Tram negotiating the narrow Lisbon streets between two buildings
As I See It
Iconic Lisbon Tram
By Ngam Su May
On my first trip to Lisbon , capital of Portugal , in September 2023 , I took a ride on one of its iconic trams . It was indeed memorable , travelling in a century-old tram that can navigate narrow and steep streets . The tram is part of an extensive and diverse public transport network in Lisbon . Metro Lisbon , with a population of around three million , is well served by other modes of transport such as buses , metro , funiculars and elevators .
I was recommended to take Tram 28 ( out of six tram lines ) as it is said to be the most famous but packed with tourists . As a cost-saver , I purchased a 24-hour public transport card called navegante for € 6.60 which includes rides on all trams , metro and buses . If using cash , the ticket price is € 3 per trip . The tram service is operated by a company called Companhia Carris de Ferro de Lisboa ( Carris ) .
I first took Tram 24 which was located near my hotel to the city centre to catch Tram 28 . The Tram 28 route called E28 stretches 7 km from Martin Monix to Campo Ourique . This is considered the classic tram route that passes Alfama , Baixa and Chiado districts . It connects the eastern and western sides of central Lisbon .
After jostling with some tourists , I boarded the iconic yellow electric carriages of Tram 28 . The carriage looks old but is well preserved with wooden floors and timber window frames . Its body is painted yellow , commercialised with some advertising images . On board , I noticed modern facilities namely the card swiping machine and the red button for passengers to push when they want to alight .
It was standing room only but I was lucky to get a seat about 10 minutes later . As the tram chugged along , I realised that the Lisbon tram is an old technical marvel . The tram , powered by 600v DC overhead lines , rattled and screeched as it moved on two axles with a wheel base of 1.9m , along a narrow track gauge of just 900mm . What is more outstanding is that the tram negotiated
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