(Germany )KARLSRUHE

Images kindly supplied by KVV. (Thanks)
Kaiserstrasse	tram-train on bridge	Murgtalbahn: Obertsrot stop
Bahnhof Forbach	Rheinbruecke in Worth	system change place
Niederflurbahn at Marketplatz Niederflurbahn in Karlsruhe Stadtbahn and TGV cars

Karlsruhe
The so-called Karlsruhe Model has been developed re-using many of the local dismissed or under utilized railway tracks (previous Albtalbahn -years '60- and Hardtbahn -years '70- experiences must be mentioned) in order to extend the urban tramway network up to suburban areas, without the need of any tram to train (or viceversa) interchange.
On 25 September 1992 (after many accurate tests) the first segment of the network (Karlsruhe-Bretten) started its operations in tram-train mode (with automatic DC/AC tram-train transition on tracks), followed in the nezt years by many others sections (Karlsruhe-Worth, Karlsruhe-Bissingen, Karlsruhe-Baden/Baden, Karlsruhe-Eppingen-Heilbronn, Bruchsal-Menzingen/Odenheim, etc.).
The growt of the system has been accompanied by the armonization of railways and LRT timetables on the common routes, while the success (concerning the ridership level) of tram-train operations has brought into the suburban and regional railway system other sections of national (DBAG) or private (SWEG South-West German Rys.) freight railways tracks.
Currently the Karlsruhe system combines urban and suburban (LRT) tram lines, with many sections along railways tracks in track-sharing with regional or national trains (S1: Hochstetten-Karlsruhe-Bad Herrenalb; S4: Achern-Karlsruhe-Bretten-Eppingen-Heilbronn-Ohringen; S5: Bietingheim/Bissingen- Pforzheim-Karlsruhe-Worth Dorschberg; S6: Pforzheim-Bad Wilbad; S11: Ittersbach-Karlsruhe-Hochstetten; S41: Herrenberg-Freudenstadt-Karlsruhe Europaplatz), and all this is integrated by some regional railway lines.
KVV (official site)

CHRONOLOGY
25-09-1992	Karlsruhe-Bretten
1994	Karlsruhe-Rastatt; Karlsruhe-Bruchsal; Bretten-Bruchsal
1996	Karlsruhe-Baden Baden
1997	Karlsruhe-Pforzheim; Bretten-Eppingen; Karlsruhe-Worth
1998	Bruchsal-Odenheim
1999	Bretten-Muhlacker; Pforzheim-Bietigheim-Bissingen; Eppingen-Heilbronn Hbf
2001	Heilbronn Hbf-Heilbronn centre
2002	Rastatt-Forbach; Pforzheim-Bad Wildbad
2003	Forbach-Freudenstadt
2004	Baden Baden-Achern
2005	Heilbronn-Ohringen
2006	Blankenloch-Spock; Freudenstadt-Eutingen

Country	Germany
Line	Stadtbahn
Inhabitants	City 270.000, District --
Date opening	1992
Future development:	400
Track sections	65 km within Karlsruhe boundaries, with some sections in track-sharing with DB railways
Stops	--
Platforms	--
Platform doors	--
General characteristics	--
n. of vehicles	77 (36 old type, 41 new type)
n. of cars per vehicle	--
Type	steel wheels bi-directional
Vehicle dimensions (m)	length 36.60, width 2.65
Vehicle capacity (pax)	215/223 (100 seated)
Frequency	--
Current/Voltage	tram mode: 750 V DC, train mode: 15 KV AC
Type of guide/gauge	standard gauge rails (1435 mm)
Speed Km/h	Comm. --, Max 100
Accel./Decel. (m/sec2)	--
System capacity	--
Ridership	120 million pax/year
Total cost	3 millions DM/km (first phase Karlsruhe-Bretten)
Staff	1250
System builder	BOMBARDIER-SIEMENS
Model	GT8-100/2S-M, GT8-100/2S
NOTE	ADTranz-Siemens rolling stock (ADTranz is now part of Bombardier); rolling stock referred only to the lines with track sharing (S1,S2,S4,S5,S11,S41) contract signed with Bombardier for the delivery of 30 Flexity Swift dual vehicles (2011-2013, 129 M Euro)