VIDEOS
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| Above: YouTubeCA video - The LightRail System in Houston, Texas 2021 (Metrorail) - Length: 10:23 mins. | Above: YouTubeCA video - Houston's Light Rail Network Evolution - Length: 3:43 mins. |
PHOTOS
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MAP
I created the above map by overlaying an OpenStreetMap (OSM) map with my own data. Copyright on the OSM map is © OpenStreetMap contributors, licensed under a CC-BY-SA (Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 licence).
Please note that the OSM map used as a template for this map corresponds to the situation at the time the map was downloaded and may show features that did not exist at the time the GS Tram Site is supposed to show. In particular, it may show bridges and highways that were built later.
LRT ROUTES
Operator: Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO)
| G | Green Line | Theater District - Central Station - EaDo/Stadium - Lockwood/Eastwood - Magnolia Park Transit Center |
| P | Purple Line | Theater District - Central Station - EaDo/Stadium - Leeland/Third Ward - UH South/University Oaks - Palm Center Transit Center |
| R | Red Line | Northline Transit Center/HCC - Moody Park - Central Station - Wheeler - Dryden/TMC - Fannin South |
The route indicators G, P and R are for convenience only, and are not used by the operator.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SYSTEM
NETWORK LENGTH
- Light Rail: 34 km.
HISTORY
- Mule-drawn streetcars: 1868; 2 May 1874 - ?.
- Electric streetcars (1st generation): 15 June 1891 - 9 June 1940.
- Electric interurbans (Galveston-Houston Electric Railway): 5 Dec. 1911 - 31 Oct. 1936.
- Electric interurbans (Houston North Shore Ry.): 19 June 1927 - 25 Sept. 1948. (Last interurban built in the US)
- Gas-powered railbuses on the Houston North Shore Ry.: 25 Sept. 1948 - 1962.
- LRT: 1 Jan. 2004 - today.
GAUGE
- 1435 mm. (all systems except APM)
SOURCES
- Baron, S. Houston Electric: The street railways of Houston, Texas Self-published, 1996.
- Robinson, C. & DeVerter, P. Houston North Shore Chicago (?): Central Electric Railfans Association, Bull. 133, 2000.
- Simons, V. "Houston and Austin: A tale of two networks", Tramways & Urban Transit, March 2011 (74: 879), p.102-105.
- Simons, V. "Houston builds ... and rebuilds", Tramways & Urban Transit, Jan. 2018 (81: 961), p.9-11.
- Simons, V. "Houston: LRT's big bang in the US oil capital", Tramways & Urban Transit, Feb. 2015 (78: 926), p.64-68.
- Wansbeek, C.J. "Houston: 'Starter line' beats all expectations", Tramways & Urban Transit, Apr. 2007 (70: 832), p.132-135.
WIKIS
WEB SITES
- Electric Interurban Railways [in Texas]
- Houston North Shore Railway (Texas State Historical Association (TSHA))
- METRO
Also, many thanks to Mr Russell Powers of Lone Tree, CO, USA, for kindly sending me copious amounts of information and documents concerning the history of the Houston streetcar and interurban systems.
Copyright Gabor Sandi 1998-2024
Disclaimer: Everything on this site was written and/or prepared at the author's discretion. The author has tried to be accurate where facts are presented, but this does not mean that these facts are necessarily accurate. People needing more reliable information should refer to appropriate sources presented, on the Internet or elsewhere, by authoritative professional or academic bodies.
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