Melbourne Trams

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https://twitter.com/9NewsMelb/status/955265544327921665

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Melbourne Age --> New tram line planned to run from Caulfield to Rowville via Chadstone

A major new tram route is being planned for Melbourne's south-east, linking Chadstone shopping centre and Monash University's Clayton campus to the tram network for the first time.

The route would run between Caulfield railway station and Rowville, a journey of about 18 kilometres, under one proposal being considered by Transport for Victoria.

This route would see trams running in the central median of Dandenong Road, along the Princes Highway and down the centre of Wellington Road, beyond EastLink, to Stud Road.

The Andrews government will commit $3 million in the 2018-19 budget for planning and design of the future tram route.

This will cover investigations of potential alignments, stop locations including for possible park and ride centres, and travel times.

Early investigations suggest the route could transport up to 3000 people an hour in the peak, assuming high-capacity E-Class trams ran every four minutes.

The first stage would involve building a line between Caulfield and Monash University, terminating at the intersection of Blackburn and Wellington roads, the government said.

The route would align with the employment hub that houses the Australian Synchrotron, the Monash Medical Centre and the future Victorian Heart Hospital.

Stage two would extend the route to outer suburban Rowville.

This would involve laying tram tracks along the alignment of the Rowville railway line, which has languished for almost half a century since it was first proposed in the 1969 Melbourne Transportation Plan.

Eastern suburbs councils have been lobbying for well over a decade for a rail line to be built to Rowville.

A 2012 PTV study, commissioned by the former Baillieu government, found a future line would ultimately attract about 68,000 passengers a day, and would be required in about 15 years' time.

The study did not propose building a tram line ahead of a future heavy rail line, favouring a boost to bus services instead.

The estimated cost of the new tram route will be determined during planning and design, which is expected to take up to a year.

The most recent major addition to Melbourne's tram network, the three-kilometre extension of route 75 to Vermont South in 2005, cost $23 million.

Premier Daniel Andrews said the future route was "the missing link for the south-eastern suburbs" and would boost economic activity.

"Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs are growing and a new tram link between Caulfield and Rowville will help ease traffic on some of our busiest roads and get people home faster," Mr Andrews said.

Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan said the route would also ease congestion on some of Melbourne's busiest arterial roads, by giving travellers "a fast and efficient option to get to work, study or home".

Dandenong Road carries about 67,000 vehicles a day between Caulfield and Clayton, making it one of the busiest roads in Melbourne.

Wellington Road carries up to 46,000 vehicles a day.

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https://twitter.com/9NewsMelb/status/985075507946455041

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https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/986275207869431808

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Herald Sun --> Busy tram corridors to receive extra services in new timetable

OVERCROWDED tram routes will be boosted with new services to meet growing demand, with more than 500 new weekly journeys to be added across Melbourne's light rail network.

From May 20, weekday passengers on the city's busiest transport corridors will have access to extra services when annual changes are made to the Yarra Trams timetable.

More weekday trips will be added to Routes 1, 3, 5, 6, 16, 64, 67 and 72, which all run along St Kilda Rd, to improve frequency along the world's busiest tram corridor during Metro Tunnel construction.

Routes 58 and 86 will also be upgraded to turn-up-and-go timetables, in which trams arrive every 10 minutes between 10am and 7pm, on Saturdays and Sundays.

The annual timetable update will also add extra weekday off-peak services to Routes 19, 57, 58 and 59.

In total there will be 534 additional tram journeys every week, including 100 that will not run the full route but will transport passengers along the busiest parts of the network.

Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan said the Andrews Government was improving Melbourne's iconic tram system.

"By adding extra services on the most popular tram corridor in the world along St Kilda Road, we're giving people more options," she said.

"At the same time we're getting on with building the new Anzac station and as part of the Metro Tunnel project to deliver the frequent, reliable, turn-up-and-go transport system passengers need."

According to figures from Yarra Trams, more than 203 million people board a tram in Melbourne every year.

The changes come after workers yesterday finished rerouting tram lines along St Kilda Rd near the site of the Metro Tunnel's Anzac Station.

Traffic has been reduced to one lane in both directions near the construction zone but tram services will continue at normal frequencies over the course of the project.

The new services are expected to create 31 new jobs for tram drivers, with the updated timetables to be released publicly on the PTV website from April 19.

