havvej → Nørrevænget → Mølleparken → Rosenhøj → Assedrup → Nye → Stjernepladsen → Nehrus Allé → Stockholmsgade.

37:01