Hiroshima's Narrow Tram Streets

[bill937ca]

When you see Japanese trams most of the time it is a wide boulevard with dedicated tracks down the middle.  In Hiroshima there are a couple of locations with four lane streets with the dedicated tram lane and only a single traffic lane in each direction and no on street parking.  In many Japanese cities it is illegal to drive on the tram tracks. Still in today's world the degree of adherence to rules of the road is remarkable .

 

Video by  riyotoyukai.

 

This is on the Unina Dori which leads down to Hiroshima Port.  Lines 1, 3 and 5 run along this road.  Its a mix of ramshackle single story buildings, parking lots and taller modern buildings.

 

 

 

The cab ride videos below are from 2008 this is the first two parts of a Tram 1 cab ride.  The tram driver agreed to allow the railfan to mount his camera in the tram. 

 

The street is extremely narrow with extremely narrow safety islands.  It is hard to see how this line could be upgraded to modern low floor trams.

 

This is on an articulated  tram with a operator and conductor. You can hear the traditional bell and buzzer communication between the crew as they finish loading at stops.  These older videos also give a great view of the street and how traffic behaves.  

 

Hiroden has 26 different types of trams on its fleet including various retro trams, articulated trams and low floor trams,  At stops operators make a safety stop a full car length behind the car ahead and then creep up to the stop. This is probably so an operator unfamiliar with a certain tram's brakes doesn't rear end the tram ahead.

 

In Hiroshima passengers pay their fare as they are leaving the tram. At the stops with more generous waiting room passengers queue near the middle door and board at the middle door. Upon paying their passengers exit most trams by the front door.

 

Videos by  daisukesakajo. The first video starts at Port Hiroshima and moves to the narrow street section at about 5:00.

 

 

 

 

The number 1 tram reaches Minami-machi6-chome at the end of this section and turns left to head for Kamiyacho, the commercial heart of Hiroshima and later the JR Station.  Tram 5 will head straight ahead at the junction and also end its run at JR Hiroshima.

Edited March 8, 2018 by bill937ca

[katoftw]

I actually think the narrow streets are more common in Japan that wide boulevards in regards to tram lines.

[bill937ca]

Another location is the area around the Koami Cho stop on trams 2,  and 3.   There is a tram only bridge followed by a street without sidewalks lined mostly with large buildings.

 

https://encrypted.google.com/maps/place/Koami-cho/@34.3945329,132.4443207,3a,75y,90h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s3oEkgLyAjTwfYMNUsxSvig!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo1.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D3oEkgLyAjTwfYMNUsxSvig%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D155.1179%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x355a9908eef34fbb:0x7e4ce50cfc1f772!2sHiroshima,+Hiroshima+Prefecture,+Japan!3b1!8m2!3d34.3852029!4d132.4552927!3m4!1s0x355aa26fa0512c81:0x2c46935eb6e92d02!8m2!3d34.3944797!4d132.4443001

 

Video by Superknightrider3000.

 

 

Video by nek0mask55.

 

 

Edited March 8, 2018 by bill937ca

[katoftw]

I'm loving the brickwork ground.

[Khaul]

49 minutes ago, katoftw said:

I actually think the narrow streets are more common in Japan that wide boulevards in regards to tram lines.

 

I would say that's is true in all regards. On street parking is not allowed, at least in the big urban areas. That helps to run trams in four lane streets and, in general, rules out car usage for most purposes.

[kvp]

For upgrading to low floor trams, you just buy narrow profile low floor trams with little to no overhang compared to the old units. Most modern tram types are available in both narrow and standard gauge and narrow and wide loading gauge. The combino classic types are better in this regard like the Hiroshima piccola trams. They are an almost exact fit for an articulated 3 section high floor tram.

[AllScales]

On 3/8/2018 at 4:07 AM, katoftw said:

I'm loving the brickwork ground.

That’s quite common in Europe. In Brussels they use the old fashioned rounded stones quite a lot. This is to remind car drivers, that they’re not meant to be in it...