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Europe|Going the Distance at the Tram Driver Olympics
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/15/world/europe/tramdriver-competition-frankfurt-tram.html
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FRANKFURT DISPATCH
Europe’s public transit captains showed off their skills at an annual championship. “We have been practicing,” a Dutch competitor said. “But the other teams have also been practicing, too.”
Reporting from the 11th European Tramdriver Championship in Frankfurt
Sept. 15, 2024, 12:01 a.m. ET
The driver braked hard and came to a screeching stop. Fans gasped, awed at the precision. Referees conferred, making sure all was aboveboard.
“We’re ready to rumble,” said Markus Chencinsky, 50, a driver from Vienna.
Despite the adrenaline, the speed and the thousands of eyes, this was not a demolition derby or a stunt-driving expo.
Instead, the competitors facing off on Saturday in a central square of Frankfurt were the captains of Europe’s tram systems. They had come to Germany’s financial hub to vie for the trophy at the 11th European Tramdriver Championship.
The annual public transit jamboree might best be described as tram dressage. The drivers coaxed their commuter chariots through an obstacle course meant to test their whimsy, mettle and precision.
“We try to mirror the entire range of skills a driver should have,” said Wieland Stumpf, the president of the championship.
Some events focused on safety: Drivers had to emergency brake at a precise spot, just as if a cyclist had swerved in front of them. Another tested their ability to multitask: Could they remember a series of symbols that appeared on mock traffic signs?
