Skip to content
Local Weather Updates — public-transit — Transportation

Yekaterinburg's trams grind to a halt as extreme cold cripples the city

Freezing temperatures brought Yekaterinburg to a standstill. See how officials raced to fix trams and trolleybuses before the city's lifelines froze over.

,   and  ASMedia
1 min read
The image shows a blue and yellow tram traveling down a snowy street, surrounded by buildings,...
The image shows a blue and yellow tram traveling down a snowy street, surrounded by buildings, trees, poles, lights, wires, and sign boards. The sky is visible in the background, and the ground is covered in a blanket of snow.

Yekaterinburg's trams grind to a halt as extreme cold cripples the city

Yekaterinburg's tram network has faced major disruptions after extreme cold weather caused hazardous conditions. Temperatures plunged to -33°C on January 23, forcing authorities to adjust routes and slow down services to prevent accidents.

Two separate tram breakdowns added to the problems. The first occurred near the Pervomayskaya stop, while the second happened at the intersection of Radishcheva and Sheinkmana streets. As a result, routes No. 4, 12, 16, 18, and 23 were temporarily rerouted. A second set of changes affected routes No. 1, 3, 10, 15, and 17 due to poor track conditions.

To avoid further damage, trams were limited to 25 km/h and trolleybuses to 35 km/h. The speed restrictions aimed to prevent overhead line breakages caused by the severe frost. Despite the challenges, routes No. 1, 10, 12, 15, and 21 continued running as usual.

Repair teams worked quickly to restore normal service. By the end of the disruption, all affected sections had returned to their regular schedules.

The extreme cold in Yekaterinburg forced transport officials to take urgent action. Speed limits and route changes were introduced to keep passengers safe. With repairs completed, tram and trolleybus services have now resumed their normal operations.

Related

Latest