The city of Salzburg today shows few signs of the trams which once plied for traffic through the main streets, for they were removed over sixty years ago.

The first part of the first part of the 2.9 km Salzburg tramways, owned by Stadt Salzburg (the City Council) and operated by Salzburger Railroad and Tramwaygesellschaft) (SETG), which, unlike the tramways of many other Austro-Hungarian cities was laid to standard gauge, was opened to the public on 15 October 1887. This was 13 months after the first section of interurban railway was opened through the streets, on its' way to Hellbrun and eventually .Berchesgarten, the Salzburger Lokalbahn.

At first horse-drawn, the SETG replaced the horses with 0-4-0 ST steam engines. However, the system shut down from 30 September 1908, being converted to 800 v d.c. electric traction and reopening on 4 May 1909, again over a year behind the Salzburger Lokalbahn, which used some of the same tracks within the city. The trams had a top speed of 20 km/h through the streets, and were nicknamed the "Gelbe Elektrische" - Yellow Electric - to differentiate them from the "Röt Elektriche" of the SETG Lokalbahn to Hellbrun.

The tramway shut in stages, partly as a result of war damage, but partly because the route was simply too short to ever be profitable. The first section to close was the Sigmundsplatz - Maxglan section via the Neutortunnel under Höhensalzburg, which closed from 25 September 1940. Bomb shelters had been constructed from within the Neutortunnel, and still exist today, now being used as underground car parks, but with the blast doors remaining at the pedestrian entrances - stark reminders of their previous use. The route was replaced by trolley buses ("O" bus) along the same route. The second section to close was the Platzl - Sigmindsplatz section from 24 October 1940, followed 12 days later by the last section between Haptbahnhof - Mirabellplatz - Platzl section. Trolleybuses replaced the trams along the route, and also operated to other areas during the war. Indeed, trailers for the O buses were built, and several of the trolleybuses were altered to work off accumulator batteries away from the overhead wires, towing wagon trailers loaded with goods. The O bus route is still Route 1.

Of the five original MAN trams, number 1 did not survive an accident on 6 October 1940, no.2 was sent to Woldersdorf (Berlin) in 1942 and no.5 became SETG 23, only to be destroyed by Allied bombing in 1944, when the depot at Iztling was badly damaged. Of the additional cars, only the 1926- Grazer Waggenfabrik - built cars had further lives, no.10 and no.11 were sold to SETG, who renumbered the first one M21, then converted it to a rail scraper, no 41. No 11 was renumbered M22, but was lost at Itzling in 1944. None of the 1912 or 1916 Simmering - built cars (6 and 7-9) survived the closure of the tramway.

Two of the five trailers - 101-105, built 1920 by Simmering - were also sold to SETG, whilst 104 was converted to be a sanding car. SETG was repaired, and worked until 1956 as number 6 on the SVB. Despite being used as a works car until 1965, and in spite of protests, it was scrapped in 1965/6. The route from the Hauptbahnhof was double tracked as far as Mirabellplatz, and was shared with the SETG route as far as the large road junction just south of the railway bridge, where Rainerstraße crosses Markus Sittikus Straße. Here the SETG turned down, heading to Schwartzsraße, and then south-east. The tramway, meanwhile, became single-track through the narrow section out to Platzl, where there was a passing-loop, and a flat crossing with the SETG as it ran along the Giselakai. The tramway crossed the bridge in front of the Alt Rathaus, and under the archway, and into the Town hall Square. Bearing right through the Ludwig Viktor Place (today Marktplace) where there was a loop, the single line ran through another archway, the Ritzerbogen, into Universitätsplatz.

From here the line passed down to Sigmundsbergplatz. Here there was a short branch into the Winter Riding School, later the small Festspielhaus. The main route passed through the 135m-long Neutortunnel. The tunnel, first opened in 1764 and one of the world's oldest road tunnels, was widened internally, but the portals were not touched, causing a kink in the track at both ends of the tunnel. The tramway terminated at the Neutorstraße / Reidenbergstraße junction.

In summer there was a service every 4.5 minutes from the station to Sigmundsbergplatz, with every other tram continuing through the tunnel to the terminus. In winter a tram ran the full length of the line eight times an hour. Trams were stabled and repaired at the SETG Itzling depot, and were turned regularly on the railway triangle to even out wheel wear. The last tram of the day always carried a blue lamp on the rear

The city's official Transport site

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text by Stephen Ford
Sources : Tramways and Light Railways of Switzerland and Austria, LRTA
Http://home.pages.at/heaven/trolley.htm (trolleybuses) : Http://www.regionale-schienen.at/index1.htm
updated 24th November 2004
Design and © Ron Ferguson