Many cities worldwide are assessing their transportation systems and considering investment in new, more sustainable, technology.
Liverpool had one of the earliest tramway systems. At first it grew on an ad-hoc basis with horse drawn omnibuses and private operatives, although the municipality owned the tracks.
The system was taken over by the city council in 1898. Subsequently it grew into one of the biggest and most comprehensive urban tramway systems in the world, often leading the way in technology. It served a population twice the size of the present day. Despite two world wars it was efficient, profitable and, in retrospect, sustainable. It was scrapped in 1957 to give way to a bus system.
This lecture will examine the history and development of the tramway, its infrastructure and its rolling stock. It will examine its effectiveness in getting the population to and from the workplace and generally around the city. It will also discuss the demise of the tramway and what lessons can be learned from it in the context of the modern city and its problems.
Refreshments/networking from 18:00, with the presentation to start at 18:30.
This is a joint event between ICE Merseyside branch and ICE Historical Engineering Group.