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Tram exiting Moscow Triumphal Gate roundabout in St Petersburg
Tram exiting Moscow Triumphal Gate roundabout in St Petersburg

A tram roundabout or grand circle is a circular rail junction for trams in the shape of a roundabout. A tram roundabout is able to provide the equivalent any-to-any connection of a grand union, but with a simplified tramway track configuration using one-way traffic, fewer turnouts and reduction in level junctions, at the cost of slightly more space. Trams may continue as one-way traffic in an endless loop around the tram roundabout junction.

A circular roundabout design is often used to allowing passing around a centrally-placed monument, or fountain, or small park.

Standard design

Standard tram roundabouts
Name System Ring track In Out Thru Stops Notes Geo
Hoofddorpplein [nl] Amsterdam 180 m 590 ft 2 2 52°21′05″N 4°51′00″E / 52.3513°N 4.85°E / 52.3513; 4.85 (Hoofddorpplein tram roundabout)
Tropenmuseum Amsterdam 195 m 640 ft 3 3 52°21′48″N 4°55′22″E / 52.3633°N 4.9228°E / 52.3633; 4.9228 (Tropenmuseum tram roundabout)
Slotermeerlaan [nl] Amsterdam 212 m 696 ft 4 4 6 junction with Burgemeester Röellstraat [nl] 52°22′33″N 4°49′08″E / 52.3757°N 4.819°E / 52.3757; 4.819 (Slotermeerlaan/Röellstraat tram roundabout)
Place Dumon [fr]/ Dumonplein Brussels 242 m 794 ft 2 2 2 50°50′24″N 4°27′54″E / 50.84°N 4.465°E / 50.84; 4.465 (Dumon tram roundabout)
Bersarinplatz Berlin 254 m 833 ft 3 3 4 stops off ring 52°31′07″N 13°27′11″E / 52.5186°N 13.453°E / 52.5186; 13.453 (Bersarinplatz tram roundabout)
Romanplatz Munich 137 m 449 ft 3 3 4 stops off ring, two tracks at one of the Ins 48°09′20″N 11°30′42″E / 48.1555°N 11.5116°E / 48.1555; 11.5116 (Romanplatz roundabout)
Moscow Triumphal Gate St Petersburg 290 m 950 ft 2 2 59°53′30″N 30°19′10″E / 59.8917°N 30.3195°E / 59.8917; 30.3195 (Moscow Triumphal Gate tram roundabout)
Turgenev Square [ru] St Petersburg 557 m 1,827 ft 2 2 2 59°55′06″N 30°17′20″E / 59.9184°N 30.289°E / 59.9184; 30.289 (Turgenev Square tram roundabout)
Lenina / Lunacharskogo[1] Yekaterinburg 188 m 617 ft 4 4 56°50′25″N 60°37′14″E / 56.8402°N 60.6206°E / 56.8402; 60.6206 (Lenina / Lunacharskogo tram roundabout)
Moscow Highway [ru] Ulyanovsk 230 m 750 ft 4 4 54°18′23″N 48°20′59″E / 54.3064°N 48.3497°E / 54.3064; 48.3497 (Moscow Highway (Ulyanovsk) tram roundabout)
Lee Circle New Orleans 283 m 928 ft 3 2 29°56′36″N 90°04′21″W / 29.9433°N 90.0725°W / 29.9433; -90.0725 (Lee Circle streetcar traffic circle)
Kaiserplatz [de] Karlsruhe 245 m 804 ft 2 2 2 around Kaiser Wilhelm monument (Karlsruhe) [de], with "Kombilösung [de]" bypass tunnel underneath 49°00′37″N 8°23′20″E / 49.0103°N 8.3889°E / 49.0103; 8.3889 (Kaiserplatz tram roundabout)
Wolnośći Square in Katowice [pl] Silesian 366 m 1,201 ft 2 2 near Katowice railway station 50°15′35″N 19°00′48″E / 50.2598°N 19.0132°E / 50.2598; 19.0132 (Wolności Square tram roundabout)
Mihaljevac [hr] Zagreb 170 m 560 ft 2 2 3 45°50′32″N 15°58′29″E / 45.8422°N 15.9746°E / 45.8422; 15.9746 (Mihaljevac tram roundabout)
Square of the Victims of Fascism Zagreb 456 m 1,496 ft 3 3 2 45°48′36″N 15°59′14″E / 45.81°N 15.9872°E / 45.81; 15.9872 (Victims of Fascism Square tram roundabout)
Będzin Rondo Silesian 218 m 715 ft 4 4 8 50°19′30″N 19°07′27″E / 50.3249°N 19.1243°E / 50.3249; 19.1243 (Będzin tram roundabout)
Koszutka Słoneczna Pętla Silesian 221 m 725 ft 2 2 4 one platform on loop 50°16′25″N 19°01′29″E / 50.2736°N 19.0248°E / 50.2736; 19.0248 (Słoneczna Pętla tram roundabout)
Four-way circular tram roundabout in Będzin, Poland, on the Silesian Interurbans system, often referred to as 'the kidney' due to the entire junction's rather unusual shape.


