HOLD Tram drivers compete in the "European Tram Championships"

Tram drivers from all over Europe compared their skills at the "European Tram Championships" in Frankfurt. 26 teams from 21 countries competed, as reported by Verkehrsgesellschaft Frankfurt (VGF). This is the eleventh time that the "Tram-EM" has taken place, with Frankfurt hosting the event for the first time. A team from Leipzig is reportedly coming from Germany.

The central Willy-Brandt-Platz in front of the Schauspielhaus and Opera House served as the "competition course" - which is why there were also singing interludes by opera singers between the runs. The riders had to prove themselves in six disciplines.

Braking with a container of water on the tram

Among other things, they had to start and brake as gently as possible with the streetcar. To test this, a container of water was mounted on the front of the streetcar. The less water sloshed out, the more points were awarded.

When braking with pinpoint accuracy, the drivers had to place the door opening exactly where an arrow was marked on the floor. In billiards, they hit a cue with the lane. In hazard braking, they had to accelerate to 25 kilometers per hour and then stop at a signal.

Because every lane type is different, the participants managed this differently. After the first round at midday, the team from Brussels was in first place. Last year, the trophy went to Vienna.