Jaén Tram
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Jaén Tramway (Spanish: Tranvía de Jaén) is a tramway system constructed in the city of Jaén, Spain (Andalusia), which was built in 2009–2011 but operated only very briefly for passenger service and never opened for full regular service. Following its rehabilitation, its inauguration is scheduled for 2026.[1]
| Jaén Tramway Tranvía de Jaén (in Spanish) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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 A tram in Jaén during testing in February 2011 | |||
| Overview | |||
| Locale | Jaén, Andalucía, Spain | ||
| Transit type | Tram | ||
| Operation | |||
| Began operation | 3 May 2011, but ceased operation only about 2 weeks later[1] | ||
| Ended operation | Late May 2011; indefinitely suspended since then (continuing as of early 2013)[1] | ||
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Work began in 2009,[1] and five low-floor Alstom Citadis trams, model 302, were acquired.[2] The completed line was ceremonially inaugurated on 2 May 2011,[2] and limited free "trial service" began on 3 May 2011.[1] However, that service operated for only a little more than two weeks and was then suspended, "due to a political dispute about withdrawal of competing bus services"[3] and the need to secure funds to pay for the line's operation.[1]
The new line continued to be "mothballed" through 2012, and in early 2013 the city government – which owns the system – announced plans to offer the entire system (line and cars) for sale at auction, because it lacked the money to operate it. A one-year financial audit in 2012 found that the line would not generate nearly as much revenue as had originally been forecast, and the resultant need for a much larger operating subsidy exceeded the city's means.[1] The city initially hoped to find a private company willing to operate the line, but the possibility the system to be dismantled became later more probable.[1]
In December 2021 it was announced that 4.6 million euro from the Next Generation EU fund would be used to finance the final contracts to get the tram system running.[4] Work to revive the line began in October 2023 and test running began in November 2024 to verify that the five Alstom trams had been adequately overhauled after 13 years in storage, and that the infrastructure had been restored to a usable condition.[5] As of March 2025[update], the line was still not operating.
The 4.7-kilometre (2.9 mi)[1] line was built fully at-grade (entirely on the surface), with track and station platforms separated from traffic. Intersections are the only contact points with motor vehicular traffic.