# Trams in Ulm

The Ulm tramway network (German: Straßenbahnnetz Ulm) is a network of tramways forming part of the public transport system in Ulm, a city in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
Opened in 1897, the network is currently operated by Stadtwerke Ulm/Neu-Ulm GmbH (SWU), and integrated in the Donau-Iller-Nahverkehrsverbund (DING).

## History

The first trams began operation in Ulm on 15 May 1897, running on a ring line linking the main station, Olgastraße, Fraunstraße and Münsterplatz and a second line linking Ulm to the railway station in Neu-Ulm. The trams were originally operated by the privately owned "Ulmer Straßenbahn- und Elektrizitätswerk" until being bought by the city on 1 April 1905. The network was further extended and by 1929 had four lines. Following the Second World War only two of these lines reopened. Following further closures in 1964 only a single 5.6 km long line remained, linking Donauhalle and Söflingen.
Expansion of the network began again in 2007 with the construction of a 4.6 km long extension from Donauhalle to Böfingen, which opened on 21 March 2009. The expansion continued with the opening of the new 9.8 km long line 2 on 8 December 2018, linking Science Park in the north-west of Ulm to Kuhberg in the south-west.

## Lines

| Line | Route | Length | Stations | Journey time (in minutes) |
| 1 | Söflingen – Böfingen Ostpreußenweg | 10.3 km | 22 | 30 |
| 2 | Kuhberg Schulzentrum – Science Park II | 9.8 km | 21 | 28 |
The two lines share almost a kilometre of track in the city centre between Theater and Ehinger Tor, including the tram stop at the main railway station. Germany's highest tram stop is at Botanischer Garten (Botanical Gardens) on line 2, which is 617 m above sea level.

## Rolling stock

As of 2024, SWU has ten Combino trams and eighteen Avenio M trams, both types designated NGT 6 UL and manufactured by Siemens Mobility. Each tram is named after a well-known person with a connection to Ulm.

### Combino trams

In 2003, the entire previous fleet of GT4 trams was replaced with eight Combino NGT 6 UL vehicles. Two more trams were delivered in 2008 to serve the extended Line 1. The Combino trams are five-section unidirectional vehicles, 31 m long and 2.4 m wide with 72 seats.
Their fleet numbers and names are:
| Number | Named after | Delivered |
| 41 | Albrecht Berblinger | March 2003 |
| 42 | Agathe Streicher | April 2003 |
| 43 | Albert Einstein | May 2003 |
| 44 | Max Eyth | June 2003 |
| 45 | Otl Aicher | June 2003 |
| 46 | Johannes Kepler | June 2003 |
| 47 | Jörg Syrlin | July 2003 |
| 48 | Sophie Scholl | July 2003 |
| 49 | Hans Scholl | December 2008 |
| 50 | Resi Weglein [de] | December 2008 |

### Avenio M trams

SWU ordered twelve Avenio M trams in 2015, to be used on the new line 2 when it opened. These also comprise five sections and measure 31 m long and 2.4 m wide. The contract included an option for an additional six vehicles which were ordered in 2020. In 2024 it was announced that all 18 Avenio M trams would be extended with an extra two modules to increase the passenger capacity of each tram from 185 to 256, with the first lengthened tram expected to be in service in 2027.
The fleet numbers and names are:
| Number | Named after | Delivered |
| 51 | Inge Aicher-Scholl | April 2018 |
| 52 | Lina Einstein | February 2018 |
| 53 | Anna Essinger | April 2018 |
| 54 | Felix Fabri | April 2018 |
| 55 | Agnes Schultheiß [de] | June 2018 |
| 56 | Hildegard Knef | July 2018 |
| 57 | Conrad Dietrich Magirus | August 2018 |
| 58 | Kurt Schumacher | August 2018 |
| 59 | Heinrich Parler the Elder | September 2018 |
| 60 | Mathilde Planck | October 2018 |
| 61 | "Emmy" (Emilie) Wechßler | October 2018 |
| 62 | Alfred Moos | November 2018 |
| 63 | Johannes Scultetus [de] | October 2022 |
| 64 | Christian Schubart | October 2022 |
| 65 | Heinz Brenner [de] | November 2022 |
| 66 | Barbara Kluntz | December 2022 |
| 67 | Heinrich von Wagner [de] | February 2023 |
| 68 | Ulrich von Ensingen | June 2023 |