(Netherlands )AMSTERDAM-L51

Amsterdam
Amsterdam combines tramway, LRT and metro lines. The tram network is articulated in 17 lines, along 3 main axis (from the railway station towards southern, western and eastern directions, besides a Circle Line, passing through the station as well.
The two properly said metro lines (L53, L54, both opened in 1977), run on segregated tracks from the railway station to Amsterdam south-eastern area (Gaasperplas, Gein), with an underground section between Central Station and Amstel.
In 1990 a new LRT line was opened (L51, premetro-like, with tram vehicles on a partly underground route in the central areas); this line shares part of its north-south track (the tunnel segment from Central Station to Sparkleweg) with metro and Circle-Tram line, then it goes south (Amstelveen, Middelhoven-Poortwachter) in segregated lane (at Oranjebaan it shares another short section with a standard tramway line). LRT line has been extended in 2004 (2 km, 3 new stops at Spinnerij, Sacharovlaan, Westwijk).
In 1997 Ringlijn (L50) started its service from Isolatorweg (north) to Gein (south-east); this LRT line runs totally ground level, sharing part of its track with L51 (from Station Zuid to Overamstel), L54 (from Spaklerweg to Duivendrecht) and L53 (Spaklerweg-Gein). The future interchange with L52 at Station Zuid is also remarkable.
In 2005 a new express tram line (LRT) called L26 or IJTram has been opened; it connects the Central Railway Station to the new city expansion of IJburg, which consists in 7 islands close to the arbour connected each other. Line 26 left the Central Station and after a short ground level section goes underground for 2 km, before surfacing in the harbour area and reachint the westernmost islands of IJburg over EnneYs-Heerma bridge.
The network will be completed in 2013 with a new north-south line (L52: 9.7 km long, 7 km underground - 4 of them in bored tunnel): it will run from Buikslotermeerplein (northern part) to Zuid Station (southern part), passing through the Central Station.
GVB (official site)

CHRONOLOGY
02-12-1990	Central Station-Poorwachter
13-09-2004	Poorwachter-Westwijk

Country	Netherlands
Line	Sneltram-Line 51
Inhabitants	City 739.000 District 1.450.000
Date opening	1990 (extension in 2004)
Future development:	north-south line (2011)
Length (km)	20
Track sections	mostly ground level, with a central underground section; 11.4 km shared with Line 2
Stops	29, average distance m 700
Platforms	height 80 cm
Platform doors	--
General characteristics	--
n. of vehicles	--
n. of cars per vehicle	--
Type	steel wheels
Vehicle dimensions (m)	length 30.6, width 2.65
Vehicle capacity (pax)	523 (144 seated)
Frequency	7.5'/12'
Current/Voltage	600 V CC/750 V CC (from third rail underground, overhead ground level)
Type of guide/gauge	standard gauge rails (1435 mm)
Speed Km/h	Comm. 30, Max 80
Accel./Decel. (m/sec2)	--
System capacity	--
Ridership	52.000 pax/day
Total cost	--
Staff	--
System builder	CAF
Model	LRV
NOTE	--