Trams

To 21st-century residents it may seem quaint, but the truth is that, for a long time, trams were a fairly ordinary means of transport among cariocas — as they were in other capitals of the country as well. The first ones to run through what was then the Federal Capital were animal-powered, that is, pulled by mules, and they still ran on an irregular basis.

Image description: This is an old photograph of a horse-drawn tram. The image shows a track with two horses at the front, pulling the tram. On the left, several people are seated and standing on the tram, wearing formal clothing from the early twentieth century. On the right, a man stands on the tram, holding the horse. In the background, there is dense vegetation and trees. The sky is clear, indicating a sunny day.

The first regular animal-powered tram line was inaugurated in 1859, connecting downtown to Alto da Boa Vista. Soon after came steam-powered trams, which would be replaced by electric ones running on rails: the first of these ran in Rio on October 8, 1892. Open cars were the trademark of our trams, due to the city's high temperatures, as well as making it easier for smokers to travel.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a crowded electric streetcar, marked with the number 76 and destination "Engenho de Dentro." The scene takes place on an urban street, with modernist buildings in the background. On the left, there are partially visible trees. In the central part, the streetcar is packed with people clinging to the doors and sides. On the right, there is a vintage car and a tree. The streetcar has the sign "1961" on the front.

The expansion of the tram service ensured the movement of residents, boosting business and the growth of the city. Its role as a driving force behind the city's expansion was so great that Rui Barbosa described the trams as “the salvation of the city,” “the great instrument, the incomparable agent of its material progress.” Machado de Assis, meanwhile, wrote a brief and ironic etiquette manual for peaceful coexistence within the tram cars in one of his chronicles, in which he recommended, among other things, that those “with a bad cold” should only be allowed on the “bonds” on condition that they not cough more than three times within an hour; and that, upon opening a newspaper, the reading passenger should be careful not to brush against their neighbors' noses, nor knock off their hats. Rio came to have 400 kilometers of tracks linking the city center to the south and north zones.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph showing a tunnel in Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, taken on 09/09/1953. On the left side, we see an architectural structure with a tower and dome, possibly a church or monument. In the background, there is a hill with vegetation and houses. In the center, a tunnel crosses the road. In the foreground, several vehicles are traveling along the road, including a tram and cars of different models. The spatial arrangement is linear, with the tunnel centering the scene, while traffic moves around it.

The trams left the streets in the 1960s, but they still linger in the city's imagination as an icon of old Rio. Some say that the Light Rail Vehicles (VLTs), which run through the downtown area, would be a kind of contemporary retelling of the old trams. Santa Teresa is the last neighborhood in the city to be crisscrossed by the tracks.