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https://twitter.com/9NewsMelb/status/986342914031697920

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https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/more-services-for-the-worlds-most-popular-tram-corridor/

More Services For The World's Most Popular Tram Corridor

Minister for Public Transport

18 April 2018

St Kilda Road users will have more travel options and greater flexibility during Metro Tunnel works thanks to more off-peak tram services.

With the new tram alignment now complete, the extra St Kilda Road services will be introduced on 20 May as part of the annual tram timetable change.

To enable construction of the new Anzac station, parts of St Kilda Road have been reduced to one lane in both directions between Kings Way and Dorcas Street for up to four years.

Trams continue to operate along St Kilda Road as normal during the works, with existing services now being boosted by more trams on weekdays in the off-peak.

Extra weekday services will be added on Routes 1, 3, 5, 6, 16, 64, 67 and 72, which all run along St Kilda Road.

Route 58, which intersects with St Kilda Road at Domain Interchange, will also increase to a turn-up-and-go frequency on weekends, meaning trams every 10 minutes between 10:00am and 7:00pm across the weekend.

Extra weekday off-peak services are also being added to Routes 19, 57, 58 and 59 as part of the wider timetable update.

Route 86 between Docklands and the RMIT campus in Bundoora will also improve to turn-up-and-go frequency on Sundays.

The extra services in the new timetable are creating 31 new tram driver jobs, with recruitment and training already completed.

The additional services will start 20 May with new timetables available at ptv.vic.gov.au from 19 April.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan

"Melbourne's iconic tram network is already the biggest in the world and we're making it even better."

"By adding extra services on the most popular tram corridor in the world along St Kilda Road, we're giving people more options."

"At the same time we're getting on with building the new Anzac station and as part of the Metro Tunnel project to deliver the frequent, reliable, turn-up-and-go transport system passengers need."

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https://twitter.com/ptv_official/status/993286861018812416

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https://twitter.com/ptv_official/status/993366082785366018

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https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/995718707052662784

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https://twitter.com/DanielAndrewsMP/status/995924411843690497

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https://twitter.com/TimnaJacks/status/995839264448380928

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https://twitter.com/Josh__Barnes/status/996938265201528832

[cartoonbirdhaus]

https://twitter.com/Josh__Barnes/status/996938265201528832

It would make sense to guarantee low-floor trams on particular runs (every second tram, for instance) on the higher-frequency routes. That's done in Brno, Czech Republic for instance:
https://www.idsjmk.cz/jrady/2.pdf?date=02.02.2018

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Melbourne Age --> Bombardier calls for safe tram technology

Melbourne's E-Class tram manufacturer is in talks with the Victorian government to introduce cutting-edge technology to the network as the number of tram collisions with pedestrians and cars reaches a five-year high.

Bombardier's Obstacle Detection System for Trams, which alerts drivers before a potential collision, has already been adopted in four European cities – Frankfurt, Marseille, Berlin and Cologne.

Trams in Zurich, Brussels and Duisburg will also be equipped with the safety technology by next year.

The number of tram collisions with people and collisions with road vehicles are at their highest for the past five years, Transport Safety Victoria data shows.

Incidents of reported slips, trips or falls on trams have risen by 140 per cent over the same period.

President of the Canada-based transport behemoth Laurent Troger told The Age in an exclusive interview that his company was in talks with Victoria over installing the new software.

The device uses a stereo camera to detect and evaluate potential obstacles in front of the vehicle, giving drivers an acoustic warning signal when it is at risk of a collision.

It can be installed simply and quickly on new vehicles or retro-fitted onto existing fleets.

"My recommendation would be to have a structured plan ... and bring in new technology when it emerges," said Mr Troger.

"This technology has been in operation in more than four cities, we're already getting feedback, and I would say that it's not brand new technology. It's been around for two years."

He said reducing collisions removed disruptions to the tram service, improving punctuality and reliability.

"We are working with cities which are doing an outstanding job at improving the flow [of the tram service] and achieving an average speed that is much higher than other cities.

"This is how any city in the world will get a higher return on their investment."

A Victorian government spokeswoman said the government was in discussions with the company, and that while several new systems had been trialled on Melbourne's trams, difficulties arose due to Melbourne's road conditions, where trams mix with traffic, as opposed to the European light rail.

"The government is always looking for new ways to improve the travel experience for our passengers – and discussions are continuing with a range of industry players on the role they can play to get Victorians home safer and sooner."

