About Sporvejen
Read our history
Burger Bar of the City
Sporvejen is authentic and even though it’s a tiny place, the staff can have a lot on their hands when the bells are ringing and the tram is rolling away. If you’re not hungry, it’s still possible for you to drop by for a nice cold draft beer, a café latte or a delicious Lumumba, while enjoying the cozy atmosphere.
Throughout the many years, Sporvejen has only got two owners. All the interior design and the concept have been kept in the same style since the opening in 1975. It’s mainly two old line 14 tram wagons, which have been striped apart and fitted in the building. All our decorations are original. So, when you come by and visit us, you will be sitting in genuine tram seats surrounded by everything that has to do with old Copenhagen trams. Without a doubt an experience!
Everyone is welcome here at out hospitable restaurant and our guests comes in all ages. Come by and have a ride!
The history of line 14
Line 14’s ancestor is a horse-drawn carriage bus line from 1841.
In the year of 1863 the first tracks was laid out on the first part of the line and the first tram wagons could be seen in Copenhagen.
In the yaer of 1884 steam-powered trams was deployed. But because they weren’t as successful as first expected, they were shut down 6 years later, in the year of 1892. It was only in the year of 1904 that it reopened as an electric tramway.
Line 14 had its last trip as a tram wagon the October 16th 1965.
What happened to the tram?
On the day of April 22nd 1972 the tramway system of Copenhagen, which was one of Europe’s biggest, discontinued in record time by the tram-mayor.
The reason why Copenhagen said goodbye to the trams was, that there was a tendency abroad to adjust the tramway operation to busses. With the economic recovery in the 1960’s and the explosion of car sales, made it difficult for the public transport.
Contributing to the trams loss of popularity was, that a big part of the materiel was delivered in the beginning of 1900’s and was in operation for nearly 70 years. The tram network wasn’t modernized at any point.
The politicians in Copenhagen were for once unusual fast, when they decided to shut down all tramlines, while they were more hesitant abroad. Just one there later in 1973 came the first oil crisis, which got the responsible politicians to have an extra though and the shutdowns became rarer.
New modern trams, but too late
In Copenhagen, in the year of 1960, one began to require new articulated carriages from the factory Düvag in Germany. Those wagons were called “Ms. Düsseldorf”, but came too late.
In the capitol, the conversion to bus operation was based on plans for 1962, with only the most used tramlines should stay in operation, until the city got its subway system. The argument said, that busses only required one-man service, whilst the tram demanded three-man service, and that won the politician’s interest.
These plans already changed in 1965, so all tramlines should be converted to bus operations during a 10-year period. The conversion was completed in record time, so already on April 22nd 1972, the last tram on line 5 drove for the last time.
The Copenhageners could that day say goodbye to their beloved trams with a farewell parade. Many of the citizens protested over the many shut downs, but they were ignored.
When the tram network in Copenhagen was biggest, it had a line network of 99,8 km, with 18 different lines. This investment would have costed 20 billion Danish crowns, corrected for inflation. That equals 2,6 billion euros.
New trams are given away as development assistance
The Danish government covered Copenhagen and Frederikbergs costs with the “sales” of the 99 newest trams to Egypt, and was shipped in 1969, 1971 and 1972. This resulted that the top modernized trams only were in use for 3 years. While it turned out that the Egyptian government couldn’t pay, these wagons was handed over as development assistance. This has never been practiced by any country before or ever since, to give away the most modern traffic equipment as development assistance.
Since then, the busses have been the only public transport on street level. It has worn the Copenhagen roads. Every single buss wear 10.000 times more on the road than a normal passenger car. Hence a pollution free public transport was replaced with a more air- and noise polluted form of public transport on rubber wheels.
The citizens desire light rails
In the year of 2007 the radio station Copenhagen Radio asked its listeners if they wanted the trams back. 600 listeners participated in a morning vote via text message, and there was no doubt. 9 out of 10 listeners said YES.
At that time the politicians and business managers wished to establish a light rail along motorway 3, and in this context it was documented that 70% of the population along motorway 3 wished a light rail and that they would use it.
