Inner West Light Rail observations

[gilberations]

Wouldn’t the Lewisham stop make more sense for short running?


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[tonyp]

Wouldn’t the Lewisham stop make more sense for short running?

None of the options involving reversing on the running lines is a good idea.

[gilberations]

Wouldn’t the Lewisham stop make more sense for short running?

None of the options involving reversing on the running lines is a good idea.

there’s a cross over there though


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[tonyp]

there’s a cross over there though

I know, that's what I mean. It's not good practice to reverse trams via a crossover on running lines. It gets in the way of other trams and disrupts the operation. Any reversing should take place on a separate siding and the only one of these is at Lilyfield. Intermediate crossovers are only for unplanned emergencies/contingencies.

As grog correctly says, the line is going to be full-on end to end within a few years. It needs a double track terminus at DH with a single platform between them. With a layover to provide recovery time and absorb late running without the pressure of other trams piling in and forcing the tram at the terminus out, the line will work much better and more services will be able to be run.

[gilberations]

In doing that. Dulwhich Hill station needs a whole new concourse that links to a new tram platform all sharing one Concorse.


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[tonyp]

I think that may happen with the metro.

[grog]

Yep, it’s part of the Metro conversion. Initial plan was full width concourse with new entrances on both sides of the rail corridor, the revised plans only have a new entrance on the Light Rail side.

[moa999]

Correct - now concourse will line up with the LR lift. See artists impression here
https://www.sydneymetro.info/station/du ... ll-station

[boronia]

But not covered?

[grog]

Correct

[jpp42]

This was posted at Convention. Thought the readers here would appreciate the cat's name:

39EE727D-C238-4365-ABC2-94A73590EDEE.jpeg (127.66 KiB) Viewed 7424 times

Hope they get it back.

[Swift]

What a cute little kitty caf.

[tonyp]

This was posted at Convention. Thought the readers here would appreciate the cat's name:

39EE727D-C238-4365-ABC2-94A73590EDEE.jpeg

Hope they get it back.

He ran off with a lady cat called Alstom.

[STMPainter2018]

A couple of Urbos 100s at the Hay St intersection during the Wednesday evening peak.

BTW I didn't ride the tram this time but I noticed 2124 was PACKED heading to Central once again. And people weren't crowding around the doors; they were standing in the aisles as well. I swear it was crush capacity! I don't know how else you can solve this apart from modifying the IWLR to CSELR standards and run Citadis cars on the line.

[boronia]

What are the options for lengthening the CAF sets with extra modules? Can platforms be lengthened to suit?

[Swift]

I can see a link to the George St leg of the CSELR. Does this mean direct services from DH to CQ in the pipeline?
The AOA is a throwback to the AOA plastered on the original trams. It makes me want to boycott whom ever chooses to blight the vehicle with their branding, especially that insidious left wing propaganda!

[moa999]

What are the options for lengthening the CAF sets with extra modules? Can platforms be lengthened to suit?

I would say near impossible.
Particularly at Pyrmont Bay and John St.

As discussed many times the solution is more services, either by shorter journey times (traffic light priority), turnbacks or more CAF trams.

While the Alston trams will run on the route to the Lilyfield depot (which is being fitted out with an APS test track) using that turn from CQ they reportedly can't be used for passengers without platform changes to meet disability standards (and I suspect those changes might mean the CAFs don't fit)

[boronia]

And the CAFs don't have fittings for the APS power supply.

[matthewg]

While the Alston trams will run on the route to the Lilyfield depot (which is being fitted out with an APS test track) using that turn from CQ they reportedly can't be used for passengers without platform changes to meet disability standards (and I suspect those changes might mean the CAFs don't fit)

The CESLR has a slightly smaller platform centre than the IWLR.
The SLR was built to match the very wide Variotrams. The CAFs were purchased to match the Variotrams and have 'step fillers'.
I suspect the new cars are 2.60 not 2.65 wide.
I also suspect the CAFs could have the step plates changed and fit on the CESLR, but all platforms on the existing line would have to be modified or the gap will be too large to meet standards.

Alstom could even fit APS to the CAF cars if they so desired - they keep saying their technology can be used on other makers cars

I've had a couple of people inspect 2107 and say it seems larger than the CAF cars. I suspect it probably is. Not only are the CAF cars slightly narrower, the sides slightly curve in. The Variotram is a straight sided box, built out to the full 2.65m width. While the change in actual volume is very small, the perception is quite different.

[Swift]

And yet they persist with refusing to permit 2.55 wide buses, even though that is the new standard in Urupp.

[STMPainter2018]

While the Alston trams will run on the route to the Lilyfield depot (which is being fitted out with an APS test track) using that turn from CQ they reportedly can't be used for passengers without platform changes to meet disability standards (and I suspect those changes might mean the CAFs don't fit)

I also keep bringing up the fact that the points and check-rails are different too. IWLR uses railway standard; CSELR is tramway standard. So ALL the points and check rails need to be converted to tramway standard so there's no risk of derailment with the Citadis cars. Then will have a consistent and compatible network across the board in terms of track standards. This would also mean that the wheel profiles on the cars would need to be shaved down but I would say to just give them brand new tramway profile wheels, seeing as the current wheel tyres are so worn due to cheap construction.

[STMPainter2018]

It makes me want to boycott whom ever chooses to blight the vehicle with their branding, especially that insidious left wing propaganda!

And yet you idolise Neville Wran; a politician who was a member and one time leader of a party who's politics are centre-left wing....

[Swift]

Precisely, not to ludicrous levels like now. Good steady government. Everything's good in moderation, including the conservative side.
Today's left wing is insidious and seeks to destroy western civilisation.
Did you know that Neville Wran enjoyed 68% approval rating among Liberal voters?

[Jurassic_Joke]

If we order more trams to address the overcrowding issue, I sincerely hope we move away from the CAF’s because they're pretty terrible in their current Sydney spec incarnation.

Just order something with more doors - like Melbournes E Class Flexity. That’s a tram I could be proud of (if Melbourne was my home city)

[tonyp]

If we order more trams to address the overcrowding issue, I sincerely hope we move away from the CAF’s because they're pretty terrible in their current Sydney spec incarnation.

Just order something with more doors - like Melbournes E Class Flexity. That’s a tram I could be proud of (if Melbourne was my home city)

The E class only has five doors. You can order the CAF with six. The E class also has very narrow aisles that discourage circulation. There are really only two major standee areas, one at each end. In the CAFs you can get a better distribution of standees. The Flexity is a different model. The Gold Coast trams are Flexitys and they have a much better door and internal circulation arrangement. Though they only have fixed bogies, a specification that is the cause of wheel and track wear on the curving IWLR. A Skoda 15T would be the best choice that ticks all the boxes - swiveling bogies, six evenly-distributed double doors and heaps of circulation space.