Zagreb Tram Tracks – Tracks of My Life

Even Google keeps an eye on public transport in Croatian metropolis

Today, we can see horses only at Zagreb's Fair during someone's training session. Electrical current replaced horses, and instead of conductors, there are displays showing the minutes until the arrival of the next bus or tram. But, that is not all! People all around the world can now see what is happening in Zagreb regarding public transport which includes trams, buses, and funicular. How? Since last year, Zagreb has become a part of Google Transit - Trip Planner which integrates stations, stops, routes and schedule information to make trip planning quick and easy in 2,800 cities worldwide.

 Image credit: Zagreb Tourist Board, Marko Vrdoljak

While someone is sleeping, the other one is plucking eyebrows

In the past, when there were no smartphones and the Internet, passengers enjoyed driving around the city and talking to each other. And today? Today you can see and experience so many things during the ride. While one man is tying a tie, the other one is reading newspapers, and the third one is trying to get some sleep before arriving to work. On the other side, women's activities in the public transport are a little more interesting. :)
They usually do their hairstyle or fix their makeup. But, once I had an opportunity to see how one girl was brushing her teeth while the other one was plucking her eyebrows. Funny, isn't it? But, when you think about it, nothing strange or unusual. 

While I was travelling to my aunt's place for lunch on the queen of tram lines, more precisely on the longest tram line, tram line No. 7 which runs from 'Dubrava' to 'Sava Bridge', I observed people around me. I realized that I was the only person who wasn't staring at a smartphone. However, I decided to fit into the tram community, and thank God I had some extra time, so instead of roaming through my favorite clothing store, I began to research the history of Zagreb's public transport. Are you wondering what I discovered? :)

Why horses?

Well, the story goes like this. Once upon a time, at the end of the 19th century, the rapid development of Zagreb imposed the need to organize better and faster urban transport. Considering that Zagreb didn't have electricity, French engineer Raoul Pierre Alexandre Gautier suggested introducing a tram carriage that was horse-drawn. However, Gautier did not have enough money, so he sold his rights to the Company of Zagreb citizens which began building tramways in May 1891. 

 Image credit: pixabay

English rails, Austrian trams, and Croatian horses

Rails came from England and trams from Graz while horses, of course, were Croatian. The administrative building and horse stables were built on Savska street. The first tram started running on September 5th, 1891, from the famous Technical Museum. It was operated by the driver Ferdinand, with the help of the conductor Vida, and the tram was pulled by horse Belko at the speed of 7,5 kilometers per hour.

The first horse tram was going from Kvaternikov Square through Vlaška, Draškovićeva, and Jurišićeva Streets across the main square - Ban Jelačić Square and through Ilica Street to West Railway Station with 'Sava Bridge' being the last stop.

Zagreb citizens flocked to the new sensational transport. The day after the official opening about 20,000 citizens were driving through Zagreb which had more than 40,000 inhabitants at the time. The fleet had 16 trams and twice as many horses. Just for your information, a horse that was pulling a tram would pull at the speed of 26 - 28 kilometers per hour. 

To the Moon and back 109 times a year!

Today there are no more horses and tram network includes more than 400 buses that go over 2,000 stations and 1,600 of them are located in Zagreb. Zagreb public transport is organized in 15 tram lines that operate during the day and 4 during the night. They transport approximately one million passengers a day. 

'Sava Bridge'. My station. I am sorry people, but aunt's lunch is calling. But here is another fun fact for you before we part! Zagreb boasts about how its trams visit the Equator three times a day, and 109 times a year they travel to the Moon and back. And according to a song, there is only one conclusion: „The path of my life goes down the streets of Zagreb, or to the Moon“. :) 

Header Image credit:  Zagreb Tourist Board, Marko Vrdoljak

Author: Nikolina Jozanović