More than 70 per cent of vehicle-tram collisions are caused by vehicles turning or merging onto tram tracks, the spokeswoman said.

Public spending on tram services blew out last financial year, budget papers show, with a target of $200 million spent on tram services doubling to $400 million in 2017/18.

The over-spend has been attributed to the roll-out of a new seven-year contract, which included rises in payments for maintenance and renewal works.

The new contracts also included tougher performance targets, but Yarra Trams has failed to reach the new punctuality target in three of the five months since the contract kicked in on November 30.

The target rose from 77 per cent to 82 per cent of services expected to be punctual.

Bombardier has a factory in Dandenong and builds Melbourne's E-Class, as well as the state's V/Line VLocity carriages.

The company won a $1 billion contract with CPB Contractors to build high-capacity signalling on the Pakenham/Cranbourne and Sunbury lines. The lines will run through the new $11 billion Metro Tunnel, which is set to open in late 2025.

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https://twitter.com/9NewsMelb/status/1008263313996722176

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https://twitter.com/7NewsMelbourne/status/1031097369499119616

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Melbourne Age --> Tram patronage booming, including on weekends, new data reveals

Tram patronage has more than doubled on some Melbourne routes in the past decade, with new data showing that weekend tram trips on some routes are almost as busy as trips during the week.

Data obtained under Freedom of Information laws reveals that tram patronage is exploding, with the number of passengers rising by seven million people on one route alone in 10 years.

Booming growth in the CBD — where there is a free tram zone  — and increasing housing density in the inner suburbs has led to crowding, with routes connecting the city and the south-east facing the biggest growth over the past decade.

Patronage on Route 3, which runs through Caulfield, Balaclava and St Kilda before reaching the city and Melbourne University in Carlton, soared by 180 per cent in the 10 years to 2016/17, rising to 11 million annual boardings.

On Route 5, linking Malvern East and the university, via Armadale, Windsor and South Melbourne, it grew by 120 per cent. Route 78, a short line connecting St Kilda, South Yarra and Richmond, saw an 80 per cent increase over the decade.

Melbourne's busiest tram routes are the 96 (53,000 patrons every week day), the 109 (49,000) and the 86 (41,900), shows PTV data for financial year 2016/17, obtained by the Victorian Greens.

The route-based patronage figures — which the transport bureaucracy keeps hidden from the public — also reveals that on many lines, passenger numbers on weekends and public holidays now rival tram use during a typical week day.

On an average Saturday, more people use the 86, 96 and 109 trams than nearly three quarters of the network's tram routes during the week.

On Sundays, almost 32,000 people ride the 96 tram, slightly less than the 33,500 people using the Route 75 tram (the city's fourth-busiest) on an average week day.

Two months out from the state election, Greens transport spokesman Sam Hibbins has called on the government to commit to ordering more low-floor accessible trams to deal with the growth.

"There is too much focus on extending the life of older trams rather than investing in new ones," he said.

"There are piecemeal upgrades going on, but no holistic long-term plan to upgrade the system."

A business case looking into the design, roll-out and number of "next generation" trams was under way, a government spokeswoman said.

"We're making a record investment in delivering the public transport system to get Victorians where they [are needed], safer and sooner," she said.

Thirty E-Class trams have been ordered since 2015, taking the total fleet to 80 trams, she said.

But the Rail, Tram and Bus Union claims that on average, about 65 trams are out of service due to maintenance - a number the union warned would likely swell as the weather heats up, putting scheduled services at risk.

"We have drivers ready to do the job, but they're sometimes sitting in the depot because of a faulty tram that can't be be run and there's no tram to replace it," RTBU's Tram and Bus Division secretary Phil Altieri said.

Public Transport Users Association spokesman Daniel Bowen said more trams were needed, but he emphasised that the number of services must be ramped up, calling for trams to run every 10 minutes at least, at any given time.

The extra services should be initially rolled out in the evenings and on weekends, he said.

"Some trams are crowded even at 10 at night - and there are long waits of 20-30 minutes between services in the evenings," Mr Bowen said.

"There is a huge opportunity to help cut inner-city traffic congestion by ensuring that at any time the trams are running, people have to wait no more than 10 minutes."

The average network-wide tram speed is about 16km/h — among the slowest in the world — with three-quarters of the network's trams competing with cars for road space.

