GEOSPATIAL TRENDS OF DEVELOPMENT OF TRAMWAY TRANSPORT IN UKRAINE

Abstract

In the article the current territorial trends of tramway transport in Ukraine are described. The history of the tram in Ukraine begins in the end of XIX century, when there lines were opened in several cities. The first tram systems in the cities of Kyiv, Lviv, Katerynoslav (Dnipro), Chernivtsi, Yelisavetgrad (Kropyvnytskyj) are builded. The largest peak of its development tram transport was in Ukraine in the early 1990s. At that time, there were 24 tram networks operating on the territory of the country with lines with a length of more than 2 thousand kilometers and carrying almost 2 billion passengers. In subsequent years, there was a significant decline in the development of tram transport in Ukraine - after 25 years the number of passengers decreased threefold, the wagons doubled, the tracks - by 300 km. Although new tram lines were built in 7 cities of the country, in most other systems they were closed and dismantled. The longest sections of tram lines were closed in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, and Avdiivka. At the same time, the number of new tracks in Vinnytsia, Lviv and Kryvyi Rih increased. The tram car crash in Dneprodzerzhynsk (Kamianske) in 1996 had a significant impact on reducing the length of tram networks in Ukraine. The largest reduction in the tram network was observed in Kyiv, mainly due to the active construction of the subway. Significant damage to the tram networks was caused by war in the eastern regions of Ukraine. They have stopped trams in several cities. In general tram networks were closed in the cities of Makiivka, Kadiivka, Kramatorsk, and tram traffic was stopped in Luhansk, Konstantynivka, Avdiivka and Molochne. The longest tram networks length at the end of 2018 are in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Dnipro and Kryvyj Rih. In Kyiv and Kryvyj Rih there are high-speed tram lines. In the article the production and structure of the tram rolling stock in Ukraine are analyzed. The production of tram carriage began in the 1920s, but was subsequently due to massive deliveries from Czechoslovakia and Russia is completed. In the 90-ies of the XX century, the production of tram wagons on the territory of Ukraine in the Dnipro, Odesa, Lugansk, Lviv and Kyiv. In the tram rolling stock of the country is dominated by Czech and Russian (soviet) carriages. Ukraine also operates more than 200 tram cars of its own production. The largest number of trams is concentrated in the cities of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Odesa, Lviv. The oldest tram carriage operated in Vinnytsia and the newest ones in Kamianske. As of the beginning of year 2019 tram transport operates in 17 cities of Ukraine, with more than 2 thousand carriages running over 1.9 thousand km of network. The main problems in the development of tram systems are the obsolescence of infrastructure and rolling stock, constant under-financing of the tram industry, political and military instability. The future development of tram transport in Ukraine depends on access to EU funds and means, as well of low-cost and long-term investment resources.