The Environmental Reasons For Trams And Trains In EuropeRail systems are so popular in Europe because they can get loads of passengers to their respective destinations en masse — with much less of an impact on the environment.
In the first place we find the tram network that serves the Australian city of Melbourne. Consisting of twenty-eight lines, it is the largest network in the world with 245 km of tracks. Inaugurated in 1883, it has 28 lines and 1813 stops.
The world's very first tram system was actually a horse train called the Oystermouth Railway, a commercial service which began operation in 1804, in order to transport limestone between the south Wales areas of Mumbles and Swansea.
Tram 28 is famous, taking riders on a 40-minute trip up (or down) the hill through old neighbourhoods such as Graça, Alfama and Baixa, along many historical highlights, including the cathedral and the castle.
Public transport in Tallinn has been free since 2013; a political decision taken to help ease the cost-of-living for citizens. Environmental motivations were secondary, but as more and more places seek to decarbonise in this way, the European pioneer has become an unexpected trailblazer.
1. Switzerland. Tucked inside the small but incredibly beautiful country of Switzerland is one of the most efficient and scenic rail networks in the world.