Worsening congestion is a key factor in slow tram speeds, with trips taking twice as long during peak hour on some routes.

For instance, the trip from start to finish on the 58 tram takes half an hour before the morning peak during the week. By 5pm, the same trip takes an hour.

A Yarra Trams spokesman said: "Yarra Trams continues to support the Victorian government to deliver a sustainable network to meet the growing needs of Melbourne."

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https://twitter.com/yarratrams/status/1041632348175888384

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https://twitter.com/JacintaAllanMP/status/1042194519968514048

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https://twitter.com/9NewsMelb/status/1043052025410273280

[Cazza]

Re tram stop upgrades:

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Colonial Tramcar Restaurant trams grounded ...



https://twitter.com/TramRestaurant/status/1053532679755358208

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https://twitter.com/yarratrams/status/1075231717986848768

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https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/more-trams-for-la-trobe-street/

More Trams For La Trobe Street

Minister for Public Transport 1 January 2019

Passengers will now have more tram services linking them to key destinations in Melbourne's city centre, following the introduction of night and weekend services along tram Route 30, thanks to the Andrews Labor Government.

Minister for Public Transport Melissa Horne said the addition of weekend and weekday services after 6pm on the popular city centre route along La Trobe Street will make accessing key destinations including Marvel Stadium, RMIT, State Library and St Vincent's Hospital more convenient.

The extra services along the city centre's northern edge will improve connections with trains at Flagstaff and Melbourne Central stations for people travelling in and out of the city, or to other stops on the city loop.

New timetables will see weekday services between St Vincent's Plaza and Docklands now run until midnight Monday to Thursday, and on Sundays. This is extended to a 1am finish on Friday and Saturday nights to help people stay out and enjoy the city for longer.

Currently services on Route 30 finish around 6pm on weekdays, with no weekend services.

The boost to Route 30 services will also provide extra options for City Circle passengers during restoration of the remaining fleet of W-Class trams.

Trams on the City Circle Route are currently running every 30 minutes before progressively returning to a 12-minute frequency as the restored W-Class trams return to the network.

The changes to Route 30 will be introduced from 1 January 2019 with new timetables available from 6 December on ptv.vic.gov.au.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Public Transport Melissa Horne

"We're giving people extra services when and where they need them."

"We're making it easier to leave the car behind and take public transport whether you're heading to one of the many attractions in the city centre, or events at Marvel Stadium."

"These extra services will also make it simpler to visit friends or family at St Vincent's Hospital, after work or at weekends."

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https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/major-upgrade-for-bundoorarmit-tram-interchange/

Major Upgrade For Bundoora/RMIT Tram Interchange

Minister for Public Transport 1 January 2019

Safety and accessibility will be improved for thousands of passengers following upgrades to the Bundoora RMIT stop on Route 86 over the next five weeks, thanks to the Andrews Labor Government.

Minister for Public Transport Melissa Horne said the upgraded tram stop at the corner of Plenty and McKimmies roads will provide better access for people with mobility needs and parents with prams.

Once completed, the new centre island Stop 71 will have better passenger facilities including shelters, seating and passenger displays.

The new stop will also include tram crossover and dual tram tracks, allowing trams to change direction more easily, improving tram timetable punctuality and operational efficiency.

The works will take place between Monday 7 January and Monday 11 February.

During the works, buses will replace trams from Stop 55 (corner of Boldrewood Pde and Plenty Rd) to the Bundoora end of the line between 2am on February 2 and last tram on February 3.

Buses will also replace trams from Stop 67 (Bundoora Square Shopping Centre) to the Bundoora end of the line between 5am on February 4 and last tram February 10.

There will also be some road disruptions with lane closures along Plenty Rd and right-turning lane closures in McKimmies Rd turning into Plenty Rd. Delays are expected and drivers are encouraged to plan ahead and consider alternative routes.

VicRoads will be closely monitoring traffic in the area and can adjust traffic light signals in real-time to keep congestion to a minimum.

The works will last until Sunday 10 February with trams resuming normal services from the first tram on Monday 11 February. All works have been planned around outside the university semester to minimise disruption to students.

More information is available at ptv.vic.gov.au

Quotes attributable to Minister for Public Transport Melissa Horne

"This is a popular tram stop for the community – we're upgrading access to trams for everyone because it's the right thing to do."

