DESCRIPTION
In Chemnitz (important industrial town located in Saxony) the original tram network is still operating. The tram system was opened in 1879 and electrified in 1893; it continued to be extended also during DDR regime (1972-1973, 1976-1977, 1979, 1982, 1988), as well as in the recent years (2001-2002, 2004, 2013, 2014 and 2017).
At the end of years '90s it was decided to compatibilize the existing tram and local diesel railways networks, by the addiction of new shared (tram-train) track sections and by the completion of the local railways electrication.
The first route of this new integrated tram-train system opened in 2002 (Chemnitz Hbh-Altchemnitz-Stollberg); the urban section of this route (Chemnitz Hbf-Altchemnitz, electrificated at 600 V DC as well as the whole tram network) is shared by urban tram service (Line 6: Chemnitz Hbf-Altchemnitz) and railway service (C11/City-Bahn, from Chemnitz Hbf to Stollberg). At Altchemnitz there's a system change: tramcars serving (Line 6) invert their direction returning to Chemnitz Hbf, while dual voltage traincars serving C11/City-Bahn proceede in train mode up to Stollberg (750 V DC on a recently electrified elder single track railway, with electromechanical signalling).
Other 3 tram-train routes opened in 2016: C13 (Stadlerplatz-Chemnitz Hbf-Burgstadt, along Neukieritzsch-Chemnitz railway), C14 (Stadlerplatz-Chemnitz Hbf-Mittweida, along Riesa-Chemnitz railway) and C15 (Stadlerplatz-Chemnitz Hbf-Hainichen, along Dresden-Werdau and Rosswein-Niederwiesa railways). These lines are operated by a modern diesel/electric rolling stock: along the urban section (Stadlerplatz-Cheminitz Hbf) they proceede in tram mode (600 V DC overhead), then at Cheminitz Hbf they switch into diesel mode proceeding like a DMU train along the remaining suburban part of the track.