Electrische Museumtramlijn Amsterdam: Ride Historic Trams

The railway line, which later became the Electrische Museumtramlijn Amsterdam, originally opened as a heavy rail line on May 1, 1915, operating as part of the former Haarlemmermeer railway lines.

After freight transport ceased on the last functioning part of the Haarlemmermeer railway lines between Uithoorn and Haarlemmermeer Station in 1972, several groups initiated proposals to repurpose the line as an electric museum tram.

In February 1974, an Amsterdam motor car and eleven trailer cars were transferred to Amsterdam. These vehicles formed the initial collection of rolling stock for the forthcoming museum tram line.

The Electrische Museumtramlijn Amsterdam officially opened its initial section on September 20, 1975. This marked its beginning as a heritage streetcar line, supported by the Amsterdam transport company GVB.

Upon its opening on September 20, 1975, the museum tram line initially operated on a 1,200-meter-long section of track, extending to the Ringweg Zuid (A10) as its first terminus.

The overhead line for the museum tram was built and paid for by the GVB. This infrastructure development coincided with the 75th anniversary of the Amsterdam Municipal Tram and the 700th anniversary of the city of Amsterdam.

Following the establishment of the museum tram line in 1975, a company warehouse located at the Haarlemmermeer station site was utilized to serve as a tram yard, providing essential operational space.

From 1976 to 1981, the museum tram line maintained a connection to the Weesp–Leiden railway line. This connection was primarily used for work trains and for transferring Plan V trainsets to the Schiphol line.

The museum tram service was extended to reach Jollenpad on May 24, 1979. This marked a significant expansion, gradually lengthening the operational route of the heritage tramway.

The tram service continued its expansion to Kalfjeslaan from May 28, 1981. This extension also included additional stops at several locations along the Amsterdamse Bos.

A passing loop was installed along the museum tram line in 1981 at the 12.1 km mark. This addition enhanced operational flexibility and allowed for more efficient tram movements.

On April 3, 1983, the museum tram line was extended to Amstelveen station, increasing its total length to 5.7 kilometers. This expansion enabled a twenty-minute service using five trams.

In 1983, another passing loop was installed on the tram line, specifically at the 10.25 km mark near Kalfjeslaan, further enhancing the operational capacity for multiple trams.

From 1984, the historic 'Duiventil' signal box, which had been located at Amsterdam Central Station from 1955 to 1983, was utilized at the Haarlemmermeer station, integrating a piece of Amsterdam's railway history into the museum line.

A new turn loop became operational at the Haarlemmermeer station on April 5, 1987. This addition significantly improved the efficiency of tram reversals at the northern terminus of the line.

The last major extension of the museum tram line was completed on April 25, 1997, reaching the Bovenkerk tram stop. This brought the total operational length of the line to its current 7.2 kilometers.

A wye was constructed at the Bovenkerk terminus, concurrent with the line's final extension in 1997. This infrastructure enables the efficient reversal of uni-directional trams at the endpoint.

Since 2008, the Electrische Museumtramlijn Amsterdam has operated its own inspection well within the workshop. This allows for in-house vehicle inspections, which were previously carried out at the GVB Amsterdam Havenstraat yard.

The original 1883 statue of the Amsterdam Stedemaagd, which stood at the entrance of the Vondelpark until 2010, was relocated and placed on a pedestal near the Koenenkade stop on June 18, 2014.

In March 2018, the municipality of Amsterdam decided to proceed with large-scale housing development on the Havenstraatterrein, a site occupied by the museum tram line since 1975, which threatened its continued operation.

On March 27, 2019, the Council of State struck down the zoning plan for the new residential area on the Havenstraatterrein. The ruling stated that the municipality had not sufficiently considered the museum tram's interests.

The local railway line of the Electrische Museumtramlijn Amsterdam was officially added to the municipal monument list of Amstelveen on May 26, 2020, recognizing its significant historical value.

After a decade of planning, an agreement was concluded on December 3, 2021, between the Museum tram line and the municipality of Amsterdam regarding the construction of a new tramway and route with a turn loop on the Havenstraatterrein.

In February 2021, the museum tram line section north of Amstelveen station was suspended due to the closure of its viaduct over the A9 motorway, necessary for widening the road. This suspension is expected to last about five years.

Between March and April 2021, a piece of double track was built north of the A9 motorway construction pit. This served as a new temporary change of change and end point for tram service during the widening work.

The last tram with passengers departed from Haarlemmermeer station on October 29, 2023, which was the final day of the driving season. The museum tram line's starting point is being moved to the Jollenpad.

In March 2024, the Havenstraatterrein was closed off with fences, converting it into a construction site. This action preceded the demolition of buildings and rails to prepare the area for a new residential development.

At the beginning of July 2024, a temporary warehouse at the Jollenpad, capable of storing nine trams, was put into use. This allowed the tramway's driving season to commence between Jollenpad and Amsterdamseweg.

Between July and October 2024, all buildings and rails at the Havenstraat site were demolished and broken up. This marked the end of the Karperweg yard's over fifty-year history as a starting point for the museum tram line.