Oranjestad Streetcar (Arutram)

Arubus N.V.
Aruba
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The Journey

Navigate from Welcome Plaza (Cruise Terminal / Port of Call) to Plaza Nicky across a span of 1.9km.

Scenery Highlights
  • Pastel-painted Dutch colonial façades along Caya G.F. Betico Croes and surrounding streets — Oranjestad's signature colour palette
  • Fort Zoutman Historical Museum and adjacent Willem III Tower (Aruba's oldest building, 1798)
  • National Archaeological Museum of Aruba (NAMA) at Plaza Museu with pre-Columbian Amerindian artefacts
  • Caribbean Sea and cruise-ship harbour views from the open-top double-decker's upper deck
  • House of Parliament and Plaza Heroes di Aruba
  • Renaissance Mall and the Royal Plaza Mall shopping districts
  • Water Tower Plaza and Plaza Chipi Chipi pedestrian mall
Quick Facts
  • Duration

    0.5 hours

  • Distance

    1.9 km

  • Est. Price

    Free (tips to drivers welcome)

Official Booking Provider
Classes & Accommodations

Meals: None

Ensuite: No

Meals: None

Ensuite: No

Meals: Customisable on request

Ensuite: No

Engine / Locomotive

Hydrogen fuel cell + lithium battery hybrid electric drive (Hydrogenics / Ballard-type PEM fuel cell with onboard Li-ion buffer pack)

Locomotive Weight

N/A — tram-style self-propelled electric multiple units (no separate locomotive)

Track Gauge

1,435 mm (4 ft 8½ in standard gauge)

Braking Technology

Electric regenerative braking plus electro-pneumatic service and track brakes; magnetic emergency brake

Route Engineering Challenges

  • Single-track loop with passing loops only at the major stops — careful dwell-time scheduling required to avoid conflicts in the 1.9 km alignment

  • Street-running operation through mixed pedestrian, shopper, taxi and local traffic zones with no physical barriers

  • Hydrogen fuel cell integration in a tropical Caribbean climate (28–32°C ambient, 75–85% humidity) demanding dedicated thermal management and humidity-resistant seals

  • Salt-air corrosion on traction motors, brake gear and aluminium body panels from the adjacent Caribbean Sea harbour

  • On-island hydrogen refuelling from locally-produced wind-electrolysis gas — refuelling cadence must match the daily 8-hour timetable

Route distance

1.9 km single-track loop

Number of stops

8 regular service stops / 10 total (including depot and Welcome Plaza extensions)

Fleet size

4 trams (1 single-level car, 1 single-level enclosed, 2 open-top double-deckers)

Year opened

Inaugurated 22 December 2012; regular service from 19 February 2013

Builder

TIG/m Modern Street Railways, Canoga Park, California, USA (heritage-style body on modern propulsion platform)

Operator / owner

Arubus N.V. (national public transport authority of Aruba)

Power source

Hydrogen fuel cell + lithium battery hybrid (catenary-free); hydrogen produced on Aruba via wind-turbine electrolysis

Maximum speed

~40 km/h (limited by street-running through pedestrianized downtown)

Status

Daily passenger service since 2013 — only operating passenger railway in the Dutch Caribbean

Currency

AWG (Aruban Florin) — ride is free; USD widely accepted alongside

Quick Facts
  • Duration

    0.5 hours

  • Distance

    1.9 km

  • Est. Price

    Free (tips to drivers welcome)

Official Booking Provider