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DESCRIPTION
Kassel tram opened in 1877 and it was electrified in 1897. The current Kassel transit network includes 7 urban tram routes and 3 suburban LRT routes (Regio Tram); RegioTram service connects Kassel (over its existing tram tracks) with its contiguous agglomerations (over shared DB railway tracks), without the need of any tram to train modal spit. This could be possible with the adoption of hybrid rolling stock (2 types of dual mode rolling stock: diesel/electric, electric 600 V DC/15kV AC) able to run both over unelectrified railway tracks and both over electrified tram tracks and due to the construction of a new tunnel section at Kassel Hbf which allows RegioTram vehicles to leave the railway tracks and continue on urban tram tracks.
This tram-train system has beeen operated since 2001 along Kassel Hbf-Warburg railway route (RT1), where previous Regionalbahn train timetable were served by light rail vehicles (6 vehicles borrowed from Saarbahn, that were replaced in 2005 by Alstom RegioCitadis specifically ordered for Kassel RegioTram service). RT1 shares part of its route (Kassel-Vellmar) with RT4 (Kassel-Wolfhagen), which started its service on December 2006.
RegioTram service began to utilize part of the properly said tram network on Jenuary 2006, connecting Kassel city centre to Hessisch Lichtenau, parly running over the former Lossetalbahn railway track (which was electrified 600 V DC in 1997); differently from the ordinary tram vehicles (that covered the suburban part of this route totally over Losseltalbahn), the diesel-electric RegioTram vehicles at Nieder Kaufungen could use a shorter (and more direct) unelectrified railway segment. Kassel-Hessisch Lichtenau route is currently servede by tram Line 4.
RegioTram service between Kassel Hbf, Baunatal and Melsungen (RT5) started on June 2006; this route was formerly served by local/regional trains.
The current RegioTram system consists in 3 lines: RT1 (Kassel-Warburg), RT4 (Kassel-Wolfhagen) and RT5 (Kassel-Melsungen).