Cargo Trams 2

Back in April of 07 we covered Cargo Trams, specifically the City Cargo operation in Amsterdam. Well there's an article on how it all works in Material Handling Magazine. It's a fascinating read about how the city uses streetcars to take deliveries into the city during the day and distribute it using small electric delivery vehicles. This allows for more deliveries during the day since Amsterdam is closed to delivery trucks during the day.

"The ultimate goal is Green sustainability, reduction of pollution and truck traffic," says Bonkenburg. "We wanted an approach that was efficient and effective for moving goods into the system for an indefinite period without having a negative impact on the environment. By reducing traffic congestion, you immediately reduce pollution, noise levels and have less damage to roads."

Using trams to carry goods into the city also provides awider window for deliveries, according to Bonkenburg. Amsterdam restricts truck traffic during certain hours, but with a tram and e-car combination, the system allows smaller deliveries throughout the day.

You can find a video here that shows how it works.

Cargo Trams

They're back. Hardly a new idea, the Cargo Tram was once a mainstay of the railroads and interurbans. Three European cities are up and running with three different types of cargo service and it will be interesting to see if this is possible in the United States. I think though we needed better networks than we have now.

Zurich - Kind of a Good Will Trailer on rails. People drop off disposable items and electronics and it's taken to the recycling center to be disposed of properly. English Translations can be done here.

Amsterdam - City Cargo will use trams and electric vehicles to distribute goods in the city. This is a really promising idea for the United States if we ever rebuild some of our interurban lines. No more big delivery trucks with diesel emissions...

Dresden - Volkswagen built a spur off of the city tram line to transport car parts across the city. The tram line takes 3 trucks off the road per trip. Fascinating Stuff.

A Discussion at Portland Transport about Cargo Trams...and a Swiss Blog is following the trend.