The first generation tram line existed between 1988-2011. The closure of the system was perhaps the list logical in Romania, since the city stretched via a long valley, literally built around the single dense corridor - hence ideal conditions as a core corridor for a high-capacity public transportation mode. The tram has always been in demand here. The only downside was that the entire line was technically in mixed traffic. Fortunately, common sense prevailed, and the 2nd generation tramway line is under construction in Reșița since 2019, effectively a rebuilt of the previously existed line, albeit minus the less popular small segment to Renk in the north, and to the village of Stăvila in the south. Unfortunately the new system will be operated with 18-meter long Turkish-built Durmazlar trams.
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Трамвайная линия 1-го поколения существовала с 1988 по 2011 год. Закрытие системы было, пожалуй, самым нелогичным решением в Румынии. Город Рещица распологается в длинной долине, и буквально отстроен вдоль одного плотного коридора – отсюда идеальные условия для линии общественного транспорта с большой провозной способностью. Трамвай здесь всегда был востребован. Единственным недостатком было то, что вся линия проходила в смешанном потоке транспорта. К счастью, здравый смысл возобладал, и с 2019 года в Решице строится трамвайная линия 2-го поколения, которая фактически представляет собой перестроенную ранее существовавшую линию, хотя и без менее популярного небольшого участка до Renk на севере, и до села Stăvila на юге. К сожалению, на новой линии будут работать 18-метровые трамваи Durmazlar турецкого производства.

The new tram operation will be open to the public in the middle of this month, after several festive days (Children's Day, National Day) during which those who wanted could travel with the trams for free.

I don't understand why you think that "unfortunately" there will be 18-meter Turkish trams in circulation. The trams are modular, therefore, according to the mayor, if it is found that the trams will be in too much demand, intermediate segments will be ordered.

Цитата (Andrei Andras, 05.12.2024):
> I don't understand why you think that "unfortunately" there will be 18-meter Turkish trams in circulation.

The new trams are only 2-section single-articulated units totaling 18 m. in length. This doesn't utilize potential capability of a rail (i.e. 'guided') transportation mode, that can offer virtually unlimited capacity. At the same time the new / rebuilt line in Reșița serves the single dense corridor, where the high-capacity rail mode is warranted. Trams were always popular in the city when they did run in the past.

Note, that the old GT8 tram in my photo is 25,6 m. long. While 18 m. that Durmazlar trams offer is even less then 19,1 m. old GT6 trams had offered. Mind you, that low-floor interiors have more constraints than high-floor interiors. Meaning that 18 m. of the low-floor interior is comparable to 15 m. of the high-floor interior. Which is nothing more than a bus.

One might argue that trams' low passenger carrying capacity can be compensated with a lesser headway - meaning shorter trams operating more often. However, with only 13 trams available, and with likely lower spare ratio factor associated with the Turkish-built trams - I do not see low headway as an option either.

Last but not least, I don't trust Durmazlar as a manufacturer, mostly in terms of reliability. I do assume that Durmazlar was the cheaper option. However, as we in transportation profession know based on many previous experiences around the world - one NEVER saves with the cheap option, having to later pay in a longer term either with maintenance expenses, with additional (or early) procurements, or with service level reductions. There is a famous saying: 'The cheapskate (the cheap person) always pays twice'. It looks like some carriers never learn that, and try to invent the wheel again, and again...

> The trams are modular, therefore, according to the mayor, if it is found that the trams will be in too much demand, intermediate segments will be ordered.

Not being able to project passenger demand in such a small city on a single available corridor, adding sections in trams and such, sounds like very poor planning. Frankly it sounds more like a childish excuse to feed the public and cover financial shortcomings.

One reason why long trams were bought in the 00s is because the industry was still stubbornly trying to exist. That was also the reason for building a tram line in a city like Reșița. Trams were in demand, these transported workers. Added to that is the fact that we were a poor country back then, not everyone had a personal car, so the population had to somehow travel around the city.

