by InTrieste
Trieste’s iconic streetcar, which used to connect the center of Trieste to Opicina, went out of service exactly 7 years ago today, on 16 August, reports il Piccolo.
Pride and joy of the Hapsburg empire, from the beginning of the last century and until around the 1970s Trieste boasted one of the most efficient tram systems of Europe. However, with the economic boom of the 1960s and the easy car accessibility, the city started paying less attention to the maintenance of the tram system in the city.
The tram became a pop culture reference for Triestini, who say “it was born unlucky” and even named a song after it.
Mario Cerne from Libreria Antriquaria Umberto Saba even wrote an obituary for the infamous tram saying that “Sei anni fa ha avuto un incidente. Non mortale all’apparenza: qualche ammaccatura, un paio di abrasioni, qualche ingessatura da fare e sarebbe potuto tornare in pista,” which means that the tram had an accident but it was to be back on its tracks in no time.
Ironically, the tram had an accident during a trial run after finally being fixed last year. The date of its new departure is yet to be fixed.
Grazie, New Orleans has a Street Carr System.