Trams in Linz

The line was built to the unusual tramway gauge of 900 mm (2 ft 11+7⁄16 in), which, outside the Linz area, is only used by the trams in Lisbon.

In 1895, the line was extended by 300 metres (980 ft) at its northern end to the Linz Urfahr railway station, popularly known as the Mühlkreisbahnhof.

This line was built to 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge and there was therefore no possibility of trams running through from Linz city centre to the Pöstlingberg.

[3][5] In 1902 the main tram network was expanded by a line linking Blumauerplatz, on the existing line south of the city centre, with the northern side of the bridge over the Traun river in Kleinmünchen, giving a total length of 5.88 kilometres (3.65 mi).

With this extension, the Linz tramway took on the form it was to retain for many years, with a long north to south line and a short branch to the main railway station.

Linz's tram network is built to 900 mm (2 ft 11+7⁄16 in) and is electrified using overhead line.

By contrast, the trams used on route 50 are double-ended, with doors on both sides, and use stub terminals at Pöstlingberg and Hauptplatz.

The connecting line itself has some of the attributes of a tramway, running in the carriageway of a road during its crossing of the Danube on the so-called Eisenbahnbrücke.

[9] Further plans, making use of the additional capacity made available by this second axis, involve the use of tram-trains over local railway lines to form a RegioTram network.

Early Pöstlingberg tram still in service in 1970
Trams at the former Hauptbahnhof street terminus in 1965
Trams in central Linz in 1978
Map of the network, 2023.
An example of grassed right of way
The previous terminus Doblerholz of line 3, with depot in background, and stub for extension to Traun to the left of the tram.