Zurich shows that there is another way – letters to the editor Freiburg
Regarding the message “Tram line 4 cut from Monday” (BZ from March 18).
I am dismayed to read that once again a tram line WILL be interrupted for three weeks for track renewal over a length of 150 metres. There is no question that such work is necessary and takes time. However, a look at the ‘tram city’ of Zurich shows that there is another way. There is also no magic and overall not worked faster. However, the work is organized in such a way that the actual downtime is reduced to a minimum. A current example: Rämistraße between Bellevue and Kunsthaus – around 100 meters of track renewal in both directions, construction time around three weeks, tram operations are only closed on the weekend of April 2nd and 3rd. All preparatory and follow-up work takes place during ongoing operations and in the example with two night shifts. Shortly before the interruption of operations, the train literally only runs on a skeleton track. Later in the year, here in Freiburg, we are threatened with a several-month closure of line 4 on Zähringer Strasse (in Zurich: estimated long construction time, including closure for two or three weekends) as well as a two-week/three-weekend interruption of line 2 due to a few meters of track on both sides the Kaiserbrücke (in Zurich: an estimated three weeks of construction time; tram traffic will be closed twice for one Sunday).Christoph Kessler, Freiburg