Reșița in 2024 no longer resembles Reșița from the communist era, industry is at a standstill, the population from almost 100.000 people reached 58.000 in 2021, the young population that remained in the city uses personal cars for transportation, and buses (and soon trams) are used mostly by pupils, students and the elderly. Maybe, and I hope, that with the reintroduction of trams, people will take advantage of it and use it to its full capacity because it is the only tram system in Romania that, after being decommissioned, was reborn from its own ashes.

Regarding trams, Durmazlar was the only company that participated in the tender organized by the ministry. At first impression, they seem like well-made, silent trams. Time will tell.

Цитата (Andrei Andras, 05.12.2024):
> Reșița in 2024 no longer resembles Reșița from the communist era, industry is at a standstill, the population from almost 100.000 people reached 58.000 in 2021, the young population that remained in the city uses personal cars for transportation, and buses (and soon trams) are used mostly by pupils, students and the elderly. Maybe, and I hope, that with the reintroduction of trams, people will take advantage of it and use it to its full capacity because it is the only tram system in Romania that, after being decommissioned, was reborn from its own ashes.

Hello again, Andrei. Many thanks for your description. I anticipated most of the trends that you mention in Reșița, however, not to such an extent.

Nevertheless, since the newly rebuilt tram line in Reșița serves the only single dense passenger corridor, this provides for a very easy passenger projection modeling. But even when I use the lowest possible passenger numbers, and only for groups of passengers that represent inelastic demand (school children, senior citizens, etc.), I still get loadings at twice the seated capacity of 2-section Durmazlar trams. One can hardly promote a new mode of transportation with standees and crowded vehicles.

However, the Reșița tram operating schedule was just published:
https://transphoto.org/photo/2052989/
https://transphoto.org/photo/2052990/
I was very pleasantly surprised with 7-8 minute headways, which I didn't anticipate in my projections! High complements to the local planners. Such low headways should keep loadings within comfort levels.

I just hope Reșița will be able to consistently maintain such low headways in the future. It looks like current schedule requires 9-10 trams in operation out of 13 trams available. This is a generous but realistic spare ratio, which addresses Turkish trams' expected low reliability. So, keeping low headways will likely come down to such factors as operating budget, and political will. Let's hope for the best.

Цитата (Andrei Andras, 05.12.2024):
> Regarding trams, Durmazlar was the only company that participated in the tender organized by the ministry. At first impression, they seem like well-made, silent trams. Time will tell.

This is a likely indictor (and an industry classic practice) of a tender specifications written for a single expected manufacturer, or tender quotes so low, that only one expected cheapest bidder can qualify.

Unfortunately this is a recipe for low quality product, and a classic mistake in strategic transportation planning. I understand there is an ever-present dilemma for cities with limited funds. On the surface it looks like the choice is: get something for little money, or get nothing at all. However, when cities get low quality product for little money, they are ALREADY PAYING MORE anyway - through future maintenance expenses, additional or early procurements, and future service cuts.

There is actually an easy solution to the dilemma, and the answer is simple: the cost of borrowing more money is always lower, than the cost of future extra expenses due to low quality product. One just need to hope that local planners and politicians are reasonable and socially responsible enough, so they don't solve today's problems by dispersing obvious expenses to the future generations.

UPD: Upon further review I now also realize that Durmazlar trams of the Reșița order have horrible interiors. The layout is very crammed due to inferior design around wheelbases. Moreover it looks like all (?!) seats require negotiating a stoop, which undermines the low floor design in principle. In this day and age, such technology is considered obsolete in the industry. These drawbacks could be compensated with additional section(s) that can provide more interior options outside wheelbases. But Reșița trams... have no additional sections. One cannot compensate for inferior wheelbase design with only two wheeled sections. Hence another problem posed by a choice of a two-section trams.

I do realize that criticism of tram designs usually is not taken well an fansites such as Transphoto. However, in this case I must insist, as both a professional and a fan, that the choice of Durmazlar trams in Reșița is highly unfortunate.

New Reșița trams are ugly compared with this cute old pink GT8. :(

This or other Duewag is from Frankfurt-am-Main. There trams are still 8-axle, about 30-meter, but, surprisingly, have only 3 doors on each side. While articulated buses, 18-meter, have 4 doors.