"We're getting on with improving transport options in Melbourne's northern suburbs."

Quote attributable to Member for Bundoora Colin Brooks

"These works will provide improved safety and accessibility for thousands of RMIT students and staff who use this stop as an important interchange to the university campus."

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Melbourne Age --> New technology to give trams priority at traffic lights

Trams will soon get new powers that have long eluded motorists – the ability to sail through traffic lights when running late.

Trams will be given the green light over cars in a trial of the new technology on the 75 tram route that runs along Toorak Road and the Burwood Highway.

The GPS technology will trigger an early switch of the traffic lights from red to green to allow the late-running trams to proceed through the intersections.

The information from the GPS systems will be sent to a central traffic control centre to change the lights sequence and prioritise the late-running trams.

Trams currently spend about 16 per cent of their time stuck at traffic lights. Twenty-five trams will be fitted with the new technology. The trial will run between March and May this year.

Roads Minister Jaala Pulford said the technology would allow "real-time synchronisation" with traffic lights so that when trams are running behind schedule, they will gain right of way.

"The lights will work more smoothly. We'll be able to have more people moving around more readily," she said. "When the tram's on time, it will just work as normal."

Ms Pulford said about 75 per cent of tram routes ran on parts of the network that were shared with roads.

VicRoads network performance and improvement director Brian Fletcher said the new technology would be "bolted on" to the current automated traffic lights system. There will also be a link to Yarra Trams' operation centre.

"We'll be able to define areas that will enable us to see where the tram is and provide the priority at that point," Mr Fletcher said.

Trams will also be equipped with short-range radio technology so they can provide information about when doors are open and passengers are getting off to allow better synchronisation with traffic lights.

The technology has been designed by the Australian Road Research Board and La Trobe University.

Yarra Trams passenger and network innovation director Emilie van de Graaff said the trial would be considered successful if trams were running early.

More than 200 million journeys are made by tram every year.

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https://twitter.com/9NewsMelb/status/1115531853912391681

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https://twitter.com/The_Rail_Life/status/1116655694130728960

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Melbourne Age --> OPINION The free tram zone is a gimmick that needs to go

The idea of freebies is always thought to be attractive to the public. It's why companies insist on plying us with drink bottles, bags and caps just for being part of an event.

So the initial concept of the free tram zone sounded generous and appealing. But in reality it is a gimmick that has overstayed its welcome and needs to go.

Currently, State Parliament is considering widening the free zone to include more of Melbourne's tourist attractions, plus hospitals, to encourage people to take public transport. But by doing this, you're going to put more of the locally based travellers off using it, because more trams will become more crowded, for a longer distance.

It sounds altruistic to extend the free tram network out to the hospitals, but really, unless your journey originates in the CBD, you're already paying for the transport to get into the free tram zone, so it's not really free.

The zone also encourages laziness in a population that is already fairly sedentary. People who could otherwise walk the small stretch they are travelling, jump aboard a passing tram and add to the sardine-tin feel that plagues trams through the CBD, making it difficult for paying customers to access a service they legitimately need to use. I can't imagine how difficult it is for someone with mobility issues to have to attempt to navigate such trams.

Tourists should be happily welcomed to Melbourne, but they should not be the main focus of our public transport policy. I would think tourists expect to pay to travel around – it is the norm elsewhere – so instead of offering them free travel which creates flow-on problems for regular users, offer them easier ticketing.

The current myki system is frustratingly difficult to access for short-term visitors. Or even better, have a discounted tourist pass which is readily available and covers travel to the main tourist attractions.

And why all this focus on the CBD? If we genuinely want to address congestion, then the attention should surely be on providing more frequent and reliable services to outlying suburbs, especially to those who currently have very little access.

The free tram network is really only free to the people who live, or are staying, in the CBD because everyone else has either paid on their journey inwards or has driven, the latter which we are trying to avoid.

Public transport is absolutely vital and should be prioritised over roads. I'm happy to pay to use public transport; I can clearly see the costs to run it, and the benefits to Melbourne's congestion, the environment and my mental state are well worth the ticket price.

The danger of making the whole system free is that we tend to undervalue things we pay nothing for.

Government money invested in public transport should not be to make things free, it should be spent on building new routes, creating adequate parking at regional stations, and buying more trains, trams and buses. It needs to be so reliable, frequent and cost attractive that far more people eschew cars to take it.

