About Henrik Boye
Henrik Boye has been a member of the Danish Tramway Historical Society since 1975. He has traveled worldwide to document streetcars, trolleys, trams, and light rails since 1980. For the past several years, he has visited about 25 tram cities yearly, and recently he has been named the most exceptional light rail expert in Denmark.
"I have photographed trams in Cairo and Mexico City, and I saw trams in Saint Petersburg, back in the days when it was still called Leningrad."It all started with the last running tram in Copenhagen
And Henrik knows precisely when his extraordinary interest in trams started.
"I was on the last running tram in Copenhagen on April 22, 1972. That was when my interest in trams started."Many of the old trams in Copenhagen are in operation today in Alexandria, while others can be seen at the Tram Museum Skjoldenæsholm.
Favorite tram city
If you ask Henrik Boye which of the many light rail systems he has seen he likes the most, he replies.
"I find something special about the many tram systems that opened in France in recent years. Lyon and Grenoble as examples. They are particularly well-built. Earlier, my favorite was Blackpool in England, where they have operating double-decker trams. I celebrated my 60-year-old birthday on the Isle of Man, where they have a horse-drawn tram that only runs during the summer months in favor of the tourists."A light rail or a tram?
In Denmark, the word tram or tramway is often used when speaking about the old systems that ran in Aarhus, Odense, and Copenhagen until 1972. The word light rail is used when talking about the newer systems that have opened in the same cities in recent years. In other countries, trams are still running today, and the terms are often used interchangeably.
"In London, they have trams, in Gothenburg spårvägar. In German, they are often called Straßenbahnen, and in Spain, Tranvía. Seattle, Portland, and Washington, D.C. have streetcars, while Pittsburgh and San Jose have light rails. Dear child has many names."A means of transportation in constant development
Many new tramway systems are being built these years. In Denmark, new light rail systems have recently started operation in Aarhus, Odense, and Copenhagen. Albania and Iceland are the only countries in Europe without a single city having trams in operation. Trams are thus a widely used mode of transportation in constant development, and Henrik appeals to those skeptical about light rail.
"Try it, try it, try it! You will find a different degree of comfort on a light rail compared to a bus. So please, at least, give it a try."The website Tram Travels
To share his passion with the world and spread his knowledge about trams, Henrik Boye started the website Tram Travels in 2004. Here the words trams and light rails are being used in their broadest sense, and the website has evolved into an extensive database with information about trams in more than 600 cities in 86 countries.
"I hope this website can inspire you to visit a tram city since the best way to see and feel a city is from a tram. Trams are the best means of public transportation as trams and light rails arrive faster and can contain far more passengers than buses." "If you have any questions or comments about this website, please send them to me. I am also more than happy to present your pictures of streetcars, trolleys, trams, or light rails here on the site. Please get in touch with me first if you want to use any of the existing tram photos."Contact details
Henrik Boye
Viaduktvej 61
5500 Middelfart
DK - Denmark
hb@sporvognsrejser.dk