News & Discussion: Trams

[Cruise]

Yeah more trams will be great. who cares about doing something serious about the heavy rail network?

[AG]

Yeah more trams will be great. who cares about doing something serious about the heavy rail network?

Hint of sarcasm? Both the light and heavy rail networks need significant upgrades and expansions.

[SRW]

"I want to make sure that I leave this state when I retire from politics in better shape than we found it."

How odd that he should mention retirement..?

Call me argumentative, but I actually think extending the line east up north terrace would be much more beneficial than looping it back to vic square. Or just go straight out to North Adelaide and up O'connell. I think those extensions would service more popular and useful places such as Adel Uni and Adel Oval rather than going up west terrace?

I guess that depends on the route the loop takes and whether you believe it will spur development. I think there's a great potential that it would, much like we're seeing a spate of proposals for the South End (which is ironic, given the argument was that it would happen in the West). I do agree that an extension down North Terrace to the East End would be immediately highly patronised, and would love to see it go up towards Frome St (and eventually turning into it for an Eastern Loop).

I am all for the trams (and if this does happen, you could very well see the return of my weekly photospam series ) but if any budget announcements are made with tram extensions, I would like to see a HUGE slice given to heavy rail as well because as we all know, it is desperatly needed. Trams have proven popular in Adelaide which I am greatful to say and extending them further will increase the appeal but rail needs a very fair share too.

Hear, hear! I will be hugely disappointed if nothing is announced for commuter rail this budget. It has to be planned now!

[muzzamo]

in terms of politics i reckon that commuter rail we be looked after in the budget immediately before the next election.

Hamilton Smith etc are making ground on public transport and such an announcement will effectively silence them.

Also remember that Rann and Co have that substantial report into electrification into their hot little hands. It has not been released to the public but I would guess it would contain some fairly extensive plans.

[frank1]

I love trams too, but i think if rann wants to get the public off his back about infrastructure problems, he needs to focus more on the heavy rail and road upgrades. I still love this idea of further extentions, but the timing is not right. Prepare for the onslought of public critism with this new project.

[urban]

I too am a massive fan of the current tram extension but it would be political suicide to do another tram extension before major work was done to upgrade the train network.

[muzzamo]

... which is why i believe that the next phase should be a conversion of the port adelaide/grange line to light rail. They kill two birds with one stone that way.

[AtD]

Heavy rail to light rail is a downgrade, which ever way you look at it - smaller vehicles, slower vehicles.

[muzzamo]

However
- The track has very low patronage
- A conversion to light rail would ease capacity constraints at Adelaide Station
- A conversion to light rail would allow passenger drop off within the CBD (we have no city loop)
- This would effectively modernize *some* of our rail network, which would be a great start and ease some of the political pressure without some of the overhead as we would "simply" need to purchase new rollingstock of the same type and expand glengowrie (of course the reality is more complex but it would be significantly cheaper than the initial overhead of electrified heavy rail)

[AtD]

However
- The track has very low patronage

I think this is a symptom of its condition, not a cause.

- A conversion to light rail would ease capacity constraints at Adelaide Station

What capacity constraints? Over a third of TA's rolling stock can fit in Adelaide at once.

- A conversion to light rail would allow passenger drop off within the CBD (we have no city loop)

I do see your point, that's why the tram is free within the city.

- This would effectively modernize *some* of our rail network, which would be a great start and ease some of the political pressure without some of the overhead as we would "simply" need to purchase new rollingstock of the same type and expand glengowrie (of course the reality is more complex but it would be significantly cheaper than the initial overhead of electrified heavy rail)

I don't quite understand. You'd still need new rolling stock, re-lay much of tracks, install overhead and so on.

[Paulns]

I too am all for a city west loop but I'd like to see in the future the tram network extented up past the Adelaide Oval and into North Adelaide to provide an easy link to the cafes and restaurants and an eastern link to norwood where currantly there is no rail or tram lines.

[The_Q915]

I belive putting money towards heavy rail and roads should take proirity over further tram extentions. Although 20-30m might sound insignificant it can be put to better use elsewhere. A city loop does not address any transport issues in the city. The reasons given for further tram extentions are to increase the status, enjoyability of visitors to Adelaide. Sure a tram extention may do this, but you have to discuss the cost and the benifits. Adelaide needs a plan to guide is infrustructure development. We are the only state without a transport plan. Instead these random projects are just thrown at us without public input.

[crawf]

Bring on more tramline extensions!

[ynotsfables]

Need i even comment on this thread.
The topic alone has an incredible popularity, hence Mike Ranns belief that the tram has widespread support throughout the community.

Smart man he let Adelaide have a little taste first to see if we would entertain the idea, now look at everyones mind ticking over with ideas.
Ofcoarse let the people speak, the government might be thinking, let them tell us where best the tram should service.

This will be a good thing.

[Shuz]

Bring on the trams! I say. Who cares about heavy rail (for now) its useless, put as well put the money where it will be useful - like extending to North Adelaide, Norwood, Port Adelaide, etc.

I personally don't agree with converting the Port Adelaide heavy rail to light rail. Instead a tram corridor should be established down the middle of Port Road. In Melbourne, a few tram routes run adjacent rail corridors and the two services compliment each other extremely well with patronage. It would also allow commuters to get to localities that would otherwise be a complication to get to from any of the train stations. The Grange line is the only section I would approve of a conversion to light rail with a spur to West Lakes. Why this hasn't been accomplished yet is surprising, because I really believe that passenger numbers will go through the roof with the establishment of such a service and it will drive real estate values in the area to become transformed and have a postive effect of urban renewal to the housing trust suburbs - Woodville, Grange, etc. They should be really careful with the alignment of the city loop, and reinstate it along North Tce-West Tce-Currie St and through to Grenfell St (to compliment the bus interchanges) and run back up Pulteny St and back along North Tce.