Our politicians should apply the well-tested aphorism "all that glitters is not gold" to their debate on public transport in Parliament. In this case, the free tram zone extension is merely sparkle; the true gold is in providing a world class public transport system for the whole state.

Nicola Philp is a regular columnist.

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^ Agree.  The FTZ is really dumb and just leads to overcrowding and freeloaders who drive to edge of the FTZ not paying any fares. 

Sooner it goes the better Melbourne will be!

[brissypete]

Considering Melbourne have excellent daily, weekly etc ticket options there really is no advantage to the free tram zone cost wise.

Probably the only advantage I see is for short trips maybe some time savings with not needing to touch your myki.

Sent from my G8141 using Tapatalk

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https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/designing-victorias-next-generation-trams-and-trains/

Designing Victoria's Next Generation Trams And Trains

Minister for Public Transport

22 September 2019

The Andrews Labor Government is taking the next step in designing next generation trams and regional trains to keep Victorians moving.

Manufacturers have been invited to develop proposals and participate in a collaborative design process for the new trams and trains, with design and engineering workshops to be held in coming months.

The next generation trams will be fully accessible and include on board energy storage, reducing the need for power upgrades.

Together with the 50 new E-Class trams ordered by the Labor Government since 2015, the new trams will mean older high-floor trams can be retired.

The new regional trains will be fully accessible, energy efficient and capable of carrying more passengers.

The final proposals will need to maximise local content and jobs and integrate with Victoria's existing public transport network, reducing the need for expensive infrastructure upgrades.

The development process will provide the Labor Government with well-informed proposals to choose the best new trains and trams to meet Victoria's needs.

The Labor Government has invested more than $4.5 billion in new and upgraded rolling stock and supporting infrastructure since 2015 to get people where they need to go safer and sooner.

For more information on the new trams and trains see transport.vic.gov.au

Quotes attributable to Minister for Public Transport Melissa Horne

"We're doing the vital design work needed to deliver new trains and trams that are reliable, accessible and meet the changing needs of Victorian passengers."

"Whether it's building more trains and trams, upgrading tracks and signals, or planning for the future – we're getting people where they want to go sooner and safer."

"It doesn't matter what mode of transport you use – trains, trams or buses – because we're investing across the entire network to provide safe and reliable trips for Victorians."

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https://twitter.com/LiamPetterson/status/1180653941979152389

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https://twitter.com/KristyMayr7/status/1180658048852877312

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https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/testing-our-largest-trams-on-route-58/

Testing Our Largest Trams On Route 58

Minister for Public Transport

27 October 2019

Melbourne's largest and newest trams will begin testing on Route 58, as part of the Andrews Labor Government's plan to roll out E-Class trams to more routes.

Minister for Public Transport Melissa Horne announced that testing begins today on Route 58 from West Coburg to Toorak.

Route 58 travels from Melbourne's north, through the CBD to the city's south east, passing Melbourne Zoo, Royal Children's Hospital, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Queen Victoria Market and the Toorak Road shopping precinct.

The test tram will investigate things like tram stops and platforms, curves and gradients, bridge clearance, track quality, diversion routes for disruptions and identify any other potential issues.

Passengers on routes 96, 11, and 86 are already serviced by E-Class trams which have space for more than 200 passengers – doubling passenger capacity on these routes.

Each tram is accessible with dedicated spaces for passengers with mobility aids or prams, has audio and visual passenger information, more myki readers and air conditioning.

Since 2015, the Labor Government has invested more than $700 million for 50 new E-Class trams and infrastructure upgrades to modernise Melbourne's iconic tram network.

The 81st E-Class tram has been rolled out on the network with the Labor Government announcing additional orders of the Victorian built E-Class trams last year, boosting the overall fleet to 100.

For more information visit ptv.vic.gov.au

Quotes attributable to Minister for Public Transport Melissa Horne

"Testing E-Class trams on Route 58 is an important first step in rolling out our largest and most accessible trams to help passengers from West Coburg to Toorak get where they need to go."

"Melbourne's tram network is the biggest in the world, modernising it is critical to making sure we keep pace with growing demand."

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https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/when-melbourne-sleeps-the-spy-tram-comes-out-to-survey/

When Melbourne Sleeps, The Spy Tram Comes Out To Survey

Minister for Public Transport

17 November 2019

A specially-equipped tram has been scouring Melbourne's tram network at night to inform future maintenance and infrastructure works.

