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TRAM NR. 28
The most famous way of seeing Lisbon
Words by Olga Dolina
Photo by Lisbon Tourism Association
Yellow trams are a unique and sym-
bolic part of Lisbon. Speedy, rattling,
adrenaline-inducing turns, screechy
doors, vintage panels of wood, energetic
and persistent jingling every time a local
leaves a car badly parked too close to the
century-old rails… Despite a cabin with
only 20 seats and 38 standing spots that’s
packed full of tourists during the busiest
hours, Lisbon’s famous E28 tram route
connecting Praça Martim Moniz and
Campo de Ourique presents the ultimate
essence of local life.
It all began with horse-drawn cars back
in the 1870s. By 1901 the first electric
tram with an American-made carriage
and four centered wheels got on track.
No wonder Lisbon’s urban identity is in
many ways similar to that of its over-
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seas fellow, San Francisco. Forget the
metro! There’s no better solution for
the Portuguese capital’s narrow, zigzag
streets and hilly terrain than the old
1930s-styled yet technically upgraded
eléctrico streetcars.
A tram car weighs 15 tons and can
reach a speed of 56 kilometres per
hour. To keep it stable on turns, loads
are placed at the front and back. But
how does it brake? The driver’s cabin
is equipped with a hand brake, but in
general the car is slowed down with a
combination of air and electric brakes.
If you arrive in town during a rainy
Portuguese winter, no worries – trams
also carry a box of sand underneath that
throws sand on the rails in case they get
too slippery to climb a hill.