Special variations

Special variations of tram roundabout
Name System Ring track In Out Thru Stops Notes Geo
Rond-Point du Meir/ Meerplein Brussels 210 m 690 ft 2 2 1 3 with tram stop in middle 50°49′58″N 4°18′08″E / 50.8327°N 4.3023°E / 50.8327; 4.3023 (Rond-Point du Meir/ Meerplein tram roundabout)
Barrière de Saint-Gilles/ Bareel van Sint-Gillis Brussels 115 m 377 ft 3 3 4 overlapping tracks, stops off ring 50°49′37″N 4°20′41″E / 50.8269°N 4.3446°E / 50.8269; 4.3446 (Saint Gilles tram roundabout)
Place de l'Altitude Cent/ Hoogte Honderd [nl] Brussels 262 m 860 ft 2 2 2 around Saint Augustine Church, Vorst 50°49′00″N 4°20′12″E / 50.8166°N 4.3368°E / 50.8166; 4.3368 (Altitude 100 metres tram roundabout)
Rond-point Winston Churchill/ Winston Churchillplein Brussels 154 m 505 ft 2 2 2 8 50°48′43″N 4°21′14″E / 50.8119°N 4.3539°E / 50.8119; 4.3539 (Winston Churchill Square tram roundabout)
Verboekhoven Square Brussels 241 m 791 ft 4 4 2 over main line rail tracks 50°52′17″N 4°22′33″E / 50.8714°N 4.3759°E / 50.8714; 4.3759 (Verboekhoven Square tram roundabout)
Maxmonument [de] Munich 255 m 837 ft 4 4 2 4 separation around the monument 48°08′15″N 11°35′17″E / 48.1376°N 11.588°E / 48.1376; 11.588 (Maxmonument tram roundabout)
Alt-Köpenick Berlin 916 m 3,000 ft 3 3 3 old town centre 52°26′44″N 13°34′34″E / 52.4456°N 13.576°E / 52.4456; 13.576 (Alt-Köpenick tram roundabout)
Hackescher Markt Berlin 672 m 2,200 ft 3 3 3 around station, with sidings 52°31′23″N 13°24′06″E / 52.523°N 13.4018°E / 52.523; 13.4018 (Hackescher Markt tram roundabout)
Basel SBB railway station Basel 220 m 720 ft 4 4 4 6 station forecourt 47°32′54″N 7°35′25″E / 47.5483°N 7.5903°E / 47.5483; 7.5903 (Basel SBB station tram roundabout)
Haarlemmermeer station [nl] Amsterdam 195 m 640 ft 4 4 1 2 next to Electric tram museum line [nl; de] 52°20′59″N 4°51′27″E / 52.3496°N 4.8575°E / 52.3496; 4.8575 (Haarlemmermeer station tram roundabout)
Surinameplein [nl; de] Amsterdam 170 m 560 ft 3 3 1 4 52°21′30″N 4°51′12″E / 52.3584°N 4.8532°E / 52.3584; 4.8532 (Surinameplein tram roundabout)
Hoofddorpplein [nl] Amsterdam 180 m 590 ft 2 2 52°21′30″N 4°51′12″E / 52.3584°N 4.8532°E / 52.3584; 4.8532 (Hoofddorpplein tram roundabout)
Paunsdorf-Nord [de] Leipzig 266 m 870 ft 3 3 1 5 operates clockwise 51°21′38″N 12°28′12″E / 51.3606°N 12.47°E / 51.3606; 12.47 (Hoofddorpplein tram roundabout)
Stortorvet Oslo 256 m 840 ft 3 3 1 3 59°54′46″N 10°44′43″E / 59.9128°N 10.7453°E / 59.9128; 10.7453 (Stortorvet square tram roundabout)
Pilestredet / Welhaven Gate [no] Oslo 904 m 2,966 ft 3 3 2 residential one-way 59°55′16″N 10°43′55″E / 59.921°N 10.732°E / 59.921; 10.732 (Pilestredet/Welhavens Gate tram roundabout)
Chebzie Pętla / Rondo Silesian 244 m 801 ft 4 4 5 50°18′03″N 18°52′57″E / 50.3007°N 18.8824°E / 50.3007; 18.8824 (Chebzie tram roundabout)
Porta Maggiore Rome 435 m 1,400 ft 5 4 2 6 41°53′29″N 12°30′54″E / 41.8915°N 12.5151°E / 41.8915; 12.5151 (Porta Maggiore tram roundabout)
Regina Margherita [it] Rome 145 m 476 ft 2 2 2 2 41°54′40″N 12°30′32″E / 41.9111°N 12.509°E / 41.9111; 12.509 (Regina Margherita/Galeno tram roundabout)

Former

On 8 September 1968, one week before closure of Liverpool Corporation Tramways, tram car 245 completed three complete laps of the St. Oswald Street tram roundabout whilst being filmed.[2]

References

  1. ^ Zlokazov, Vladimir (27 August 2014). "Трамвайное кольцо" [Tramway roundabout] (in Russian). Трамвайное кольцо на пересечении улиц Ленина и Луначарского в Екатеринбурге / Tramway circle on the crossing of Lenina and Lunacharskogo streets in Yekaterinburg
  2. ^ Blackburn, R.E. (1968). "Post-War Liverpool - Part 8". The Modern Tramway. Ian Allan Publishing. 31 (362): 58. On Sunday, , the LRTL hired car 245 for a final tour of the remaining routes, including three complete circuits of the roundabout at St. Oswald Street, where the cine-photographers gyrated in the centre of the grass as the tram went round and round like a clockwork toy. … On the evening of Saturday, , tramway operation in Liverpool came to an end.


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