page_title: Trams in Turku
section_title: 1919–1943: Expansion
hierarchical_section_title: Trams in Turku / History / 1919–1943: Expansion
caption_attribution_description: English: ASEA/AEG tram no. 18 in Turku, Finland Suomi: Asea/AEG-raitiovaunu nro 18 Turussa
context_page_description: The Turku tramway network was the first—and as of 2008, second to last—tram system to be operated in Finland. It was operated as horse tramway from 1890 until 1892, and as an electrified tramway from 1908 until 1972. Prior to 1919 the tram system was owned by private interests, and from that year onwards by the City of Turku until closure of the system.
  The possible recreation of the tram network and/or a creation of a light rail network have been discussed since the closure of the tram system in 1972. In December 2009 the Turku City Council made the decision that a light rail system system would be realised in the city after an intermediate phase of bus rapid transit.
context_section_description: In 1920, soon after the city took over the tram operations, an explosion at the electric plant resulted in the death of seven people, as well as large-scale damage to the plant itself. As a result, the distribution of electricity was disturbed, and the tram network was inoperative due to lack of power for 87 days. Plans were made during the earlier half of the 1920s for expansion of the tram network, but the poor post-war financial situation meant these could not be realised.
  The first privately owned bus lines appeared in Turku in 1923. During the rest of the decade the number of bus lines grew, resulting in dropping passenger numbers for the tram system. By the end of the decade the tram system was operating at a loss. A committee was set in 1931 to investigate the future of city-maintained public transport in Turku, which recommended that the tram network be expanded and the city should not, for the time being, start its own bus operations. Following the committee's recommendations, plans were drawn to convert the entire tram network to double track and expand it to various directions, doubling the track lineage. This also meant the creation of three separate lines. The construction of the expansions started in 1932, when two new extensions of the network were opened, resulting in the creation of three separate lines. A fourth line is also said to have existed at some point during the first half of the 1930s, but reports about it are fragmentary and conflicting. Further expansions to the network were built during 1933 and 1934. The expansion of the tram network resulted in higher passenger numbers, which necessitated the acquisition of new rolling stock. Prior to acquisition of the new trams a poll was held amongst tram passengers to decide the colour of the new trams. The traditional yellow colour won the vote, scoring 724 votes against the second favourite, dark blue with 208 votes. To cover for a temporary shortage of rolling stock before new trams were delivered, five trams were rented from Helsinki during the years 1931-1938.
  Further expansion of the network occurred in 1938 and 1940. The 1940 expansion resulted in the combination of lines 2 and 3 into a single line, which changed numbers halfway through the route. The two-designation system was necessitated by the fact that the new 2/3 line spooled back into itself, with the end of the line stop for "line 3" being located along the route of "line 2". Tram operations continued throughout World War II, with passenger numbers greatly exceeding those during peace-time.
caption: ASEA/AEG built tram 18 from 1933. The last trams of this type were retained in use until the close of the system in 1972.
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