I’ve been an enormous fan of trams since I experienced my inaugural tram trip in Amsterdam more than four decades ago. It may sound a bit silly, but for a North American, European trams seemed to be such a brilliant public transit concept. Once upon a time the U.S. boasted the world’s most extensive tram and trolley network. That is until the big oil and car companies conspired to rip up the tracks and replace trams with buses and cars. During the early 20th century, it was possible to travel by tram from my little village to center city Philadelphia and even use a tram to link-up with New York City bound trains in New Jersey.

Recently, I discovered that there is an annual tram driver championship each year in Europe. In September, 52 drivers from 26 cities, descended on Frankfurt for the Tram Europa-Meisterschaft 2024. Take look.