Hanover Stadtbahn

Hanover Stadtbahn
Overview
Locale	Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany
Transit type	Light rail (Stadtbahn)
Number of lines	12 (with 1 weekend express night & 2 special lines)[1]
Number of stations	201 (incl. 19 underground stations)[2]
Website	üstra
Operation
Began operation	29 September 1975[3]
Operator(s)	üstra Hannoversche Verkehrsbetriebe AG
Number of vehicles	289[2]
Technical
System length	121 km (75 mi)[2]
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Electrification	600 V DC overhead
System map Hanover Stadtbahn full network map

The Hanover Stadtbahn is a Stadtbahn (light rail) system in the city of Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany. The Stadtbahn opened on 29 September 1975,^[3] gradually replacing the city's tramway network over the course of the following 25 years. Currently, the Hanover Stadtbahn system consists of 12 main lines^[1] (Lines 1–11 & 17; along with one weekend express night line (Line 10E) and two supplemental lines (Lines 16 & 18)),^[1] serving 201 stations (including 19 underground stations, and 124 high-platform stations),^[2] and operating on 121 kilometres (75 mi) of route.^[2] The system is run by üstra, which was originally an abbreviation for Überlandwerke und Straßenbahnen Hannover AG. As of 2007, it transported 125 million passengers per year.^[3]

Three types of light rail cars operate on the system, the TW 6000, built from 1974 to 1993, the TW 2000 (the so-called "Silberpfeil"), built from 1997 to 1999, and the TW 3000, which was first introduced into A line service in 2015. The system is extensively used, especially during trade shows on the Hanover fairground like CeBIT or the Hannover Messe. It makes up for more than 60% of the GVH transport association's total traffic, spanning over four cities and two counties. Hanover Stadtbahn is complemented by DB-owned Hanover S-Bahn, a suburban heavy rail network which links the outlying suburbs and towns, as well as Hanover Airport, to the city centre.