The 'spy tram', as it's known, has travelled 500 kilometres surveying the entire Melbourne tram network to collect data on the condition of key tram infrastructure such as tracks, wires and tram stops.

Using state-of-the-art 3D lasers, sensors and cameras, the 'spy tram' collects information about the condition of different assets.

This equipment is attached to the top, bottom, front, back, and sides of a B-Class tram, with data mapped accurately using GPS.

Every tiny detail, from the smoothness of the rail, to where foliage like weeds are coming up, is captured and analysed.

With more people using public transport than ever before, planning infrastructure upgrades need to be prioritised better than ever to limit disruption and ensure reliable journeys.

Since 2010, Yarra Trams has used this approach in conjunction with physical inspections to identify and assist in prioritisation of maintenance and renewal works for network infrastructure.

From Lygon Street, to Toorak Road and Plenty Road, the spy tram is vital to ensuring the longevity of Melbourne's tram network. There have been 25 significant maintenance and renewal works across the network since 2018.

Since 2017, Yarra Trams has been conducting these surveys twice a year, using the latest data capture technology from Europe.

As more data is collected, Yarra Trams will be able to better prioritise works for the next five to 15 years.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Public Transport Melissa Horne

"We have the largest tram network in the world and we're using the latest technology to keep it running safely and get passengers where they need to go."

"More than $81 million is invested in maintaining and upgrading our iconic tram network every year – the Spy Tram plays an important role in making sure we know what needs to be fixed and upgraded."

Quotes attributable to Yarra Trams CEO Nicolas Gindt

"The team at Yarra Trams work around the clock to ensure our network is in the best condition it can be, to keep Melbourne moving."

"We are already using the 'spy tram' data to help prioritise upcoming works and better plan renewals along every route."

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Herald Sun --> Urgent call for cameras on Melbourne trams

Cameras would be fitted to the outside of every tram in Melbourne under a new push by the Public Transport Users Association.

Newer trams can record incidents and near-misses but the association has warned recent issues have shown the whole fleet must be fitted with cameras.

In 2018, there were 1112 collisions recorded between trams and cars and 51 with people.

Drivers also reported 456 times when motorists flouted the rules and drove past a tram while it was stopped for passengers.

PTUA spokesman Daniel Bowen said the rules were often broken and the result could be fatal.

"There is an urgent need for firm action to protect passengers," he said.

"In the long-term, more accessible tram platform stops will help safety, but the progress on these is incredibly slow."

Driver behaviour has become so bad authorities have joined forces to launch a "Trams Can't Swerve" campaign for summer.

"It's not OK to recklessly try to beat the tram, and it's not OK to overtake when it's stopped," Mr Bowen said.

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Public Transport Minister Melissa Horne addressing the tram strike @10NewsFirstMelb #springst  https://t.co/0I3khFU7xJ

https://twitter.com/SimoLove/status/1221989110216183808

[ozbob]

Herald Sun --> Yarra Trams, RTBU finally come to pay deal agreement

A lengthy dispute between Yarra Trams and the state's public transport union looks set to end after both sides reached an early agreement over a new pay deal.

Leaders within the organisations last night ticked off on a heads of agreement after three days of intense mediation involving the state government.

The document will now be considered by the leadership of the union's tram division.

The urgent negotiations were called in a bid to stop the RTBU's plans to strike during every day of the Australian Grand Prix, sparking transport chaos.

Public Transport Minister Melissa Horne stepped into the dispute earlier this week.

A government spokesman said the strikes would have impacted one of Melbourne's biggest events.

"The mediation, over the last three days, was attended by senior leadership from Yarra Trams and the RTBU, including Yarra's CEO, and the RTBU's Branch Secretary and Tram Divisional Secretaries and facilitated by the head of Industrial Relations Victoria," he said.

"The RTBU leadership will now recommend acceptance of the heads of agreement to its Tram Division Committee of Management."

The union initially came to the table demanding a 6 per cent pay increase year on year.

But the biggest sticking point in negotiations has been over a push by Yarra Trams to allow a higher percentage of part time staff.

The operator has argued the change would allow them to hire a more diverse workforce.

But the union has contended the plans are an attempt to save money by stripping back entitlements and benefits.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/TimnaJacks/status/1233207634733322240