Vienna will host the first-ever World Championship in tram driving in September next year, Mayor Michael Ludwig has announced.
“Vienna is the most liveable city in the world, and public transport plays a huge part in this. I’m all the more delighted that the world of rail will be our guest in Vienna next year,” Ludwig said in a press release.
Vienna’s team, representing the city’s transit authority, Wiener Linien, currently holds the European title after winning the 2023 European Tram Driver Championship (Tram EM) held in Oradea, Romania. This year’s edition will take place in Frankfurt, Germany, on September 14.
The Tram EM competition involves precision driving, emergency braking, firefighting, and a version of bowling, where a tram is used to knock down rubber pins with a giant inflatable ball.
Official invitations for the World Championship are expected to be sent out early next year. According to Mayor Ludwig and Wiener Linien’s Managing Director, Alexandra Reinagl, teams from South America, South-East Asia, and Africa have already expressed interest. A total of 25 teams will compete.